The turn has come to look at 7 facets of the Tarot Emperor. The Empress is the yin partner of the yang Emperor so we are talking varying degrees of yin here. Nothing is ever entirely 100% yin or yang and there is constant interplay between these two opposing forces within and without…
1. Historically, emperors were considered to be of higher rank than kings. The title ’emperor’ has been used since medieval times. Back in the day, the emperor was equal in power to the pope and was believed to be anointed directly by God to rule his domain. In modern times, the only country with an emperor is Japan. As you can see here the emperor has the highest rank. The Emperor Tarot card is a card of POWER.
Emperor
King
Archduke
Grand Prince
Grand Duke
Prince
Duke
Sovereign Prince
Marquess / Marquis /
Count / Earl
Viscount
Baron
Baronet
Hereditary Knight
Knight
Esquire
Gentleman
2. The Emperor is the Father archetype to the Mother archetype of the Empress. We won’t have our need for unconditional love and nurturing here but provided those were taken care of properly during the first few years of our lives, the Emperor can be our guide to success in society. Like a good father, he teaches us about responsibility toward others so that we do not abuse our own personal power. He also teaches us discipline, organisation and assertiveness.
3. The astrological correspondence for The Emperor is Aries. Most red crystals carry an energy that boosts Aries. The metal correspondence is iron. and. Corresponding essential oils are black pepper and rosemary.
4. The highest spiritual potential of the Emperor is for us to own our power. When we own the energy of this card we can never be the victim – We become the boss of our own life. Weak Emperor energy makes us struggle both with owning our own power and dealing with authority figures.
5. Examples of questions to ask yourself when the Emperor shows up as a challenge are: ‘How can I get more organised?,’ ‘How can I move forward with more authority?,’ ‘Where do I need to stand my ground?,’ and ‘What father issues are affecting the situation at hand?’
6. Archangel Camael is the ruler of Mars/Aries in the Golden Dawn system of correspondences. Use a red candle for an angelic invocation of Camael. Camael is a fierce, fiery warrior angel and the ruler of Tuesdays. The chakra correspondence is the solar plexus for Camael and solar plexus and root chakra for the Emperor.
7. On a day when the Emperor energy is strong you might…
- Take/be offered a leadership position
- Instruct and command others
- Get promoted
- Give/take orders
- Organise your surroundings
- Defend a cause
- Stand up for what you believe in
- Arrange a relief effort
- Power dress
- Sort out logistics
- Start a new business venture
- Act like your father
- Celebrate father’s day
- Go to war
- Train martial arts
The Frideborg Tarot Emperor
There is something infantile about the way we often see this card. But if we learn to see ourselves as powerful and are willing to set rules or defend what matters to us, then the card becomes exhilirating.
~ Rachel Pollack (The New Tarot Handbook)
Love,
Lisa Frideborg