The Emperor
A Major Arcana card, The Emperor is numbered four in the tarot deck. He sits upon a throne near a backdrop of mountains, while he is surrounded by the red, hot color of blood. Appearing serious and stern, he represents power, authority, and logic.
Unlike his match, The Empress, The Emperor is stern, fatherly, and masculine. He is calculating and makes decisions based on rational analysis. Lastly, this card signifies organization, control, and leadership.
Symbolism
When interpreting tarot cards, it’s essential to take a look at several features. The first is most obviously the symbols contained within the cards. Many things qualify as being symbolic, while everything in tarot cards have some symbolic meaning.
Tarot symbols include the colors, number of the card, and the scenery. The character within the card is a focal point, including the gender role, facial expressions, appearance, and body language. The climate, weather, and elements also play a role. Finally, symbols can be animals, tools, or any other objects on the card.
Number
While The Emperor is numbered four in the tarot deck, it’s actually the fifth card in the Major Arcana. This is because The Fool, which is the first card, is numbered zero. However, the fact that this card is numbered four means that it should be studied in numerology with the meaning of the four as well.
In numerology, the number four indicates structure, foundations, and solidity. It’s associated with possessing a strong ability to form rational thoughts, make responsible decisions, and stay grounded throughout both. This number suggests control, having a critical nature, and prioritizing things that will later be beneficial, strengthening one’s material life through the passions of desire.
Color
The Emperor appears in front of a red background, which portrays his attachments to the material world. Red is the color of the blood contained within the physical body, which is humanity’s connection to life. Likewise, it represents his passionate nature intertwined with his ability to have strength and lead.
Another color found within The Emperor card is yellow. Yellow is suggestive of the third dimension, the physical realm, the ego, and the self. What this means is that the character in the card is attached to his personal identity. Yet, this gives him confidence and a sense of pride in his work.
Symbols
The Emperor is represented by two rams at the edge of his throne’s arm rests, indicating the card’s connection to the zodiac sign, Aries. As the first sign of twelve, Aries is a cardinal, masculine sign, giving it power and skills in leadership. Likewise, he holds a sword in his hand and is adorned in armor, suggesting that he also possesses the strength and courage of the god of war, Ares.
Furthermore, The Emperor is dressed in red robes, which points to his connection to life. Meanwhile, the crown he wears proposes that he has authority to rule it and protect it. Lastly, the mountains behind him make it clear that he fought his way to his position, jumping hurdles and climbing fiercely to the top.
Interpretation of The Emperor
The Emperor is the masculine counterpart to The Empress, which is tarot card number three. Together, they represent the balanced nature of feminine and masculine leaders of any empire, aka a home. Unlike mere kings and queens, this pair rules multiple kingdoms, while remaining considerate to all.
Alone, The Emperor, relies on logic and reason to lead others. He has the boldness to make hard decisions, as he isn’t slowed down by overwhelming emotion. While he may come off as strict and serious, he doesn’t have the need to be validated by others. This helps him to exploit weaknesses with the intention of strengthening them.
Drawing The Emperor Card
While The Emperor means a certain thing alone, he takes on a slightly different tone within a reading, depending on the placement he’s in. Likewise, his position could represent either his upright meaning or the reversed. As always, if a card is drawn in the revered position, it means that there’s still potential for the upright meaning to develop, while it’s being blocked by the shadow characteristics of the card.
Let’s take a look at the upright and the reversed positions of The Emperor card in a tarot reading.
The Emperor Upright
Keywords: Authority, Logic, Power, Control, & Seriousness
Whenever The Emperor appears in a tarot reading in the upright position, he reminds us of the power we truly have. Perhaps in the past, we weren’t able to see our own authority. On the other hand, we may have worked hard to climb to the top, which is the position we’re now in.
Fortunately, we have entered a personal era of composure, control, and confidence all wrapped in one within our personality. With that, our ability to rationalize, strategize, and think clearly has become much more simple. Although we may currently be seen as too serious or strict, we know that it is necessary for the direction we’re going in, at least for the moment.
Finally, let’s keep in mind that there’s no higher ranked position here on earth than an emperor. Yet, an empire ran under the rule of corruption and malevolence isn’t sustainable. Therefore, this card is also an indicator that humbleness and consideration are equally important to the power we possess.
The Emperor Reversed
Keywords: Selfishness, Dictatorship, Loss of Control, Abuse of Power, & Disruption
If The Emperor card is drawn in the reversed position within a tarot reading, this often suggests that we have forgotten our place and misused our authority. Maybe once we were a leader, but we’ve become bossy, tyrannical, and selfish. Unfortunately, this ultimately means that we’re now abusing our power.
Perhaps we’ve taken it upon ourselves to react greedily, no longer giving others the necessary consideration to act in everyone’s best interest. Our behavior has likely meant that we’ve been acting through deep feelings of insecurity. Therefore, we’ve started to spiral, feeling a loss of control of ourselves.
We may pick fights with others, cause chaos in our environment, and disrupt any peace that may be present. Yet, we’re likely in denial of our actions and reactions or why we’ve become this way. At this time, it may be helpful for ourselves and others to reflect on what has seemingly threatened our sense of self-security, causing us angst.
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