Symbology Study Group: EMPEROR Oct. 26-Nov 8

Well the Emperor come to show his ability to rule and dominate the situation. He is strong with his Aries markings and fire-y intent behind him. However he knows that it takes a great deal of time and patience to make things grow. They don't come from out of no where. His foot resting on roots implying a place to start or to grow from. The Ying/Yang Circle of a "rose" looks as if he understands that a balance of male and female powers will be the only way to be able to have his rule completely salidated. He comes out of fire into a door way into the future or past. He has the strength and the ability to move and to make things move with him.

Symbology Study Group Master List

Quest Tarot

This is a Thoth like based deck without the "scary" factor, it is a love or hate deck. There is no middle ground here, and it is one of my oldest and most used decks.

The Compass Guide to The Quest Tarot by Joseph Ernest Martin said:

...the figures in the pillars holding up the great weight of the king's institution. Behind himis the Tree of Life. The gold aura behind his head indicates someone of high intellect. His scepter has one it a triangle (fire) and circle (air). Recurring patterns of two rings appears in this card, the joining of him and the Empress. He recieves the sceptter from her to make things happen in the physical world. The Emperor is the one to set things in motion, the great creator...

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This is a parphrase from the book itself, it really does explain the card and it's symbols well. Which is why all of us that love the deck (and some that don't) love this particular companion book.

Wow, that's a real eye opener, that card just oozes megalomania from every square mm. Funny how some interpret him in a kindly light while other card creators come up with your bloke.

What have we got - Aries top left - Ruler of the First House - The Ram - Boss of the Flock. Top right we have what seems to be a mirror image of Ansuz - The Ancestral God as in Odin - but it is a mirror, a true reversal, not an inversion. To me this guy is just bad through and through. Consider the columns either side, grinding down his subjects under an impossible burden. The great big spiky halo makes him look a bit like the Statue of Liberty! The great imposing rock behind with the tree on top his seat of power? distant and unreachable - his body language!!!!!! His staff could well be a parody of a Roman Legion Standard - not sure about the decoration - Infinity or 8?
The path leading up to him guarded by harmless plants - and great big toothed gates! This guy would order the deaths of 10,000 people as easily as eating grape - there is not an ounce of humanity or compassion in his body.

Consider this verion from Robin Wood http://public.fotki.com/circlewalker/tarot/emperor.html - an altogether nicer kind of all powerful ruler! Yes he does have the world at his feet, and yes he is THE ONE AN ONLY, but in a nicer kind of way - the single bird in the background sky, no room for any others. Aries still figures but in a more subtle and less threatening way (did I say subtle? well, maybe the the one in the middle is a little less than subtle but it's very tastefully done ).
The birds carved in the back of the throne remind me of ravens - so we have the associations with death, magic, healing, wisdom, insight, prophesy and so on reinforced with the purple cloak again relating to wisdom.
His sceptre topped with an Ankh and the Orb is interesting. The Ankh originally meant Mirror - is that the significance of the mirrored Ansuz?
The demeanor is altogether less threatening, but nevertheless you better be on your best behaviour. The expression is both stern and yet not unkind, the heavy beard goes with the overall impression of powerful benevolence, the crown of laurels had a purple jewel in the centre - wisdom again!
The horn could be just a ram's horn - but could it relate to Olifant - The Horn of Roland?

What a fascinating card!

in light

cw

I truly think that the Emperor is one of the few cards that society has predetermined what he should be due to societies beliefs.

If a "lay person" looks at the Emperor s/he will be able to tell almost as soon as laying eyes on it that it is a card of a ruler, stucture, or king like figure. It is also their own person beliefs that bring this card into it's finer meanings for people.

If person A looks at it and sees someone who is strong, stuble and steady. Able to take on the world and handle anything that comes his way. Is probably someone who believes in the structure of government and has a good strong male family/friend figure to compare this too.

If person B looks at it and sees a rigid, unwaverying, and cold. Who refuses to listen or even consider other ideas. Maybe a person who looks at all government as "big brother" or interfering.

The Emperor is a great many things in every deck he graces. It depends first on the creator of the deck to show him in the light that they see him and then the person reading the cards to show him in a different light. It finally filters through to the person who is getting the reading done.

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This is the Universal Fantasy by LS, while it is sci-fi/futuristic there is the strength of a ruler but the coldness of someone who has ruled too long. The rigid posture implies that he will stand tall come what may and fight for what is his. The large "brain" is to state that he is a much intellent man who will think things through. But the thing so off setting in this particular Emperor for me is the look on his face. He looks like an Ice Man nothing can warm him or ease his mind.

I wonder where Tarot4Fun is, she hasn't been on this one at all yet....

Ah well..I bought a good dream dictionary and am going to try to see if it helps trying to see the symbolism in a tarot deck... Let me grab an Emperor first.

The Tarot of Dreams Emperor the first thing you notice on this particular Emperor is that he is front and center. There is no question at all who is in charge at all. He stands bold and facing you as if secretly challenging you to dare past him in definance.

The two scepturs: Red and Green in his right and left hand respectfully out lines this line of right and wrong to me. Both (in my book) have a very fine line between good and bad qualities: The red could be either passion and love or violence and hate. The green jealous and madness or rebirth and hope. Which oddly fits in to my own belief of this guy. He is one of those in hard control type figures who has to be other wise he would lose it, and unfortunately you're not particularally sure which why it would go...then you're not sure if he knows either.

In front of the Emperor is a flock of white doves, which I truthfully never had a clue as to what they meant...only knew that they were generally released at weddings as time and harmoy or so I assumed anyway. [book: denotes peaceful, innocent pleasures, and fortunate developments in the future.]

The city below is rich and glowing with health and wealth. A deeper harmony developed and maintained by his firm if slighly frightening control of his world. The lushness of the trees shows a time of good fortunate as well. The gold only re-enforces that aspect of the overall card.

The wings on his back are interesting though...is it a flencing nod to his intellent ability to think and make decisions quickly or simply a cool suit of armor....cuz umm...ya know I wouldn't mind seeing what's under it. (I so hope Ciro doesn't mind that...)

Okay so my six dollar dream book was well worth the money spent because it has given me a great deal of a different view of this particular card, and this is one of those I always got that feeling of: Ah damn the Emperor...He is stranging controlling if compelling to me. The dream book helped defined some of the softer qualities that I would have missed if I wasn't paying attention. I should probably go back and do the same with some of the other cards that I have problems with.

tabi said:

I wonder where Tarot4Fun is, she hasn't been on this one at all yet....

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Just got here~

tarot4fun said:

Just got here~

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I hope so! You're my most regular person, you help me see what I missed I hope that I get to do that for someone else...which is the entire point of this thing!!!!

The Emperor from the decks I use the most.
Clockwise~ DruidCraft, Secret Forest, Golden Tarot, and Archeon.

DruidCraft~ The Lord
I like this image, there is lots of energy; the antlers feel like electricity coming from his head, he is sitting at attention with his staff in hand ~ so we better be alert to what he wants to say. Personally, I don't feel an overly male domination from him; he feels like what a father figure should be for me.
I would be willing to have him for a leader.
Keywords: Masculine power, Fatherhood, Structure, Authority, Leadership, Protection, Boundaries, Accomplishment, Order.

Secret Forest~ This has a woodsy, fairy-tale feel of course; he is not threatening at all, except I wonder what magical power he could exert with that crystal and wand? Or, he could just conk you on the head with it.
I like the childlike feel of this image.
Keywords: Administration. Paternal love, Experience.

Golden Tarot~ This image has quite a bit of good symbolism; this is Caesar in the throne room with his orb and scepter, an eagle, a lion, and a window on the world. His crown is like a golden laurel wreath. I think he looks like a thick necked thug.
I would not be willing to follow this person.
Some keywords: There can be no winners without losers. Competitiveness. Power.

Archeon~ This is an image of a Native American Chief with a sort of sadness in his expression. There is a raven on his breastplate. I don’t get the pushy feeling from him that some emperor types have.
I would be willing to sit down and listen to what this man has to say to those who wait for his wisdom.
Keywords: Ambition, Conquest, Courage, Motivation, Rational thought, Legacy.

The Tarot of Dreams Emperor made me think of a genie. He has a magical feel. Sadly, the emperor is usually only seen as one to be served rather than not one who is willing to serve his people.

He also makes me think of the image of a pharaoh ~ how he was the personification of a god; the concept of the ever powerful Pharaoh is what kept that empire strong and a dominant world power for so long.

Robin Wood Emperor seems to be a kindly man, a little like Father Christmas. His legs are a sort of skinny~ I think he might be a good leader - for someone else.

tarot4fun said:

The Emperor from the decks I use the most.
Clockwise~ DruidCraft, Secret Forest, Golden Tarot, and Archeon.

DruidCraft~ The Lord
I like this image, there is lots of energy; the antlers feel like electricity coming from his head, he is sitting at attention with his staff in hand ~ so we better be alert to what he wants to say. Personally, I don't feel an overly male domination from him; he feels like what a father figure should be for me.
I would be willing to have him for a leader.
Keywords: Masculine power, Fatherhood, Structure, Authority, Leadership, Protection, Boundaries, Accomplishment, Order.

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This Emperor has always put me off a bit, he is scary in a very I'm serious so you better take me serious attitude for me. He seems like a strong stable leader but one that you wouldn't really want to cross or even trifle with if you wanted to keep all of your parts whole.

tarot4fun said:

Secret Forest~ This has a woodsy, fairy-tale feel of course; he is not threatening at all, except I wonder what magical power he could exert with that crystal and wand? Or, he could just conk you on the head with it.
I like the childlike feel of this image.
Keywords: Administration. Paternal love, Experience.

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Probably one of my favorite Emperors, he reminds me of an intent watcher of things. While he could fix it he is hoping that you'll do all of the work and he gets to sit and take all of the credit for you. He seems the most "fatherly" to me, loving but distant enough not to be overprotective.

tarot4fun said:

Golden Tarot~ This image has quite a bit of good symbolism; this is Caesar in the throne room with his orb and scepter, an eagle, a lion, and a window on the world. His crown is like a golden laurel wreath. I think he looks like a thick necked thug.
I would not be willing to follow this person.
Some keywords: There can be no winners without losers. Competitiveness. Power.

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This Emperor seems the weakest out of all that you choose to share. If you look closely you'll see his hand held losely around the staff. There is a blank look to his face as he stares off into "space"...given that we don't know what is on the other side of him, but oddly what bothers me the most of this particular Emperor is that he is barefoot. True the DruidCraft Emperor looks barefoot, he could pull it off. This gentleman is too gentle and soft to be or do anything that is required of an Emperor.

tarot4fun said:

Archeon~ This is an image of a Native American Chief with a sort of sadness in his expression. There is a raven on his breastplate. I don’t get the pushy feeling from him that some emperor types have.
I would be willing to sit down and listen to what this man has to say to those who wait for his wisdom.
Keywords: Ambition, Conquest, Courage, Motivation, Rational thought, Legacy.

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This seems less like an Emperor and more like either a Heirophant or Hermit for me. Native American Elders were NOT even equal to an Emperor. There is intellegence and wisdom in all of these men yes (while maybe NOT the Golden) but there is an undenible strength and character also. This Emperor mixes all of that but also stands alone in the fact that he doesn't seem to think he is the ONLY one that can make decisions....like all of the other Emperors (shown by all of us) come across as. That I'm the on in charge, so I'm the only one who will be able to give a good idea and to hell with all of you...This particular "Emperor" doesn't have that attitude for me...I'm not sure why though.