The Fairytale Tarot - The Emperor

geministar

I find the card in this deck so unusual to the meaning of the emperor in other decks. Usually you would find the emperor sitting on a throne, looking strong and representing an authoritative figure, a leader.

In this deck the emperor is in his death bed, a nightingale sings outside by the moonlight and death (a skeleton in the background) appears in the background and the fairytale states that it is death showing the emperor all his good and bad deeds of the past. The fairytale for Emperor is called The Emperor and the Nightingale.

I think I would find this card difficult to read in a reading so was wondering if anyone could let me know your thoughts on this card it would be really helpful.
 

Blonde Fraggle

Hope this makes sense.

When I look at the card, I am drawn to the mechanical nightingale which I see as the Emperors need for controlling the environment. Then the real nightingale singing in the moonlight, seems to suggest to me that in order to comand successfully you need a balance of control and being able to go with the flow. I kinda see death as representing an authoritive figure, all must face him, without his presence there would be chaos and can't cheat him.

Will be interesting to see what other people think:)
 

berrieh

This card shows the darker side of The Emperor, in my opinion, but in a refreshing way. Personally, I rather like The Emperor in general, but I have decks where I like him more and decks where I like him less. I think this card does well at displaying The Emperor's downfall through order. He chooses the mechanical bird, who looks more fine and plays consistently, over the beautiful variances of the real, living, breathing bird.

The real bird belongs to The Empress, in my imagination---as she is the untamed land. The Emperor wants to tame her, wants to put order to things, and he'll neglect anything not orderly. In the end, the bird is free, but chooses to adhere to an order which soothes and revives The Emperor, telling him truth once a day, but no longer confined to the palace. And he realizes the importance of the real bird.

Death fits, in a way, as death is something rather orderly, in that it meets us all, without fail. This card is interesting, as it makes me consider The Emperor's relationship with Death. I also find it interesting that The Emperor escapes Death, for the time being, because of the bird. After all, The Emperor would like to escape death---order is a natural reaction to 'fear of the unknown' and what 'unknown' is more feared than what happens after 'Death.'

The card itself is interesting. The mechanical bird is clearly broken and the man ill, so it's a sense of disrupted "human" order. Death and the wild bird rule this card, saying your "Civilization" can't cheat the ways of nature. Nature always wins. Yet the man clings tightly to life and seems to be clinging to his sheet, just as we cling tightly to the civilization that "softens" the natural world around us.

It gives a rather dark Emperor vibration in a reading, I find. Normally, I can see The Emperor as positive or negative, but I normally read this one as a Challenge. So, it's an interesting choice.
 

Queen of Disks

This card reminds me of of the old "Dance of Death" prints from medieval Europe. Death is very democratic and comes for everyone, including the Emperor in this fairytale (even though he gets a reprieve-for now.) It makes you wonder who the real Emperor is in this card.
 

Sar

Queen of Disks said:
This card reminds me of of the old "Dance of Death" prints from medieval Europe. Death is very democratic and comes for everyone, including the Emperor in this fairytale (even though he gets a reprieve-for now.) It makes you wonder who the real Emperor is in this card.

Suleiman II the great of the Ottoman empire, perhaps?
 

Onyx

reviving the study group

I love this card of the Emperor is is such a different take but still authentic to the archetype to me. Here are some of my thoughts to the card based on my reading of the fairy tale.

*** There is a beauty we all look for and find in the ordered, routine, and predictable. The Emperor in the story loves the artificial and predictable bird more than the real and original.

*** Th Emperor is a manager as he is determine to keep things in order and in their right place. LIfe is both messy and full of the unexpected surprises. the artifical bird sings on command and there is no unusual song. Safe, comforting and predictiable are values respected and desired by the Emperor

*** The Emperor is a stern figure who when faced with death is at first forced to face his past with a broken bird who will not sing for him. The real bird came to him and sang his sweet song and even distracted Death from his task.

*** The Emperor learns to value the truth over the imitation and life over death. The Emperor card pictures the scene of Death's arrival and the broken bird's failure. As the living Nightengale sings the Emperor listens while having the hauntings of his past eased.

Onyx.