L'Imperatore: The Emperor
Verse
“A stoic sentinel
stands upon the precipice
of a jagged valley carved by gentle waters.
to gaze down upon their dominion.
The crown of Mars weighs heavy
upon the one who would wage war to protect sacred life.
They hold the world in their hand
and tighten their grip.”
Keywords
Upright: Stability. Structure. Authority. Masculinity. Paternal figures. Voice of reason.
Reversed: Abuse of power. Rigid thinking. Oppression. Questionable authority.
Correspondences
Sign: Aries
Aroma: Cedar, Dill, and Coriander
Description
The Emperor is often represented as Mars or Ares. In the Hermetic Tarot, they are known as the ‘Son of the Morning.’ They are the embodiment of the ultimate power of four; stable, practical, fortified. While The Empress was one with the material world, the Emperor rules over and protects it with authority. The Empress is the archetypical mother where The Emperor is the father.
They earned their seat upon the throne of earth by using strength and wisdom to establish law and order. Their crown is made of the skull of a ram which serves as a symbol of his connection to the spirit of Aries and Mars. It also serves as physical and emotional armor. He holds the same orb of the world in his hand that the Empress possessed. Here, it also represents dominion over the physical world. In his other hand, he grasps an Ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life. A bee rests upon it—a symbol of fertility, wisdom, and service. It also serves as a reminder of Musca Borealis, the dead constellation that used to exist just above Aries in the sky that was depicted as a bee. The mountains in the background are hard, jagged, and unyielding. The influence of the Empress is present in the form of the stream which flows from her card into his. It cuts through the rocky landscape and suggests that no matter how stern he is on the surface, there may still be some emotion underneath.
In a reading, this card expresses a connection to your masculine side—the part of you that is strong, wise, stable, and paternal. It may point to a father or authority figure in your life. Listen to the wisdom of your elders. Embrace structure and authority. It could be that you are the one taking on the role of the father figure. Impart your wisdom to others. Be the voice of reason. If you have it all together, other people may lean on you for stability. If you are in a leadership role, don’t be afraid to assert yourself. A strategic and methodical approach to a problem may be best.
The reversed could point to an abuse of power. Are you oppressing others? You may be too rigid in your thinking. It’s OK to lighten up sometimes. Rules are sometimes made to be broken. Question authority. Don’t let the man get you down. Stand up for yourself.
Design
The pose of the Emperor was inspired by spear-wielding warriors. Specifically for some reason I had the image of Yomotsu Ikusa from the SMT Series in my head, which has always been a huge influence in my work. They are posed looking towards their domain as opposed to towards the viewer to accent their focus and possessiveness. Their straight pose and they way they hold their staff mirrors the lines created by the rocky formations in the background. They are one with their environment more starkly than the soft way the empress was in the flow with theirs. Again, I chose to make the planet in the sky feel nearer than it possibly could in reality. It adds otherworldliness to the environment and reflects the oppressive energy of Mars.
Key Symbols
Globe: Earth, the material realm
Bee: A symbol of fertility, wisdom, and service. It also serves as a reminder of Musca Borealis, the dead constellation that used to exist just above Aries in the sky that was depicted as a bee.
Ankh: The sacred Egyptian symbol for the creation of life.
Mars: The ruling planet of Aries.
Ram Skull: Symbolic of devotion to Aries and Mars.
Jagged Mountains: Representative of hard unyielding masculinity.
The Stream: A continuation of the stream present in the Empress’s card, symbolic of how the two forces can work together and the deep emotions that run beneath the rocky surface.
Color Theory
Red: Passion, Strength, Grounding, Focus, Support
Orange: Creativity, Identity, Pleasure, Connection
Yellow: Instinct, Confidence, Wisdom
