The Emperor Tarot Card: A man with white hair and a white beard sits on a stone throne decorated with four ram’s heads. Atop his head sits a golden crown with white and red stones, and an infinity symbol. The man is wearing red robes over blue armor. The red cloak has another ram’s head embroidered over the left shoulder. He is holding an ankh or tau cross in his right hand and a golden orb in his left. Behind the throne are orange-brown mountains under an orange-red sky. A river runs at the base of the mountains.
Similar to The Hierophant card, the emperor wears blue under his red outer layer. But the blue color here is not a robe, it is gleaming armor. As blue is the color of feeling and intuition, we can see that the emperor relies not on weapons for protection, but on wisdom and knowledge. He fights his battles with his wits, his spirit, and his mind, not his brawn. The red robe over the blue, once again, symbolizes passionate action guided by intuition and wisdom. The golden crown with the infinity symbol, in a similar vein, reflects the emperor’s ability to take action from spiritual knowing, not ego. The white gems, white hair, and white beard symbolize purified thought and wisdom, as well.
The emperor sits on his angular throne with a look of fierce determination in his eyes. This determination and willpower is reflected, not by the mountains in the background, but by the river below them. For even the smallest river cuts through the largest of mountains given time. The emperor’s ability to focus action through wisdom and intuition will reduce even the mightiest of mountains to dust.
The most important keys to unlocking the true meaning of The Emperor are, however, the ankh and orb. The ankh is a well-known symbol from ancient Egypt and represents eternal life. In Western traditions, it is also known as the tau cross and represents full surrender and union with your soul. The tau cross also appears in The Hanged Man card. The emperor has become the master of life, while the hanged man was still at its mercy - bound by life’s ebbs and flows.
The orb, reflecting a similar principle, is actually The Golden Pomegranate, which is also symbolic of eternal life and is a stand-in for The Philosopher's Stone, which symbolizes the attainment of the goal of the alchemical process. The emperor has succeeded in transforming the lead of the unconscious self into the golden wisdom of spirit.
Association with Aries: The Emperor tarot card is associated with Aries and represents sovereignty over yourself, creative ability, and freedom. It reminds us to look no further than the spark of intuition and instinct firing up within our guts telling us to leap without thinking and to live this day and each moment as our last. It reminds us that when we allow the will of our higher selves to flow through our purified body and mind, then, like the river in The Emperor, nothing will be able to stop us.
When to use The Emperor Card: When you’re ready to replace doubt with fierce, unyielding determination, meditate on The Emperor. When you are ready to allow the will of your spirit to move mountains, use the imagery in this card to instill a knowing in yourself that no matter what the journey brings, you will, in the end, find The Golden Pomegranate and the Ankh of Eternal Life. You can attain what your soul has come here for. Whatever that is, surrender to it. Know your purpose, and believe in it. You’ll face trials and failures along the way, to be sure, but when you use The Emperor to remind yourself that you are the river, you will never stop flowing toward your destiny.
Tripod Lamp Description:
Super high-quality addition to your bedside, living room, or altar. Suitable for meditation as well as mood lighting or a kid's room.
~ Galvanized steel tripod base
~ Unique option to decor your room
~ Type A plug with 2 flat pins - supported in the USA and Canada
~ 100 – 127 V
~ Requires 13 Watt compact fluorescent or 60 Watt regular incandescent or LED equivalent bulb (not included).
| |
One size |
| Width (diameter), in |
7.00 |
| Height, in |
11.00 |
