Emperor is the fourth major arcana card in Tarot decks; a rigid throne, with ram’s head as its extensions on the hands as well as on the left and right side on the back of the throne. An old figure sitting upright, dressed in fiery but plain robes. The robes naturally exude royalty yet they are simple.
Card Interpretation
This card is representative of first sign of the zodiac that is Aries, the figure in the card depicts an old man whose every inch of posture exudes royalty and authority. The emperor is the emperor, the super ego, the powerful male authority, an experienced ruler, disciplined; rigid whose commands are well listened to and respected. To put is simply ‘His way or highway’. When this card appears in tarot reading, it shows in the battle between practicality and abstract, the practically has won. This card speaks of a solid foundation on which love, growth, education happened. Thus this card also represents the old man in the house, the one who provided for all your needs. Father, father figure, an aged professor who guided you through many things, the card can also represents an able leader, or a boss.
It must be understood that although this card speaks of authority, discipline, power, there is a rigid stubbornness attached to this card. Well it takes huge efforts to shake a throne. It means shaking entire foundation on which kingdom, your own personal kingdom is thriving.
In tarots, the emperor can represent an internal force, power right within us that we are about to face or the power that forms the foundations of our life. On the level of mind it can represent the state of our own mind right at this time, the impact right now on our mind, in astrology we say, currently you are under the influence of such and such transit thus you may fell aggressive, overly emotional and so on. Well external and internal are thus referral points to make us understand the difference. In reality there is no difference at all.
Coming back to emperor card, understand it like this that tarots are not just some wish bowl where we place our request and they will follow our command. Tarots are higher energies in motion thus they may sometimes choose to guide, help or calm us and sometimes they can tell us what we need to know. So take them as our guide not as our servants. They are divine interpreters of our destinies, they light the path we are treading on, and we have to be receptive to what they are trying to tell. Sometimes they see what we don’t want to see. But truth will be told irrespective of the fact whether we feel good or bad about it.
The emperor card rests here in the past position thus it signifies that the querent was blessed with a solid foundation, on which rests her present life. For a building to stand one needs a solid base. She was and is provided with all the important ingredients necessary to build a life upon.
The emperor card also represents the stubbornness of the mind thus it does not allow for the higher experiences to happen. Ego, super ego, everything centered on ‘You’ can lead to arrogance, not ready to let in. But since this has appeared in the past position it denotes that it is time for this stubbornness to give way for new things to happen.
Temperance is the fourteenth major arcana cards in tarot decks. A winged angel, with one foot on firm rock, the other on ethereal water, with a calm focus is transferring what looks like liquid from one goblet to another back and forth. A halo surrounds her golden hair and crown.
Card interpretation
In the above tarot card the angel is depicted as mixing two extremely opposite elemental forces fire and water, in some other cards it is depicted as mixing wine with water.
The card speaks to the querent about the power to bring together the opposites. It subtly tells us, that the things we consider opposite to each other are merely one of two sides of the same coin. One cannot do without the other. We try to isolate one thing from the other; creating invisible boundaries which are sometimes even more difficult to cross than real boundaries. A boundary drawn on piece of land can be seen but what to say about the ones which we draw in our minds. Spiritual world is separate from material world, believers in god, non- believers in god, I follow the way of wisdom, and I do not understand what bhakti (spiritual love) is all about. I follow my heart or I only follow statistics. And this card is about meeting of the opposites so in a way it is saying, opposites do not exist.
It we see the placement of this card in the major arcana series, death card appears after this card. And when the tarot reading was done on a querent in her reading as well the first card was that of emperor, the second was temperance and the third was death card. Temperance card is powerfully linked with the card that comes before and after it. It indicates that one must not fight the opposites but should try to bring them together. A time will come when things are going to pull the querent in opposite directions, to be honest our mind does that trick all the time, but sometimes major events in our lives leaves our mind in a very chaotic state, the appearance of this card tells the querent that one must learn to balance these opposing forces. On one side of temperance card stands life, emperor card is linked with life, thriving kingdom, strong foundation and on the other side of temperance card we see in layout the death card, all the past foundations whether emotional, physical and mental going through major upheavals. Primarily the emotional ones will come to an abrupt end giving ways to new beginnings. The flakes of the past, the people and questions pending will be erased out. Now please do not take it literally, I have cleared it, on the emotional level for this querent.
When Temperance card appears, it is a kind of an invite to see the mind in the mirror, to confront the deepest questions lurking in the inner most corner of the mind. Temperance card is like a torch offered to us and it is asking us to take a trip in realms of our mind and see where we stand, what our life is all about.
Always remember cards have individual meanings and when they form pair their meanings take a whole new level.
Here the emperor card depicts discipline and control sometimes to the point of stubbornness and aggressiveness. With temperance card with it, it is trying to say, that tone down this aggressiveness, balance it with the abstract. As I am able to bring to extreme together in perfect harmony, you too can do that. Immense calm yet focused on balancing the opposites that what temperance denotes. Learn and earn. Always remember, you are the power depicted in the tarots and yet you are one who has to learn. Temperance is like an oasis in the desert and also much needed relief before onset of major sand dunes. Again not literally, well may be in desert areas but here it denotes some major chaos is on way, stay calm and focused as it will lead to new interesting beginnings. Toss them together; calmness as well as chaos, the opposing forces and we will find that one is merely a reflection of the other.
Till then
Carpe Diem
Samara
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