Faces of Tarot: 4 - The Emperor

Authority, establishment, structure, a father figure

ʎʇᴉlᴉqᴉxǝlɟuᴉ 'ǝuᴉldᴉɔsᴉp ɟo ʞɔɐl 'loɹʇuoɔ ǝʌᴉssǝɔxǝ 'uoᴉʇɐuᴉɯop

If The Empress is the Mother archetype of the Tarot deck, The Emperor is the Father. He sits upon a large stone throne, adorned with four rams’ heads (symbolic of his connection with Aries and the planet Mars). In his right hand, The Emperor holds an ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, and in his left is an orb representing the world over which he rules.

He wears a red robe, indicative of his power, passion, and energy for life. Underneath it, he wears a suit of armor, suggesting that he is protected from any threat (and any emotional response or vulnerability). His long white beard is symbolic of his age-old wisdom and experience, and along with his gold crown, he is an authority figure who demands to be heard.