The Emperor
Today, we work in the shadow of The Emperor. This hulking giant of a man is masculinity at its core. He is unemotional and a real stickler for rules and discipline. I would say he is the antithesis of The Empress (and her husband... I guess opposites really do attract); and as The Empress is the archetype of the Mother, The Emperor is the archetype of the Father.
Traditionally, The Emperor is depicted as an "older" man with a long white beard sitting on his royal throne. He is typically dressed in armor with a flowing red robe or some kind of wrappable fabric, often a representation of The Emperor's anger and short temper. In one hand he holds a globe, a representation of his desire for domination; in the other, he holds an ankh, the Egyptian symbol for life. The Emperor's throne is decorated with skulls (or heads) of rams, a reference to Aries (and the planet Mars), which are strongly associated with The Emperor and contribute to his personality of being war-driven, ego-centric, and one who disciplines those who are disloyal.
Additionally, The Emperor is the ruler of the suit of Swords, the suit of communication, thoughts, words, ideas, beliefs, wisdom, and knowledge, all things intangible and mind-centric. This is the suit of logic and really has no room for emotion; in fact, any of the cards in the suit of Swords that involve emotion (hullo III of Swords, VIII of Swords, IX of Swords, X of Swords) have a visibly negative depiction, an illustration that emotion and logic often exist in conflict. And when you take the ego and "always-right" mindset of The Emperor and pair it with the Suit of Swords, you have a potential tyrant who fights for what he wants, regardless of who it hurts or destroys in the process. Many political leaders can EASILY be represented by The Emperor (often influenced by The Devil - perhaps literally - with an addiction to power, wealth, and the control of others).
The Emperor playlist is available on Spotify.
Message of the Day: I struggled somewhat with writing about The Emperor today. As a personality, I dislike who he is and what he stands for: he is masculinity to the extreme. I find it interesting that he is considered the archetype of the Father - although I suppose our understanding of fatherhood has changed considerably over the past 40 years. This depiction is the 1950s "Father-Knows-Best" persona who gave a friendly smile outwardly but was quick to pull out the belt when you crossed him.
When we look at the world going on around us, we see just how scary The Emperor can be - not just from a personal perspective, but a social and democratic perspective. The Pope, King James II, Queen Mary of England (The Emperor is not bound by gender), Reverend Samuel Parris (Salem Witch Trials), Hitler, El Chapo, the Taliban, ISIS, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis... These are all people and organizations who have weaponized thought and belief as a means of controlling others and maintaining power.
When we use the archetype of The Emperor as a lens for self-reflection, it can speak of how unbending and fixed we are. This becomes evident in our behaviors as we attempt to control the world around us. As a father myself, I feel a lot of my interactions with my neurodivergent son are centered around discipline, routine, structure, and being mindful of how our actions affect those around us or their perception of us. I feel it's sometimes like an intervention so that he doesn't grow up to be one of those asshole people listed above. He has such an incredibly strong sense of being "always right" and constantly tries to deflect blame rather than take responsibility for his mistakes, and I know it's my responsibility as a parent to make sure empathy, emotion, and common sense are there to balance out that ego.
Outside of being a father, The Emperor speaks of stability, reliability, and responsibility. Whether it be my personal relationships, my job, or my financial well-being, The Emperor says to make a plan and stick to it; make adjustments as necessary to get the best result, but be responsible for your actions and allow yourself to be held accountable.
And as a warning - perhaps because I'm really just not feeling The Emperor's shitty, testosterone-heavy vibe - remember to be kind. Remember that even if you ARE right, there are kind ways of allowing people to be wrong. Every mistake does not need to have a consequence, and choosing when and how to discipline can allow the consequence to hold much more weight than routinely giving out consequences like their candy. Remember that behaviors are learned, including character traits like responsibility and stability. Be better than The Emperor. Lead with love and empathy, even if it means giving up some of the control you feel you need.
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