Power, fatherhood, structures, detachment, tyranny, rigidity

Emperor Tarot Card Meaning

The Emperor tarot card is the ultimate father archetype. He represents order, power, and building firm foundations that will last for many generations. He takes full responsibility for the future, therefore he is very forward-thinking.

While The Empress makes her decisions based on emotions, The Emperor makes his decisions based on logic. He will not make things up as he goes. Structure and systems are very important to him, especially within governments and societies. 

Everything The Emperor does builds upon everything he’s already done. His strength and power comes from his desire to achieve excellence. He maintains order and leaves behind a long-lasting legacy. 

The Emperor is very patient. He is more than willing to be meticulous in his work because he knows doing things correctly now will make for stronger systems in the future. The longevity of his work is extremely important. The groundwork he lays should last for many generations. 

Social responsibility and institutions benefit from Emperor tarot energy. They make nothing up on the fly–all laws and regulations remain consistent and long-lasting. 

Total Tarot Series – #4 The Empress Tarot Card

Emperor Tarot Meaning

Because The Emperor represents integrity and discipline, he is a great compliment to The Empress. Organization, authority, formulas, structures, and tradition all resonate with this card. 

In a reading, The Emperor represents someone who has a powerful influence and a lasting legacy. They could be detached from their emotions, allowing them to think more logically. 

When this card is pulled, there’s a good chance that structures, foundations, systems, and authority are being questioned. There’s a certain amount of responsibility required in order to be successful in the long term. 

Time to think in terms of career and focus. Hone in on one important aspect of your career, as opposed to bouncing from project to project. You’ll be much more likely to achieve excellence this way. Embrace a bit of healthy competition. 

Tarot Deck Featured – Tarot of Dreams

The Emperor Reversed 

When The Emperor tarot card appears upside down in a reading, there’s likely a lack of flexibility that’s causing problems. Being too rigid and set in your ways might cause you to not seize amazing opportunities when they arrive. 

In a reading, a reversed Emperor card is likely showing a situation where the focus is too strongly set on the future and not enough on the present. Spontaneity and stability can coexist, so work on embracing the unknown more. 

The Emperor thrives on logic and reason. A reversed Emperor could be a sign that it’s time to allow for more emotional intelligence in your decision making.

If you’re too focused on power and domination, you’ll fail in the long run. Too much force does not make for sound foundations.

A reversed Emperor tarot card could highlight shaky ground, and/or a need for a better framework to build on. 

A benefit of The Emperor is being able to rely on established traditions. But refusing to adjust and change for the sake of growth could be a major downfall. 

An unhealthy need for control makes it nearly impossible to succeed. Tyranny and domination are characteristics of a reversed Emperor card. 

Being drunk on power is never a good thing. The Emperor might get a taste of control and go completely overboard. No tyrant is ever successful long term. 

Emperor Tarot Guide

The Emperor looks out and sees infinite potential for improvement. He knows a bit of organized chaos goes a long way. The more work we put into our structures, the stronger they become. 

The Emperor is a respectful source of cultural power. He uses his influence to make things better for future generations. 

With the help of his community, they establish meaningful regulations, institutions, and systems. It inspires people to take social responsibility and add something to the legacy. 

There is potential for organization, structure, and order in everything. The Emperor believes this to his core. It is his legacy and purpose to be the shoulders future generations can stand on.

The Emperor wants us to ask ourselves–how can we use our power to create a foundation of excellence and focus that will last beyond our lifetime?

This is part five of our Total Tarot Series! You can find all previous cards on this page here. Be sure to bookmark it so you can always refer to this resource.