Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
An exploration of leadership in The Emperor
A few months ago, while traversing the hills of our San Francisco neighborhood, I looked over at my husband in a moment of silence and said, “Can you believe that we went through a global pandemic?”. He’s so used to my non-sequiturs that this outburst of question-slash-observation didn’t seem odd or out of place. Rather, he nodded in agreement and opened up a conversation that would last the remainder of our walk. We both consider ourselves incredibly lucky, fortunate, and privileged to have had a rather mild dose of the collective trauma assault our domain as cities across the world began shutting down, San Francisco included. Throughout a lockdown filled with puzzles, books, writing, cooking, and, yes soughdough-starter-ing, there were also moments of uncertainty and existential fear. What if one of us gets sick? How long is this whole thing going to last? Will we have our jobs tomorrow? Is the world ending? How are we going to get food from the grocery store? Ranging from the micro to the macro, the collective list of never-ending anxieties and worries got longer and longer and longer. When met with moments of unprecedented change and wild unpredictability, it’s in our nature to look for strong leadership—a person or persons who not only offer words of encouragement but also a sense of stability and the guidance needed for survival—both mentally and physically. By putting our trust in a commander who is seemingly sure of the situation, offering to shepherd us through tumultuous waters, apprehensions, worry and panic disintegrate, allowing us to focus on what’s really important…learning all of those TikTok dances (fortunately I never got THAT bored). It was during this time when doctors, scientists, nurses, and other healthcare providers quickly assumed leadership roles, doing their best to equip us with the correct “weapons” to battle this plague while also keeping us alive. It was their dedication to the preservation of life, our “kingdom”, that helped those who listened to their advice and expertise.
I would be remiss to omit the roles that our “actual” leaders played as the pandemic began to take hold. Mis and disinformation flooded the world via the internet, agenda-pushing news outlets, and social media, but we also found ourselves taking the word of elected officials for information they had no business divulging. I can’t speak to the reasoning (or lack thereof) these individuals had in offering dangerous advice, but when some are handed the crown, the power they exercise with it ends up serving them more so than the constituents they are sworn to protect.
The power this commander wields, either with altruistic or nefarious intentions, expresses itself in the Tarot as card number four: The Emperor. Over the years, my relationship with this archetype has fluctuated, going from one of disdain to one of mutual understanding. As we progress through the Major Arcana, we see a push and pull that opens up the conversation to balance and equilibrium. The Emperor might seem to work in opposition to The Empress, his consort, but when we have both characters present in the story, the Tarot activates both our feminine, loving, and life-giving essences and our masculine, direct, and penetrative energies. To have both of these energies “switched-on” at once can create the space for personal enlightenment.
For our exploration of The Emperor, I have selected five decks that show us both his solid, unshakable nature, but also nuances that humanize him for us: the Terra Volatile by Credo quia Absurdum, the Fyodor Pavlov Tarot by Fyodor Pavlov, the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Uusi, the Somnia Tarot by Nicolas Bruno, and the Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot by Matt Hughes.
The Emperor. Clockwise from top left: the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Uusi (Uusi.us), the Terra Volatile by Credo quia Absurdum (TerraVolatile.com), the Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot by Matt Hughes (US Game Systems, Inc.), the Fyodor Pavlov Tarot by Fyodor Pavlov (US Game Systems, Inc.), and the Somnia Tarot by Nicolas Bruno (SomniaTarot.com).
The two visuals focused on within The Emperor are fairly standard and expected: his beard or facial hair and the image of the ram. When we discuss the image of the archetypal Emperor, not a ton of updates have been made over the years. Perhaps this detail suggests that he isn’t “hip to change” or that he prefers a classic, more conservative look to his image. Even with the rigidity in his visual language, each artist's representation has some slight modifications. Who knows? Maybe The Emperor is more flexible than we all thought?
Whether in Ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia, Greece or Rome, Israel or China, facial hair has been a large component of the male image. Some of these cultures, specifically those within Judiasim, valued beards so seriously that they forbade men to shave full stop. Some scholars have even gone as far as to suggest that this prohibition may have been an attempt to distinguish the appearance of the Israelites from that of the surrounding nations, and likewise reduce the influence of foreign religions. There is no better way to stand out as the one true leader than to look different than your competition! Because the beard means so much to so many cultures and religions throughout the ages, it’s difficult to place a meaning upon it within the Tarot. On many occasions, a beard can “age” an individual, bringing about a mature look that signals to others a “grown-up” has entered the room. Even if he is ill-equipped to take on the role of leader, at least he looks the part, right? As I reflect on the past 3 years, sadly for some that were (and still is) enough. In the five cards selected, however, one Emperor seems to have missed the “don’t-shave-memo”. The character sitting inside card four of the Pagan Otherwolds Tarot is naked-faced, but dripping with the mane of a slaughtered goat atop his head. To me, this is a stand-in for facial hair. Maybe he’s not the most “traditional” of Emperors, but he exists as a worshiper of nature, a Pagan, following his own path that has diverged from the more conservative, mainstream religious practices of his fellow rulers.
Goats, rams, or horned animals are present in each of these cards, as well. Not surprisingly, the ram or goat is a forceful creature, using the weapons growing from their skulls to both attack and defend. Biologists have determined that horn size is a factor in the hierarchy of the flocks in which they exist. Rams with different size horns may be less inclined to fight to establish the dominant order, while rams with similarly sized horns are more so. Whether front and center on an Emperor's chest plate as seen in the Fyodor Pavlovs Tarot or more subtle as a brooch or pin in the Terra Volatile’s rendition, the existence of this symbol in almost every card speaks to the importance of dominance. Astrologically, the ram is linked to the sign of Aries, which is the first sign Western Astrology. With such courageous, direct, and fiery energy, it’s no wonder that The Emperor has taken this sign's mascot to also represent his own intentions while saying, “Me! Me! Me! I’ll go first.”
As mentioned, the different visual nuances from Emperor to Emperor are subtle; is he wearing armor (going into battle) or a robe (celebrating an achievement of peace), holding a scroll/book (using knowledge and wisdom) or sword/staff (exerting his dominance), is he older (seasoned expert) or younger (a prodigy with fresh ideas)? As important as these questions are, their significance should be felt and interpreted by the one reading the card. Ultimately, The Emperor embodies the energy of powerful leadership, but how does this power express itself in his realm? Does he only listen to his gut? Does he take into consideration the needs of those who he governs? Does he assume the role of dictator, more interested in exerting power over others in order to retain his authority? As with everything in Tarot (and in life!), context is key—hence why my tune has changed on how I interact with this card and its energy.
Before we let The Emperor return to his dominion, I wanted to call out a nuance in Nicolas Bruno’s Somnia Tarot that I have found to be incredibly valuable in my understanding of this leader. Above his faceless Emperor, an anvil hangs precariously in the air. If we follow the rope that supports this weight, we see that it wraps around a wooden peg, continuing on into the hand of a covered figure. As the saying goes, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”, which speaks to the hardship leaders so frequently endure. Even as we look to pillars of strength, determination, and stability in times of confusion and strife, those who seek the position should think critically about if they’d like to accept that responsibility. The choice falls, both literally and figuratively, with and on our Emperor. Just because one sits at the table of authority does not mean that one can bear the weight of the crown. Sometimes, releasing the power, and abdicating it to another who is better suited to assume the role is the greatest act of leadership one can make.