The Contract Tarot 4: The Emperor

“Realise your power Rule your mind Master your will Turn inside to find Victory! Ambition calls Passion inflames Responsibility quells Pioneering aims And you will see To lead with respect Apply structure and order Change your aspect Reveal the Emperor!”

Let’s look at the elements in the card. The card is dominated by a stone throne. Sitting atop is a ram’s head. On the seat is a red shield with a golden 2-headed eagle and a golden sun. There is a golden helmet sitting behind the orb and cross and a scepter with an ankh at the top. At the base is a fleur de lys and a trussed up lamb. The throne is set in palm trees and desert succulents. On the scroll, from left to right, sit the symbols of the Hebrew letter Tzaddi (fish hook), the symbol for the element Fire and the zodiacal sign of Aries. Below the scroll is the Tree of Life path from Netzach (Victory) to Yesod (Foundation). There are mountains in the background and the desert is reddish in colour.

The ram’s head indicates this card is ruled by Aries, cardinal and fiery. The golden helmet indicates service to a higher cause, responsibility and authority.  The scepter’s ankh represents eternal life and demonstrates that he gets his power and authority from The Empress.  The orb and cross represent dominion over the world. The fleur de lys represents the union of the lingam and the yoni as seen in The Empress card preceding. The red shield not only represents Mars, the ruling planet of Aries, but also the Red Tincture. The 2-headed golden eagle is the symbol of imperial power and the golden sun represents gold and the red King found in the Lovers (Thoth). The trussed lamb indicates docile weakness and this highlights the dichotomy between the lamb and the ram which indicates aggressive strength. The Emperor reigns supreme and is the strong aggressive nature of the ram.  The mountains are dry (fire) and indicate the formidable laws of nature. The reddish sand indicates the Emperor. The palm trees and desert succulents give an indication of the resourcefulness of the Emperor and the control he exudes over his environment.

This card is all about responsibility realised, authority, rule, formation, respect and initiation. This card is also about power and control, fatherhood, fathers, structure and order, paternal instincts, enforcement, leadership and governance.

What is your interpretation of this card?

The Contract Tarot 3: The Empress

“The Empress arrives In all her fertile glory! She wears the cloak of fecundity And tells the mother’s story. She is abundant and joyful And full of satisfaction She opens the doorway Into this life Earth’s regeneration Calls her to action! Creativity gives birth to ideas As you journey on your way. Sip from the water Smell the air Find the magick In every day!”

So the Empress arrives with us. Let’s take a closer look at the card.

This card is set in an atmosphere of abundance and of ready harvest. This is the time when the seasons are beginning to change, when there is a feeling of gathering and fullness.

The throne takes center stage. It is green and fertile. There is a sparrow, a crown and a dove perched upon it. The seat is shared by the orb with the cross, a fleur de lys, a blue lotus and a zodiacal belt. In front of the throne is a mother pelican feeding her chicks, a white shield with a white 2-headed eagle and a crescent moon and a white rose releasing a gentle torrent of green water.

The sparrow and the dove are birds sacred to Venus. The orb with cross are symbols of dominion and antimony. The fleur de lys represents the union of the lingam and the yoni. The blue lotus is the symbol of water and its powers of creativity and fertility. The zodiacal belt identifies Nuit and is the magickal weapon of Venus. The pelican speaks of maternal sacrifice. The white shield is the White Tincture. The white 2-headed eagle is the symbol of the gluten. The crescent moon represents the White Queen of the Lovers. The white rose is the symbol of Venus and the green water is the Water of Universal Life.

The symbols on the bottom of the scroll read from left to right: the Hebrew letter Dalet (Door), the elemental earth and Venus. The path is from Chokmah (Wisdom) to Binah (Understanding).

This card is all about pregnancy and motherhood. Pregnant ideas, pregnant action and pregnant earth ready to be harvested. Motherly intuition, motherhood and mothering are all represented here. Well-being, satisfaction, growth, creativity, empathy and nurturing, etc. are also represented here.