Number four (or IV) in the major arcana is The Emperor (the Fool is either ‘unnumbered’ or 0). The Emperor represents power, reason, control and order. He (in this case she…) is the archetypal father figure, and upholder of discipline and leadership. There is an endless amount written about the interpretations and meanings of each tarot card for those who wish to go looking… Without going into too much detail, I’ve included a brief explanation for each of the major arcana cards – and as the tarot relates to aspects of oneself, I’ve also included the Jungian archetype, which can be applied to the card.
The Fool – Innocence, new cycle, wonder – The Child
The Magician – Skill, wisdom, energy, action – The Skilled Master
The High Priestess – Intuition, mystery, knowledge, inaction – The Secret Keeper
The Empress – Fertility, motherhood, creativity, harvest, nurture – The Mother
The Emperor – Leadership, control, discipline, dominance – The Father, Hero
The Hierophant – Spiritual, higher consciousness, guidance – The Wise old Man
The Lovers – Love, honour, trust, equality – The Soul, Anima & Animus
The Chariot – Hard work, conquer, opposing force, movement – The Warrior
Strength – Strength, courage, compassion – Endurance
The Hermit – Soul searching, wisdom, reflection – Wisdom
The Wheel of Fortune – Fate, chance, continuation, gain or loss – Fate & Destiny
Justice – Fairness, instinct, order – Justice
The Hanged Man – Spiritual awareness, necessary sacrifice, intuition – Sacrifice
Death – Major change, renewal, end of phase – Rebirth
Temperance – Diplomacy, patience, harmony – Balance
The Devil – Trapped, lost soul, destruction – The Shadow
The Tower – Traumatic change, chaos, realization, upheaval – Chaos
The Star – Inspiration, insight, understanding, openness – The Spirit
The Moon – Emotion, intuition, imagination – The Unconscious mind, Dreams
The Sun – Joy, happiness, pleasure, warmth – The Conscious mind, Joy
Judgement – Release, forgiveness, liberation, fulfilment – Evaluation, Reward
The World – Never-ending spiral dance of life, new life, completion – Wholeness
Until next post – Stay well and happy
Annette :)
Lovely project you have running here Annette with the Tarot Cards!
My favourite card would be The Sun :D
Thanks a lot Johan :) The Sun is definitely one of my favourites too… I’m enjoying the project, and am also finding it a great way to fine-tune scanning my drawings and learn more about the digital colouring process. There’s always so much to learn… :)
As I said before, a very personal set of cards. Is this the reason that the Emperor is a ‘she’? Wonderful images.
Thank you :) Yes, all the cards are supposed to show a different aspect of me, be that imaginative, slightly real or exaggerated beyond recognition.. ;)