When we read The Emperor as an invitation, it can seem like an invite that we are afraid to decline. He’s very forceful in his message and it can feel like more of a command than an invitation, but it’s offered in the vein of tough love, rather than manipulation or control.

For The Emperor, this invitation could be the following:

• An invitation to explore your own personal strength and power

• An invitation to see where you can exercise more control and authority

• An invitation to explore your own capabilities and desires

• An invitation to explore your divine masculine and see how you can use it more effectively

The Emperor is a big fan of dishing out advice. He can be a bit egotistical so the advice he offers comes from a very self-assured and confident place. When The Emperor offers you advice, it is always for your own good, even if it’s hard to hear. He can also highlight when you’ve taken his energy a bit too far in the other direction, causing you to be unyielding when you don’t have to be.

Some advice The Emperor may offer is:

• To stop allowing people to manage your affairs, take control of your own stuff

• Be mindful of when you are being stubborn, rather than simply standing your ground

• Check in to see if you are making decisions based on your ego or using your intuition

• Never give up your power to make others happy or soothe somebody else’s ego

The archetype of the father figure, which The Emperor is based off, is someone that relishes dolling out hard lessons. The Emperor wants you to learn the hard way and therefore he can often represent those difficult lessons we are faced with throughout our lives.

Some lessons that The Emperor may offer you are:

• To not let anyone else take your power away from you

• To be a leader but not a dictator, find a balance between authority and compassion

• To identify the areas of your life where The Emperor energy is needed and where it can be put to one side in favour of more nurturing energy

• Not everything will be done for you, at some point you’ll need to step up and take control of your own destiny

The Emperor as redirection is a call to action. If you’ve been planning, strategising or just thinking about how to solve your problem or overcome your challenges, The Emperor appears to tell you it’s time to put in the work. He is an anti-procrastination card because he has no time for those that dilly-dally.

As a redirection, The Emperor could symbolise a need to:

• Step up and take control of the situation

• Check your ego and pride to see if they are standing in your way

• Release your hold on situations you’ve been gripping tightly – this is especially important in the realm of relationships

• Take on more responsibility for your own actions