The Emperor Tarot Meanings Upright and Reversed
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The Emperor Tarot Card Meaning: Upright and Reversed Meanings & Breakdowns

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The Emperor Tarot Card Keywords

Upright Keywords

Leadership, Authority, Confidence, Boundaries, Control, Power

Jump to upright meanings

Reversed Keywords

Ego, Undisciplined, Authoritarian, Pushy, Out of control, Impulsive

Jump to reversed meanings

The Emperor Tarot Meaning

The Emperor serves as the father figure in the tarot deck; it is the energy that helps us stand up taller, say what we want and set clear and confident boundaries. When we embody The Emperor, we are able to feel totally secure in asking for what we want and taking up space. 

When working with The Emperor, our focus is brought to our ability to be clear about what we want and secure enough to ask for it or work for it. The Emperor is no stranger to hard work, but he’s also not about to run himself into the ground to reach his goals. He’s a master of delegation and knows how to be strategic when it comes to putting his needs first.

When we talk about The Empress, we talk about nurturing the self. The Emperor is the power and authority we need in order to make time for that nurturing, to say no when people cross our boundaries and prioritise acts of self-care. 

The Emperor Upright Meaning

In the upright position, The Emperor can represent our ability to fight in our own corner. It is the energy that allows us to lead the way for others, to recognise our own expertise and value and feel confident in representing that in the external world. 

Nobody can walk over The Emperor in the upright position; it is an energy that demands respect, and should he not get it, he has the humility to walk away. When The Emperor is in the upright position, he becomes the divine masculine aspect of the psyche. When you channel The Emperor, you’re able to speak up for yourself, you’re able to communicate clearly what you want and what you expect from others and your environment.

The Emperor Tarot Meaning Upright

 In the upright position, The Emperor acts like an inner locomotive; it moves us forward and encourages us to take action. It is the furnace in the engine of our motivation. Without the influence of The Emperor, we stay stuck and are unable to take risks or push out of our comfort zones. In a way, The Emperor upright holds our hand and tells us it’s ok to push, to expand and to explore beyond where we already feel safe and secure.

Journal Prompts for The Emperor, Upright

What do you feel a lack of control over, and how could you put a hand back on the wheel?

How can you show up and take up more space?

In what situations do you put the wants of others before your own, and is this in your best interest?

“Animus can best be understood as a force that assists women in acting in their own behalf in the outer world.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés

The Emperor Upright Meanings | Love, Career & Finances

In the upright position, The Emperor could reference a need for more clarity around what you want from a relationship or a partner. It can also mean having the confidence to say what it is you need from a romantic relationship and not compromising in order to fulfil someone else’s wishes.

The Emperor upright is about stepping into the shoes of the leader, so it might be that you feel like you are the main decision maker in the relationship. You may feel like all responsibilities come down to you and that your partner isn’t “pulling their weight”. You may feel tired of always being the one taking the lead on how the relationship develops or always being the one putting the work in to keep things afloat.

If you’re single, you might find that your independence or fear of commitment may be standing in the way of you finding that perfect partner. You may need to reflect on how you show up in romantic situations and whether there are changes you could make for a better outcome.

The Emperor upright is a great card for career, as it shows a desire to step into a more authoritative role. It shows your motivation to move into a position that offers you more control, more power or greater influence. It can be a great sign that you’re ready to take the next step in your career, especially if you’re currently in a junior position and are looking to move into a role with more responsibilities.

This card can also represent a desire to be a business owner, or at least be in control of your own workload or work schedule. You might need to step into the empowering shoes of The Emperor to ask for or make adjustments to your work week. You might need this card’s confidence in order to ask for what you think your true value is.

The Emperor, in the upright position, when seen in matters of finance, tells us that there is a need for more structure and security within financial matters. This might mean being stricter or more organised with budgets and spending.

You may need to lay out firmer boundaries for yourself or others who rely on you financially. You may have to be stricter with your spending and even cut spending drastically if needed. Take control of your own money and learn more about what it takes to be better at money management. Take an active interest in money strategies and different ways you could create more secure frameworks for yourself.

When it comes to the meanings of The Emperor upright for self-development, there is a strong call to look at how much and how often you fight your own corner. Especially if you suffer from low self-esteem, it can be easy to put your needs or wants on the back burner to make others more comfortable.

It’s also worth noting that our inner Emperor can also cause us to be our harshest critic. Don’t allow this energy to be a tool for self-criticism; use it to empower and embolden you. Explore ways you could take up more space in your own life, be more present, be more forceful and work towards what you want most. This is the divine masculine energy in all of us, so stand up and shout about what you feel you’re owed. Don’t back down on your boundaries, know what you deserve and what you don’t.

The Emperor Reversed Meaning

The Emperor Tarot Meaning Reversed

The Emperor in reverse can suggest that too much Emperor energy is at play. When we give The Emperor too much control, we can end up letting the ego lead the way without being checked. This can cause issues such as arrogance or overconfidence, leading to mistakes or putting yourself in unnecessary danger.  

When we think of The Emperor reversed, we think of someone who might seem cold or unfeeling. Someone who is very success-oriented and will do whatever it takes to get what they want. As The Emperor is often linked to Carl Jung’s concept of the Animus, when we channel The Emperor too much, we can end up neglecting our femininity or Anima.

Remember that The Emperor is the action taker, the motivator to The Empress’ nurturer. If there’s too much action and not enough nurturing, we miss out on the actual nourishment we need. We end up neglecting ourselves and our well-being in favour of appeasing the ego’s need to always be progressing.   

Journal Prompts for The Emperor, Reversed

How might I be neglecting my emotional well-being right now, and in favour of what?

In what areas of my life can I pull back in, so that I give myself more freedom and space?

In what areas of my life might I be too defensive or controlling, and why might that be?

“He brings ideas from ‘out there’ back into her, and he carries ideas from her soul-self across the bridge to fruition and ‘to market’. Without the builder and maintainer of this land bridge, a woman’s inner life cannot be manifested with intent in the outer world.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés

The Emperor Reversed Meanings | Love, Career & Finances

The Emperor in reverse within a love reading may suggest that there are walls between you that are making it hard to communicate your needs. It may be that you feel like your partner simply doesn’t listen to what you’re saying or vice versa. Be wary that you’re not projecting this feeling though. Enter any conversation with an open mind and be ready to really hear the problems or concerns of the other person.

The Emperor reversed can also suggest a partner who is more submissive. Someone who prefers you to take the lead, who prefers to leave responsibilities up to you and take more of a backseat. This might be something you’re looking for in a relationship, but if it’s not, it’s important to communicate this before things reach a boiling point.

In a career reading, The Emperor reversed could suggest a weakness in leadership or structure. This could be an external energy that you’re having to navigate, or it could be coming from within, causing you to avoid positions of power or from taking on more responsibility that could progress you. 

If you have a desire to one day be in a more powerful position within your career, review what is stopping you from stepping into it tomorrow. Identify where the gap is so you can work to close it and take more proactive action against your long-term goals and ambitions. This card can also suggest there may be a lack of ambition or a clear vision of the type of career or work you want to be doing. In this case, try and think about how you might want to feel in your work, rather than what you want to be doing.

The Emperor reversed in a finance reading could indicate a lack of structure in your financial habits. It might also highlight beliefs around money and your capability to manage it in a sensible way. You may not feel like you can be responsible when it comes to spending, making investments or making material purchases.

If this is the case, it could be a good idea to put ego aside and look for ways you could improve your money management skills. Don’t be afraid to say that you’re not sure how finances work (they’re extremely complicated) and ask as many questions as you need to in order to build that knowledge and confidence needed.

In a self-development reading, The Emperor reversed could mean that there is a lack of self-esteem that needs addressing. It suggests that stepping up and setting boundaries may be difficult for you, and as a result, you may struggle to know or go for what you want in life. 

This can often refer to the development of the ego. This is where we start to build our self-perception, so it’s important we know how we view ourselves so we can work on the areas that need the most support. With the Emperor, this is often our self-confidence and our opinions of our self-worth. We may undervalue ourselves and fail to see the potential we have locked within us. This might lead us to avoid making decisions about things that could, in fact make us more successful, more joyous and offer more clarity around what we want to do and be in our lives.

The Animus and The Emperor

Psychologist Carl Jung said that the Animus was the unconscious masculine side of a woman’s psyche. In order to be ‘whole’, you need to have both of your masculine and feminine sides working together in harmony. We also see this idea at play in The Lovers tarot card.

The Emperor can represent this Animus side of a woman or the dominant side of a man. It is the part of the unconscious that guides the spirit, helping us to live more instinctively. Compared to the Anima or feminine side of the psyche, which guides the soul and allows us to live more intuitively.

The Emperor | Esoteric Correspondences

Astrological Sign

The Emperor Tarot Meanings Aries

Aries

The Emperor is the tarot card of Aries and is therefore ruled by the need to take action and always be moving forward, making things happen. It is a confident and sensual sign that is never afraid to ask for what it believes it deserves, and encourages us to do the same. 

Elemental Energy

Wands Tarot Meanings Fire

Elemental Fire

The Emperor is a card of elemental fire due to its relation to the astrological fire sign Aries. It is an energy that powers and motivates to help bring things to life in the external world. It is all about taking action so that it can keep progressing and moving forwards.

Numerology

Number Four Numerology Meanings

Number Four

Within numerology, the number four is seen to offer secure foundations on which to build and expand. Something that The Emperor supports and can help encourage. The Emperor has a very stable and secure energy, offering protection, structure and frameworks for maximum benefit.

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