Today's Tarot - The Emperor

Vive l'Emperor!

Part of me says, this guy's too Aslan--too much lion-like, but then, he is The Emperor, not just any patriarch. Still, even your basic tabby can be an imposing figure. But that's just nit-picky, he's definitely the father figure that Robin ascribes to The Emperor in her deck.

Notice the elemental symbolism on this card, though. 9 Wands in front, then, going deosil, 8 Wands...circle around to the front, 7 Cups, then 6 Cups, circle again, 5 Swords, 4 Swords. Then 3 Pentacles and 2 Pentacles, with his feline majesty on top as 1. That's lacking from Robin's deck, and (I would assume but would have to check) from other Rider-Waite decks.

His crown is more like that of the Holy Roman Emperor than just any king, which is fitting. Robin's Emperor, while a distinguished father figure in his own right, wears a wreath, Roman style. This cat's much more Middle-Ages-European.

A father figure...virile, active, if more mature than, say, your average king. Authoritarian, maybe a bit strict, definitely dominant. Strong, successful, masculine. This card could easily turn a reading in those directions, being Major Arcana.  As a single card for meditation, maybe he's a reflection of my age, particularly since I've been reading a history of rock-n-roll in the year 1970.