On Father’s Day 2025: In Praise of The Emperor of the Tarot
In this last decan of Gemini season....
Yesterday, 15 June, was celebrated as Father’s Day in the UK. Let’s talk about the ultimate Tarot card of Mars and Masculinity with a capital ‘M’, The Emperor.
‘The Emperor’ appearing in a Tarot reading signifies the current extra significance of an important man in your life, at an individual level. He’s a father, husband, employer, friend or advisor. The Emperor stands for government, law and order, other big, hierarchical organisations. He is the Armed Forces, the Police, the Civil Service.
This card represents the guiding principle of protection, and of the guardian at work in society and in the home. See those ram’s heads on the arms of his throne? The Emperor is associated with the sign of Aries, the fiery ram of spring. In a reading it may indicate a critical event occurring during Aries season.
The ruling planet of Aries is Mars. The Emperor in his true dignity stands for strength with justice, courage with reason: a defender, a chevalier, a sheltering tree, nesting birds held safely in his branches. He is firmness of order, rule with mercy, compassion for the weak. He upholds fair play, raising his shield so that those sheltering behind it do not get hurt, or splattered with rubbish and er…manure.
He would rather not. He would rather stay home. But if he does that, he knows soon there may be no home any more. He is not only dutiful, but devoted.
He will lay down his life, if that is what it takes.
And yes of course, women too can be brave soldiers, warriors and defenders, like Jeanne d’Arc. They too can embody the spirit of The Emperor. Queen Boudica of the Iceni was both Emperor and Empress. She still lost. But she made Rome pay a high…a truly cruel and horrific price…for the way they treated her daughters, her people and her.
The Emperor says, we all must “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.” We all owe duty to our particular collective. The Emperor says we must pay our taxes.
There is another side to The Emperor: wars of aggression, oppression, dictatorship, tyranny. The iron fist minus even the velvet glove. Alternatively it speaks of inadequacy, immaturity, or petty officialdom, overbearing bureaucracy.
We are in the last decan of Gemini season. The card that correlates with this decan is the Ten of Swords. The end of the line for something or someone. Perhaps a betrayal. Yes, we can see a new dawn rising. Small comfort to the person on the ground, though it can mean back or neck problems or migraines, as opposed to the terminal state of affairs pictured in this card.
But. “Change is like death. You don’t know what it looks like till you’re standing at the gates. ” – ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’, 2018
The Emperor Reversed is seriously challenging news. We are watching this dire manifestation of the Emperor at his worst on the news right now. Yesterday, Sunday June 15 Mars at 28 Leo was square Uranus at 28 Taurus: a chaotic combination, signifying the very real likelihood of extreme events and shocking developments. This is likely to continue through July, and in terms of world events, it is horrible (and these next few week may directly affect Donald Trump at a personal level, with Mars in his Leo ascendant.)
Everywhere we look right now, there is shockingly horrible news. We just do what we can do. Meanwhile Mars enters Virgo this week, Tuesday June 17, and on a personal level, we can get a LOT of good and useful stuff finally done and sorted, from house improvements, to health matters, to family and community issues, to important paperwork, rolling up our sleeves over the next seven weeks between now and August 6. Watch out on Wednesday 18 June, with a tense square between Jupiter and Neptune, loud and confusing. Stories don’t add up. Gather intel. Misunderstandings or outright misinformation.
But, not only on Father’s day, but on every day, greetings are due to The Emperor at the top of his game – man as woman’s greatest friend, those men that we love. All that we admire and honour in our menfolk, the sons of the red earth of Adam.
Let your Emperor wear his crown and royal faux-ermine every now and then, even if this Adam can’t even find his underpants. You may be The Empress, and you can wear yours too.
Greetings to The Emperor.
Thank you for reading.
Until next time.
Love it!