DRAWING FROM THE DAY
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THE TAROT RUG PROJECT:  THE EMPEROR (IV)

12/19/2015

 
This is the seventh post in a series about the Tarot Rugs.  To view the entire series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as the photos are published and the show travels).
THE EMPEROR:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image below:
Picture
Universal Waite Tarot images used with permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902. © 1990 by U.S. Games Systems. All rights reserved.

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
― Peter F. Drucker

“Power isn’t control at all — power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.”
― Beth Revis

Those two quotes should give you a hint about this card.  Here is ELISSA CROUCH'S interpretation of The Emperor in her tarot rug:

Picture
Photo credit: Anne-Marie W. Littenberg. The rug is © 2015 to Elissa Crouch, all rights reserved. Please do not copy, post, or pin without permission.
There is a wonderful article on Elissa Crouch's background HERE, along with photos of some of her other rugs.  As is the case with so many of the other artists featured in this show, she is a longtime textile artist and certified rug hooking teacher who is obviously beloved by her students.  I found it particularly interesting that she comes from a long line of women artists.

Her interpretation of The Emperor is a bold departure from the traditional image, as you can see when you compare the two pictures above.  In the RWS image, you see the ram's heads, the jeweled crown, the armor, the orb-and-sceptre, and all that RED and ORANGE (relating to the astrological attributions of the card to Aries, a fire sign).  This guy rules.  We can only hope he rules wisely and well.

In Elissa's version, she has chosen to focus on Wise Rulership, and we see cooler colors.  He is authoritative without the possible rigidity seen in the original card.  We see "royal purple" here, rather than the emphasis on reds and oranges.  The same mountains are in the background, but white-capped and under the influence of the moon.  I loved the addition of the Firebird of myth and legend (aka The Phoenix, in some cultures).  You can read about the symbol of the Firebird here. 

This is a very different, softer, and hopefully very experienced and wise Emperor. 

WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?

Just as the Empress card is a leader/ruler of all things creative and of the natural world, the Emperor is a leader/CEO-type for our external lives.  He's all about ruling, about POWER, about making decisions and delegation.  Fueled by the creative impulses of the previous card, he wants to organize things and get them done.  He wants to rule...and/or, he's willing to rule.  On James Ricklef's wonderful tarot blog, he uses the following quote to describe this tarot card:  “Order marches with weighty and measured strides; disorder is always in a hurry.” (Napoleon I)

Okay...but as you can tell, there are bad and good sides to this type of energy (a statement which is true for EVERY card and the energy it portrays).  A skillful use of Emperor energy results in just enough power-wielding, and just enough organization, to have things run smoothly.  It can also include the conscious and graceful sharing of power.  An unskillful use may mean a flat out power-grab, misuse of power, or can mean that things are over-organized to the point of being rigid.

(Yes, this is a simplified look at the card meanings, due to space constraints.)

When you get this card, ask yourself:
  • What do I need to "rule" today?  What might I need to plan and organize?
  • Or, am I overdoing the organizing bit?  Where might I be getting rigid on a project I'm working on, or in a relationship?
  • What's my relationship to power--how do I use it well, or abuse it? 
  • Or, is someone else in my life "in power" at the moment, and are they using it wisely? 
  • If I am The Emperor today, how am I leading--am I decisive, kind, and empowering myself and others in a good way?  Am I in a rush to grab power and hold onto it at all costs?  Am I a flexible leader, or a rigid one?
I'll end with this quote from one of the world's longtime leaders.  People often see this card as very male, but consider this:
"I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust."
Queen Elizabeth II
To learn more about the Tarot Rug Project, including how to help getting the rugs to additional venues, go HERE.  Scroll down to the bottom of that post for the FAQ.  And thanks for reading!

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    ABOUT ME

     I'm a textile artist (traditional rug hooking, punch needle rug hooking, and other textile arts), a long-time meditator, a certified meditation teacher and coach, and focused on learning about the interplay of art, creativity, and mindfulness every day. 

    I am also a Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT 11) and a student of drawing and of the tarot.

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  • ...a blog on art, creativity, and mindfulness