A stern, mature man sits on a stone throne which has ram’s heads at the corners; these signify the Zodiacal sign of Aries. He faces us squarely. He holds the World in his left hand, symbolic of his ruling the world. In his right hand he holds an ankh, the ancient Egyptian symbol of life. Waite refers to this as the crux ansata.
He is wearing red garments; beneath them he is wearing armor, as though he must always be prepared for battle. His motto might be, “If you want peace, prepare for war.” The armor suggests that the Emperor is rigid, unbending.
Behind him is a mostly barren, dry landscape; however, a thin trickle of water is visible, showing some connection to life and emotion. The Emperor, while strict and just, also has a heart; but the strictness predominates.
The Emperor represents the laws of the land, the rules by which all persons are required to live. One must know these rules and obey them before he is fit to go out into society.
Keywords: The Law. Father figure. Rigidity.