Summary of the Emperor Tarot Card Meaning

While the Empress gives, creates and generates, the Emperor protects, creates order, and delineates boundaries. The Emperor traditionally represents a father figure; his role is to develop rules, limits and clarity, thereby ensuring that we grow into independent, self-sufficient beings. Boundaries, limits and our understanding of them are important to know where we begin and end; our goals, desires and even our responsibilities. It requires some level of harshness, but ultimately honors the autonomy and freedom of each individual person.

Light: Structure, rules, clarity, order, strictness
Shadow: Control, tyranny, domination, exploitation

To learn more, read the full Emperor tarot card meaning.

When to Use This Tarot Spread

• When you’re looking to create more structure in your life.
• When you’re working on setting boundaries, and protecting your personal energy but need some help.

The Emperor Tarot Card Spread

1. Disorder - What is in disarray? What things are running out of control right now? What things need structure, order and clarity?
2. My Domain - What do I have control over? Where do I have power to enact change?
3. Outside My Domain - What is outside of my power? What are the limits of my power? What should I ignore?
4. Something to Discard - What things do I need to say “no” to? What things should I no longer accept in my life?
5. Something to Maintain - What things do I want to keep, but need maintenance? What things need upkeep and attention?
6. Something to Protect - What things bring me delight, joy and happiness? What needs safety? What do I need to keep safe at all costs?

A Note on the Fool's Journey Tarot Spreads: This is part of a series of tarot spreads inspired by the lessons of the Fool’s Journey, represented by the major arcana of the tarot. Since each major arcana card embodies a stage in one’s life journey, a lesson, or an archetype, we can use them as the foundations to explore moments of our own personal journeys. They also happen to be great ways to explore the meanings of each of these tarot cards in a very personal way.