IIII: The Emperor

As you gaze out to sea The Emperor rises, to claim dominion over the oceans, the skies, and the cities of the plain. He has no need for expressions of emotion; his bony, ancient carapace protects him from threats both mental and physical.

The Emperor has always existed, The Emperor will always exist. He is Number Four, stability, foundation and strength.

Upright

• Power
• Ambition
• Authority

You will scratch your name into the fabric of this earth; your ambition begets plans which beget success. You are a hunter and a seducer, and your ability to control yourself and others is a flag you plant at the summit of any mountain.

If The Emperor is not you, they may be your father or a person of great success and authority. Alternatively, they may be a friend or lover whose emotions are a mystery to you.

Inverted

• Excessive control
• Inflexibility
• Loss of power

Authority is your enemy, the monolith that looms over you whenever you look to the sky. People more powerful than you are in control; understand their ways and the source of their power and you may be able to free yourself.

The Emperor is cold and may be using you for their own ends. Perhaps you will soon lose authority; perhaps you are a dry riverbed drained by some larger sea, waiting for the rains to refill you.