{the emperor and his mate}

i got a fabulous new deck of cards recently,
and two of the first cards i drew were:
the king of swords and the emperor.

i bought this new set of cards with the very clear intention they were going to play a major part in the next stage of my life.
and i don't think it is a coincidence the first cards to greet me where there to acknowledge that journey i am embarking on.

from the minor arcana*
the king of swords is a card of wisdom.
symbolised in my new deck by a cat
(who also reminds me a little of puss n boots),
he perches proudly at the dark edge of a cliff.
yet he sits comfortably and securely,
staring at me unwaveringly from his seat.

i particularly like isabel kliegman's interpretation of the king of swords
which she says asks:
"is your life a life of truth?"
"does your life express the truth of your being?"
questions which have led me here in the first place.

the emperor is illustrated by a proud pig,
sitting at the top of the stairs,
on a throne,
red carpet rolling out from under his feet.

again the gaze is direct,
and i find the word pigheaded echoes repeatedly in my mind.
is it telling me to be pigheaded?
or warning me of it?

as a card of the major arcana,*
the emperor represents power and structure.
particularly on an inner level,
which in turn often defines how we are externally.

so, where the king of swords asks how the truth manifests itself in our lives e.g through work
the emperor looks at where this truth comes from ~
within.

in tarot wisdom, rachel pollack says,
"when this card appears, we might ask a simple question:
"do you see this figure as something outside you or yourself?" "

because only by acknowledging the emperor within,
can you establish your own rules,
and reign over your own destiny.

so together the cards have illuminated the path i am on:
the king of swords recognises the external role the cards will be playing in my life.
as physical objects in my everyday reality,
challenging me,
yet providing wisdom and guidance.
whilst the appearance of the emperor reminds me
i need to get acquainted and be comfortable with my own emperor.
i need to create some structure within which to house the enthusiastic and wild ideas and emotions i am experiencing.
i need to understand what empire i wish to rule over,
and i need to explore how that sits within the rules of actual society and the responsibilities expected of me within it.

i am choosing to see the cards at the moment for the inner messages my soul wishes to communicate to me.
but i also recognise the greater picture they are painting of my life at the moment ~
particularly the uncomfortable rumblings i have been having with the very real power and structure of government,
in relation to my current employment.
but that's a whole other post altogether!

right now i am just going to sit with the personal message these cards are enabling me to receive.

what would your emperor (or his mate) tell you?

* this relates to how the different cards are divided and interpreted,
something i will write about in later posts.