A Groovy New Emperor
Someone you might even know!
You know these Emperors…
But do you know this guy?
In the upcoming Mystic Storyteller book and companion tarot deck, our muse for The Emperor is my husband, Shederal Hughes.
Like The Emperor, Shederal is dependable, trustworthy, disciplined, decisive, and strategic. The Emperor fixes things that are broken and he leads through action. Let’s take a deep dive into the meaning of this card, as well as a groovy new outlook on our Mystic Storyteller version.
The Emperor: A Deep Dive
Following right after The Empress, the Divine Feminine who creates, The Emperor is the Divine Masculine who facilitates. Similarly, while the mother teaches love through the heart, the father teaches love through character. A fatherlike figure, in his highest polarity (most positive aspect) The Emperor demonstrates love through action.
The ultimate Doer, this figure establishes trust, first and foremost, followed by structure and protective boundaries. He does so through realistic guidelines and expectations in the service of holistic development, and when needed, he can be a disciplinarian. Nevertheless, The Emperor’s discipline occurs through love. A steadfast, fatherly archetype, The Emperor is capable of unconditional love through resolve and objective truth. As such, he teaches that only those who stand in strength and truth can be truly free.
In his lower polarity (lesser or shadow aspect), The Emperor is resistant to change. A traditionalist, he subscribes to privileged, old school “values,” and his outlook is binary. His archaic expectations are exacted and framed by conventional, conservative rules and boundaries that discriminate and oppress.
A Groovy New Emperor
Before writing the new Mystic Storyteller book, and working with our incredible illustrator, Roz Kazaz, on The Emperor from a storyteller lens, this card was my absolute LEAST favorite.
When I was first learning the tarot, The Emperor’s demeanor felt derisive and off-putting, and he evoked the construct of “The Man,” the epitome of unhealthy Patriarchal ideals. Sitting high on his cold, stone throne, The Emperor conjured childhood memories of being made to feel like my thoughts, feelings, and even my gender weren’t valuable. The figure in Pamela Colman Smith’s traditional illustration seemed abrasive, like a crotchety old man who placed status, politics, and God (in that order, although that Emperor would have corrected me and reversed it, I’m sure) above all else, ruling with an iron fist and a cruel, unforgiving heart.
After many years of working with the tarot and growing impatient with how The Emperor card consistently made me feel, I decided to change my outlook. Intentionally, and mustering great resolve, I reimagined how I viewed the card, thus reshaping my responses to it when it landed on my desk. Consulting with Roz Kazaz, the illustrator of the Mystic Storyteller Tarot, helped tremendously with altering my perception of the card. In an attempt to shift my negative feelings associated with the imagery in a positive direction, I requested that The Emperor be inspired by someone I love dearly. As such, the Mystic Storyteller Tarot likeness is that of my husband. The outcome resulted in a great appreciation for the card, and alternative to my early, harmful leadership experiences, I realized that by associating my thoughts of The Emperor with my husband’s bold, committed, and stalwart character, The Emperor became sturdy, grounding, and supportive.
Release Date and Other Details
The Mystic Storyteller book and tarot deck is being launched on BackerKit this August. That means YOU will have the chance to demonstrate your Magician skills by helping manifest this endeavor. Stay tuned for a release date and other details! As a subscriber, you’re on the fast track to staying updated on this magickal project.
As a subscriber, you’re on the fast track to staying updated on this magickal project. THANK YOU for your interest, your kind words of encouragement, and your celebration of Mystic Storyteller! If you are not already following @MysticStorytellerTarot on Instagram, please click the image below!
In her more than thirty years as a storyteller and visual designer, Amanda “Mandy” Hughes has written and designed over a dozen works of literary, Southern Gothic, and women’s fiction under pen names A. Lee Hughes and Mandy Lee.
Mandy is the founder of Haint Blue Creative®, a space for readers and storytellers to explore, learn, and create. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Psychology, and she has worked as an instructional designer for nearly twenty years.
When she’s not writing, Mandy enjoys the movies, theater, music, traveling, nature walks, birdwatching, and binging The Office. She is a tarot enthusiast who uses the cards to enhance creativity and foster wellness. Her book Mystic Storyteller: A Writer’s Guide to Using the Tarot for Creative Inspiration and companion tarot deck are coming to La Panthère Studio in 2024.
Mandy lives in Georgia with her husband and four sons, two of whom are furrier than the others (but not by much). Visit her website at haintbluecreative.com and follow her on Instagram @HaintBlueCreative and @MysticStorytellerTarot.
