When I drew this card I admit, I wished I'd drawn the Empress instead. However this card challenges me to dig a little deeper into the meaning of the father principle, and come to terms with it's negative and positive forms.
Zeus mirrors the image of the experience of fathering that embodies our spiritual ideals, ethical codes and points to our capacity and ability to be self-sufficient in the world.
The
masculine principle present in all human beings fosters self-respect to meet all of life's challenges. We can't have the masculine without the feminine principle, also present within every human being. There are both positive and negative attributes to both principles.
The Emperor can be tyrannical, rigid and self-righteous, but also ethical, without blind instinct and urges us to not blame our problems on others, because we can't find the inner experience of strength that is embodied by the father.
We all bring our own issues and concerns surrounding our relationship with our mothers and our fathers. They shape us regardless if they were present or not, in our lives growing up. That said,
we are our own individual.
I believe that our inner man and inner woman have been at war and divided for too long, each one wounded, tired and in need of care. We all need to reconnect with the inner feminine with strength and find that inner man with heart.
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| The Emperor - Egg Tempera on Porcelain 6"x 6" 2016 - Catherine Meyers |
