Sacred Union: The Archetypes of Empress and Emperor, as Alchemy of Feminine and Masculine Energies

A deep dive into the sacred marriage within...

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Today we return to the exploration of the major arcana of the tarot. Prior posts can be found in the Tarot Journeys section of my substack. In this post we are exploring the Archetypes of The Empress and Emperor.

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The Empress and Emperor

Each new moon, I engage in ritual, to honor her cycles as my own. I also do a tarot reading that sets the theme for this lunar cycle, the first card I drew was the Empress. Immediately what came along with that was a message to create a post this week on the sacred marriage of the Empress and the Emperor. After just writing about Inanna and Hieros Gamos, this feels like a wondrous follow up. But first a word of caution…

***WARNING***
Seeing these Archetypes as genders is harmful to your understanding.

It’s important to remember this is not about one’s biological sex and gender identity.
These universal principles are present in all of us.

First the Rider Waite Smith Version

In the traditional RWS tarot, the Empress is depicted relaxing on luxurious cushions, amid a lush and abundant landscape. Holding a scepter with an orb, she’s representing Mother Earth and life itself. Her pomegranate-decorated robe signifies fertility and the cycles of life particularly of death and rebirth. Much like the underworld travels of Inanna and Persephone. This card is ruled by the planet Venus, which today is more about love, pleasure and beauty. Yet, its deeper meaning lies in the history and depth of Inanna/Ishtar who were so much more than that.

The Emperor sits firmly and stoically on a stone throne, surrounded by mountains of rock. There’s a small river behind him signifying emotion, but it’s harder to access. He holds an ankh in one hand, symbolizing life eternal, the other hand an orb representing his authority and sovereignty over this planet. His armor and red robe denote protection and passion. Ruled by the planet Mars and Aries as seen by the ram’s heads, this is about assertiveness, drive, and desire.

When we look only at gender, we see books titled, Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. Which is not meant to be demeaning, it only shows how polarized as a society we are around gender. From this book, "Men are motivated when they feel needed while women are motivated when they feel cherished." How much of that is natural biology and how much has been manipulated by culture over time? Consider the Adam and Eve story, its message is of male dominance and the female as submissive.

By looking at the shadow aspects of these cards we see these influences playing out.

• When the Empress identifies with only giving and nurturing, she is seen as a smothering mother. More comfortable around supporting than receiving, while also suppressing her own feelings and sexuality in the process. Overly concerned about her looks, she needs to be pleasing to the male eye. This leads to issues around body image and feeling pressure to conform to current standards of beauty.

• When the Emperor identifies only with power, he is seen as a tyrant or dictator. All he cares about is dominion and authority, misusing his power by being overbearing, aggressive and forceful. Taking what he wants while not caring about the results. He too can have body issues, like muscle dysmorphia and exercise addiction.

Now the Thoth Version

From this deck we receive a deeper, truer look into these archetypes. We find more commonalities and their differences more complementary. We are coming closer to what a union between feminine and masculine principles looks like. They are not, however, meant to be mirror opposites. We all have a proportional balance that’s unique to each individual.

COMMONALITIES:

• Bees on their clothing: Seeing life from different perspectives. Having oracular vision. Living with community in rulership and cooperation.

• Shield with a double phoenix: Both phoenixes are facing each other, which tells us that change, and transformation is both external and internal, of mind, body, heart and spirit.

• Eyes directed toward each other: Like their shield, both the Empress and Emperor are looking at each other. A deeper message that the individual needs both masculine and feminine energies.

• Fleur-de-lis: This three-petaled flower is associated with royalty and effective leadership requiring all three aspects, the mind, heart and spirit.

• Globe with Maltese Cross: A pledge to protect the earth and all those upon it through wisdom, courage and self-less service.

DIFFERENCES:

The Sacred Marriage

These cards from the Druidcraft Tarot invite us into the sacred rite of Hieros Gamos, an ancient union of opposites. This divine marriage is historically rooted in agricultural fertility, represented by the joining through sacred sex of the Goddess and King. From Mesopotamia, this is seen with Inanna and Dumuzi and in Celtic traditions, where the goddess’s blessings legitimatized the king’s rule.

The Empress embodies earth and water, that of body, heart, emotions, and intuition. The Emperor contributes fire and air, that of passion, inspiration, logic, and reason. Together their union enhances and augments their gifts. Feminine and masculine energies as two sides of the same coin.

In today’s culture we are seeing way too much toxic masculinity, an Emperor with an uncontrollable drive to control and dominate, that views the feminine as weak and passive. This obsessive drive for more and more power is what happens when the masculine is divorced from the feminine principle. Within the Hieros Gamos was the ritualized surrender of the masculine principal to the goddess and the earth.

Today there is a summons for this surrender for when these principles become unstable, everything else becomes disrupted along with a sense of disconnection from ourselves and source. This surrender as the “Sacred Marriage,” is an alchemical process that reminds us that opposing forces don’t have to be in opposition. It’s a tempering, either fortifying or lessening as needed. Along with an ongoing recalibration.

Allowing the feminine energy to flow and create, supported by the masculine energy that provides structure and direction. A dynamic equilibrium where the feminine guides with sensitivity, intuition, and empathy, while the masculine provides focus, clarity, and resolve.

Collage by me, art by Jonathan Weber

In this picture, the Empress and Emperor are working together to protect life and this planet. I placed a vesica piscis around them representing the joining of opposites. And a lemniscate at the bottom symbolizing the continuous cycles they embody, Empress as night, Emperor as day.

We are both the Empress and Emperor, made from the same elements of this planet. Naturally designed to honor and protect this sacred gift, our home, life itself and others.

Sacred Marriage assures this.

Like breathing, it’s an ongoing movement. A journey that requires devotion, inner exploration, conscious intention, and commitment. Just as the seasons renew the land, our inner worlds can be reawakened and made fertile.

The Ritual

Throughout my younger adult years, the feminine in me lived the classic submissive and compliant role. The masculine in me shaped by patriarchal programming, sought to control the feminine. Perfectionism was my nemesis. I lived primarily in my head, constantly analyzing and diagnosing my life.

My journey of sacred marriage involved nurturing the healthy feminine and reducing the dysfunctional masculine. Over several years this shifted my energy, bringing it down from a transcendent holding, into my heart and womb as an immanent embodiment. I discovered the fire of the feminine “No”.

This ritual is unique to each individual. My only recommendation is to find a way to bring this personal sacrament into your life. It’s not about achieving perfect equilibrium but aligning with your true nature and harmonizing with it. Here are some practices to start…

• Cultivate self-awareness: Engage in self-inquiry, reflection and mediation.

• Breath-work: Focused breathing is essential for balancing all aspects of our life.

• Movement practices:

  • Free form dance, combining strong, powerful moves with gentle, flowing motions.

  • Yoga, combining masculine poses like the warrior with feminine poses like the goddess.

• Nature: Being in nature regularly is a beautiful way to recalibrate.

• Focus on Specific Aspects:

  • Feminine/Vulnerability: Practice self-compassion. Open up, listen and receive. Explore creativity.

  • Masculine/Assertiveness: Your thoughts and feelings matter! Express them through clear communication. Create healthy boundaries.

• Incorporate Structured and Free-Flow Activities: Take the initiative and lead, and allow space for listening and following. Set goals but allow for spontaneity.

Blessing…

Becoming the Sacred Marriage honors the individual and collective.
May this be a reconciliation of personal desires with the needs of others.
A dance that celebrates our interconnectedness.
And we are accountable for that.
For we belong to this planet and to each other.

I offer both tarot readings and personalized one-on-one sessions. Both designed to support and nurture your inner explorations, helping you gain deeper insight into the movements of your life. If you're interested, feel free to reach out to me via direct message or email. Love and Blessings to you!

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