Exploring the Tarot Pillars: Guardian of the Fire Gate

It was almost one month to this day that we shared our last entry in this series, highlighting the High Priestess as a Guardian to the Water Gate. In that post, we speculated that The High Priestess contained keys to a path that, if followed, would lead to unlocking hidden faculties and a greater sense of awareness. Today, we will continue with that exploration, diving straight through the gates of The Emperor into the land of Fire. Of course, if you’re feeling a bit lost, you may want to go back and read the full introductory post. Now is also a good time to remind readers that these are just ideas and in no way are we making any definitive claims. This is just one way of many to understand tarot and we hope others find it interesting and resonant.

Recap of Keypoints from First Post (skip if you know ‘em!)

1) There are 4 pillared cards, despite the fact that we can see pillars in only 3 cards. They are as follows - The High Priestess, The Emperor, The Hierophant, and Justice.

2) These 4 cards contain clues, contrasts, and similarities that link them together.

• Each card represents one of the 4 elements.

• If you add up the numbers of each card, you arrive at 22.

• Each figure sits on a stone structure, looks straight on, and occupies the centre portion of the card.

• Each figure holds something in their hands.

• Each figure wears a crown.

• Each figure wears a long garment.

• The background of each card showcase a different colour.

3) The background colour, speaking of, is an important clue as to the workings/lessons of that card.

4) Behind each veil, we can link another series of cards that tells the story of the point made above.

5) And finally, the pillared cards represent the opening up of “hidden” faculties within each of us that, if accessed, would give us greater insight into and command over ourselves and our lives.

The Emperor Gateway - The Sudden Yet Unstable Path

Element: Fire
Faculty: Inner Sight
Colour: Red & Black (interesting to note, it is believed that in the evolution of colour perception red was likely the first colour to be discerned [other than black or white]. Previous to that, it would have been perceived as black)

In The Emperor, we observe a poised and confident figure of authority. While there are no pillars visible in this card, The Emperor is seated in a very similar way to our other pillared figures (The High Priestess, The Hierophant & Justice). For this reason, combined with the background colouring of the card, and its elemental association, we are confident that this card is the missing piece of the puzzle. This conclusion provides us a satisfying and harmonious square, as well as another leader ushering us through a very specific process of initiation.

In our last post discussing The High Priestess, we proposed that behind her pillars lay a handful of other Major Arcana cards detailing a particular pathway to awakening. Those cards, 7 in total, all shared the same blue hue and told a very cohesive tale. Now with The Emperor, and given the same framework, we would purpose that behind those imaginary pillars lay two cards - The Devil and The Tower. How did we arrive at this? Well, we’re just following the pattern. The Emperor is the only card in the deck with a red background, so we knew we were not going to find any Majors that fit this. But, what we do find are two cards with their own colour anomaly, being a stark black background and a host of other visual similarities. With that in mind, let’s take a moment to explore how these three cards connect.

• Fire is a prominent detail of all three. The Emperor is ruled by Aries, a fire sign, The Tower is ruled by Mars and depicts flames coming out of the windows, and in The Devil we see the male figure’s tail being lit by a torch.

• Sight is a present theme across all cards. The Emperor is ruled by the faculty of inner sight, with its Hebrew letter association being Heh, which means window. In The Tower, we see three windows, a thing which one looks through, while The Devil is associated with the Hebrew letter Aiyn which means eye.

• Crowns. The Emperor wears a crown, we see a crown being blasted away in The Tower and The Devil wears, not a crown per se, but certainly an adornment highlighting the head.

• There are some visual similarities between The Emperor and The Devil, particularly the beard. In addition, both cards are ruled by horned animals and share nods to this in the card’s design. (It is also interesting to note that Mars, the ruling planet of Aries and The Tower, is exalted in Capricorn.)

• We also see constructed platforms in each image. The Emperor’s throne, The Devil’s cubic altar, and the tower.

So what exactly is happening at this entryway? What faculty is The Emperor here to help us unlock, and where does it all lead? If we observe the cards in question, it all appears rather dismal. As such, we recognize this “trial by fire” as an often real, if not chaotic path to greater consciousness... if we can endure the journey.

Maybe it’s best to frame this one as an initiation born from suffering. Unlike the slow and steady unfolding we read about through other initiatory systems, and as told by The High Priestess path, this is one that can sometimes come on suddenly, whether we’re ready for it or not. Sometimes through trauma, depression, loss, or just a vague sense of “I can’t take this anymore!” It can be in times like these that Spirit will reveal to you, like a flash of lightning, the nature of things on the next plane of knowing.

The Hebrew letter associated with The Emperor is Heh which means Window. The Emperor also oversees the faculty of inner sight. In this way, by engaging with the particular gateway, what we stand to experience is a shift in the way we see things. But of course, it doesn’t mean that the world suddenly changes, rather, our perception of it does. This is further emphasized by the concept of the unawakened humanity existing in a state of darkness (ignorance), hinted at by the black backgrounds present in The Devil and The Tower. We also know that both of these cards suggest an obstruction of some kind. In the Devil’s lair, two figures are bound, though loosely so. It’s likely they don’t even realize that a) they’re stuck or b) they could easily unstick themselves. We know the Devil is a master of manipulation, and as such uses the material realm as a way to keep its captives entranced through all kinds of trickery. This is illusion at its finest and a tactic we sometimes see used by clever advertisers, abusive partners, government bodies, or even ourselves as we feed into false stories. The trick is to keep the captives confused, yet comfortable enough that not only do they have no desire to break away, but they also have no idea they’re being held in the first place.

But then The Tower, with its dramatic flash, reveals what was once hidden in sometimes a very chaotic and disruptive way. For some, this is the beginning of liberation and for others, once the sky turns back to black, so too do they turn toward their old familiar ways. But for those who can’t unsee, so begins the path of no return - the end of corruption as the veil is lifted. You’re not stuck, you’re free, and the binds that held you were never even there to begin with! It's interesting though to note the lack of a veil in the design of The Emperor, along with the lack of pillars. Maybe this is another nod to the fact that when facing this portal, one cannot even perceive that there could be a beyond or more to the story. The illusion is so strong that we don’t even know there is something to approach, nor can we fathom there is another way to view things.

However, coming out of a state of suffering and moving straight into the light isn’t always a seamless or straightforward affair. This may be the path that many adepts will warn you about when they tell you not to push these things. If we insist on a sudden awakening, without proper understanding, it can (not always) result in a shock to the system. Sometimes the shift that occurs, the vision of reality that we suddenly perceive, is simply “too much” for our current state of consciousness to handle.

So with that in mind, we consider this particular gateway to be a cautionary tale, as far as paths to illumination go. Perhaps, especially in the West, we have a very idealized view of what a sudden awakening would consist of. Light falls upon us, we are filled with joy, our problems slip away with ease and we live the remainder of our days in a state of pure bliss. There is no shortage of accounts that make reference to these signs that cosmic consciousness has dawned on an individual. At the same time, there are innumerable others that speak to potential terrors, challenges, confusions, and debilitations as one finds themself vulnerable and disoriented from their newfound view. The 3D reality of it is, many of us have worldly duties, relationships, and obligations; and a lightning strike moment like this could, in some cases, harbor a whole host of difficulties if one is not prepared.

So then, how might one responsibly approach The Emperor in order to reap the benefits of their revelations while taking care not to get thrown into shock? For starters, we believe that it is possible to enjoy a series of smaller lightning strikes that steadily prepare, and part of that may lie first in acknowledging (even if you can’t perceive it) that there is more to this reality than what meets the eye. In addition, this path is an invitation to reconsider what suffering can do for us, as opposed to what it does to us. Pain, if we allow it, can be a great catalyst for transformation. Sometimes the worst things in our lives lead us to the best things, and just remembering this can help alleviate extremes. If we are constantly bound to seeing challenges as a nuisance, then we will do whatever we can to avoid them and thus, potentially miss incredible opportunities to evolve. This reminds us of a zen koan whose lesson may gently guide our shifting perception, helping us avoid the disorienting shock of a sudden realization, while leading to the same destination all the same.

“There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. ‘Such bad luck,’ they said sympathetically. ‘Maybe,’ the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. ‘How wonderful,’ the neighbors exclaimed. ‘Maybe,’ replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. ‘Maybe,’ answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. ‘Maybe,’ said the farmer.”

We do hope you enjoyed this exploration through The Emperor’s firey gate. In the next part of this series, we will explore our third pillared card, The Hierophant - Guardian of the Earth Gate. This pathway contains 3 other Major Arcana cards, which should be fairly apparent by now. We hope you’ll join us again to learn more about the many doorways that tarot can open, leading us toward expanded consciousness and greater awareness.

Until next time…

Julia & Tim