THE EMPEROR / ARIES / OSTARA
Order, reason, virility, paternity, the Father
Fruits of toil, results of action, executive force
Controlled or directed sex drive
Fatherly love, support, and forgiveness
Your inner relationship to your own Father
- The Hebrew letter "heh" means
"window," (literally wind-door). The window admits light (knowledge) and
air (spirit - prana) into the house (Key
1) of personality. The window also permits outlook, survey, supervision,
and control. The window is a frame, focusing attention. It is transparent;
this alludes to the mind of the Magus.
- "Heh," or "ha," is also the
Hebrew definite article "the." This defines, locates, particularizes, and
characterizes.
- Sight is the sense function
attributed to Key 4. Vision, examination, analysis, vigilance, attention,
and investigation are all related. Insight is another form of seeing.
- Constituting intelligence
is a traditional way to describe this key, as in composing, framing, or
authoring. This is the originator, the inventor, the founder, the generator,
begetter, architect and builder.
- The constitution is the law,
and order - what we call the "laws of nature" are definitions, and observations.
This is ability to see the big picture, the Gestalt of a situation.
- The orange background refers
to the exaltation of the sun in Aries. The jagged peaks refer to the sterility
of supervision and authority, and unyielding power.
- 4, the number of the Emperor,
is the number of "elements" that are controlled by the 3 "conditions," or
"states," shown by Key 3, the Empress. The Empress (3) and the Emperor (4)
work together to create 12.
- Four ram's heads adorn the
Emperor's throne, referring to the four sides of a square, the four seasons,
the four elements, four compass points, four rivers in Eden, and Aries.
The foursquare order of this key traditionally associates it with the
Cube of Space.
Many crystals are naturally occurring cubic forms
The Ka'aba, in Mecca
- The Emperor's throne is carved
stone; in Hebrew stone is: "aben." "Ab" is "Father," and "ben" means "son
of," so the word "aben" joins "father-son." Throne symbolism is deep, and
is studied in Malchut; it is the
idea of preparing oneself as the throne for the Holy Light, purifying ourselves
to receive the spiritual fire into our material bodies.
- The steel armor shows the warlike
nature of Mars, as well as the regal red robe, with its Ram's Head shoulder
emblem. This is the carrier of the historic values of human experience in
law, morals, and custom.
- The Emperor holds his arms
in a subtle version of the "coagula/solve" position - meaning "coagulate
(or join) - and "dissolve." The "coagulation" is a drawing-in of energy.
The "solve" is the use of the energy to dissolve, or cut like a laser. Keys
0, 1,
3, 4, 11,
& 15 share this symbolism.
- The Emperor differs in that
he holds the sphere of the world in his left hand, weighing it down. The
golden ankh in his right hand is the sceptre of dominion, also bringing
his hand to the level.
- The Emperor wears a traditional
King's crown. Crowns appear in Keys
2, 3, 4,
5, 7,
11, 14,
16, Keter,and Malchut.
- Older renderings of the Emperor
often show him facing to his right; this shows the aggressive predominance
of the right hand, of putting the "Best Foot Forward."
- His position in the above card
shows his legs in a suggestion of an inverted alchemical glyph (
)
for sulphur, the chemical assigned to the Emperor card, and the number 4.
is also a symbol of "Accomplishment of the Great Work-" a successful transformation
of lead into gold, and is the position of the legs of Key
12, the Hanged Man.
- Opinions vary on the positioning
of Key 4 and Key 17, reversing their locations as given here. The positions
here are the more traditional ones, putting each Key in close proximity
to its Astrological associates. None of it is etched in stone...
OSTARA - March 21 - Spring Equinox - Ostara is the name of the Germanic Goddess of Spring - Here the Goddess awakes, and is fertile. The days and nights are of equal length, a time of balance. The Egg of the Ourobourous is ready to hatch, releasing the newborn initiate. Symbols of Ostara are eggs and rabbits, denoting fertility. The word "Easter" derives from Ostara, and the rabbits and eggs are used to this day to celebrate spring, and the rebirth of the deity, who has been in regenerative sleep.
March 21st to April 20th.
Ruled by Mars.
I am.
Go-getter or bulldozer.
Cardinal Fire. Initiative, inventiveness, and enthusiasm, all characteristics of fire, begin in Aries, in its first burst. The Aries cusp is the beginning of the new year, when the days and nights are of equal length. Aries influences in the chart (First house, or planets in Aries) create an emphasis on the self. This can manifest as selfishness, or just intense self-discovery.
Aries (in its purest essence) is daring, dynamic, impatient, impulsive, a genius, a pioneer, or a shining star. Aries is also apt to mouth-off, starts all kinds of things without finishing them, is a dreamer, and an optimist.
Aries is symbolized by a ram; a basic, primal image.
Domains of Aries are business, design, planning, the edge.
Lessons for Aries include coordination, conservation of energy, right use of will, and completion.
Aries rules the face.
Aries is also the 'First House,' and the 'Ascendant-' the place where the soul faces the world. The first house shows the person's physical appearance, disposition, outlook on life, first impulses. The first house begins the self-exploration trend of the first four signs.
Aries is the Spring Equinox, when the days and nights are of equal length. From this day, the nights grow longer. In the chart wheel, this is where the soul leaves the other (Libra) dominated upper hemisphere and enters the self dominated lower hemisphere. This is infantile self exploration. It is also the physical appearance.
Aries is the volcano; fire erupting from the ground and forging the earth itself.
Aries is unconsiously self-obsessed. Every thought starts with 'I-' every action is seen in relation to how Aries itself can identify with the event. Aries is interested in other only as far as finding out what other thinks of Aries. "I really want to know what you feel and think and have to say (about me, of course!)," says Aries, or "I know you'll love this place because it's where I got my big award," or even "You wouldn't be interested in that, it has nothing to do with me."
Aries is impulsive, unlike more restrained signs - this mirrors the constant struggle within us all and within society as a whole - the constant tension between restraint and impulse.
Aries, when active in the chart, is a leader, takes the initiative, is courageous, liberal, stays busy, innovative, pioneering, strong, agile, a self-starter, self-assured, self-reliant, passionate, vibrant, quick thinking, adaptable, problem solving, linear, gets to the point, artistic, articulate, affectionate, passionate, persuasive, generous, spontaneous, pushes through obstacles, and action oriented.
Unfavorable Aries can be impatient, irritable, bossy, too authoritative, dogmatic, not a team player, combative, excitable, nervous, won't take advice, talks too much or too fast, erratic, angry, poor planner, reckless, bad manager of money/time, hasty, falls in love too fast, likes the intial thrill but doesn't sustain projects, closed to advice, too aggressive, rash, unreliable, extravagant, can't sit still, overly optimistic, critical, oppositional, overextends, doesn't consider consequences, lack of grace, gets too many irons in the fire, self-centered, egotistical, and abrasive.
For Aries, the Shadow takes the form of Other's making you wait, being passive, concerned with the feelings of others, flabby or indecisive. In your rush to repress the shadow, you forget that weighing decisions, learning patience, and being harmonious, are qualities you yourself need to acquire. Work with your shadow, and the people you project it onto, by learning to think of others, letting others lead sometimes, and thinking things out more completely. The more you deny your Shadow, the more it will manifest itself and attract what you will interpret as disruption or pain.
The First house has the character of Aries: planets in this house are concerned with Self, whether it be self development, self destruction, self indulgence, or annihilation of self through spirituality, etc. Afflictions here can scar the face. Jupiter here can make a person "larger than life." Venus here makes a person charming, irresistable. Saturn in the first house or Aries can bring difficulty in getting things started in life. When developed, this Saturn brings good planning ability. The first house begins the trend of self exploration in the first four signs.
The fire triplicity is Aries (cardinal), followed by Leo (fixed) and then Sagittarius (mutable).
In the natural order of the signs, Aries is fire, preceded by Pisces (water), and followed by Taurus (earth).
The opposite axis, or antidote to Aries, is Libra.
