The Emperor

The Emperor is the like-it-or-not fact of concentrated secular power, and the inclina- tion of human alphas, particularly males, to seek such positions. Not surprisingly, this is the feminist’s least favorite card, with the Hierophant close behind. This social role has been with us for ages, even defining some ages. It continues to evolve, and now it co-evolves with democratic ideas and corporate influence. The throne itself might still be ascended by divine right of birth, conquest, arrogation, or inherited wealth, and its occupant may range from despotic tyrant to powerless figurehead. If imperious enough, he can start a war, at the cost of far too many lives, just for something that he thinks is a bright idea. It is one of humanity’s great and fatal weaknesses that it has not learned a reliable way to govern its own collective behavior. Democracy can only be thought promising by failing to account for the intelligence and insecurities of the average voting citizen. Otherwise, it will simply be mob rule in slow motion and peer pressure writ large. Importantly, for our purposes here, popular committees cannot make executive decisions with the speed and clarity that energetic and confusing times call for. This sort of ship frequently requires a captain with at least some protection from mutiny. The key to success here may be twofold: we find a way for merit to rise to power more easily than corruption, and we find a way, as a matter of course, to depose a rising tyrant before he gains too much power and armor. Privilege, prerogative, and entitlement need to be forfeited for specified breaches, even when one is safe behind the legal walls that those in power can build. But once again, for our purposes here, this leader has a use, and a service to perform, and needs some benefit of the doubt. He is the father of his people and the only one who can make the hard choices at the speed at which they need to be made. Knowing that he may be more inclined to strength than wisdom, we still give him one more chance to show his character. We can only hope he finds the need to delegate to helpers more skilled than himself at the various aspects of ruling, including wisdom. We can hope that he is strong enough to meet and negotiate with rivals and peers, and to respect his subjects and underlings. We can hope for some feminine counsel, or someone else to openly question his judgment, someone not bound to agree. We can also hope for increasing numbers of women on the throne. The Emperor is a symbol, of course, for sovereignty and self-mastery, for dignity and autonomy, for service to higher purposes, for obedience to our own self-made laws, for holding faithful to the prime directives of beings, for taking charge when everyone else is confused, for finding courage where needed, and stepping or ‘manning’ up when this is called for. Sovereignty is a divine right, even without a divinity, and even if all that you rule is yourself or the smallest of empires. This doesn’t always need to be done alone, but it needs to be done from the center, where the creating gets done and respon- sibility gets taken. Authority is for authors. Leadership at its most basic level is service, even when acting alone and leading our selves. Having a commanding presence is sometimes the only commanding that needs to be done, and being a compelling exam- ple, the only compelling. Nietzsche asked, “Free, dost thou call thyself? Thy ruling thought would I hear of, and not that thou hast escaped a yoke.... Many a one hath cast away his final worth when he cast away his servitude.... Free from what? Free for what?” The Yijing counterpart is Gua 55, Abundance. Perhaps the best Western equivalent is ‘be careful what you wish for.’ This is the peak experience, as busy and confusing as life gets, overwhelming to ordinary folk, demanding the clarity and decisiveness of quick and competent judgment. The diem has to be carped. Tunnel vision is a recurring theme in the text, and the end of these tunnels may be where the only light is. Options are limited and actions are taken with limited recon and intel. There isn’t the time to carefully examine alternative points of view. There is only objectivity and objectivism, no time for subtleties and ramifications. The thing held in focus may be all that is not a distraction. Peripheral vision is limited, the big picture is absent, time is short, and presence of mind is a must. If advice can be taken at all, it had best be on the run and right to the point. Immediacy requires that responsibility begins and ends here. This too may be a metaphor, for life down deep in the clutter of selves that we are, and all of the business and mischief that these can get up to. One of us needs to take charge and find a way to some daylight.