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III The Empress
Qualities: Creativity, Abundance, Fertility
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The tiger represents the Empress, the divine feminine and cosmic mother. Her energy is boundless, flowing unbridled through the world. At an elevated consciousness, she has mastery over her emotions, they are felt but remain impersonal. As a tiger, she takes a pause before pouncing, thinking before acting. She is present and in control of her breath, thoughts, and emotions and can therefore take mindful action. If you pick the tiger, it points to the shadow of this card, the lower consciousness, and when out of balance, the empress is ruled by her emotions. Focus on your breath, on single pointed focus, what Buddhists call Ekaggatā which leads to unification of the mind. Remember, spirit (your fire) exists between the stimulus and the response. Your fire is your choice, breath before you act so that you honor your soul rather than your ego.
LIGHT - WHEN IN BALANCE
Choices are Conscious, There is Pause before Action
SHADOW - WHEN OUT OF BALANCE
Choices are Subconscious not Conscious
IV The Emperor
Qualities: Masculinity, Strength, Control
The bear represents the Emperor, the divine masculine and cosmic father. He is the stoic ruler with a strong will and intellect, governing through authority, order, regulation, and rationality to create security and stability. He has clarity in his vision and inner equilibrium. At a high consciousness, he weaves together divine masculine and feminine, maintaining a clear mind and makes conscious choice. When at a low consciousness, or out of balance, he can become overbearing, dominating, unfeeling, authoritarian, patriarchal, and refuses to adapt to changing circumstances and ideas. Rigidity keeps the bear in a low consciousness. Relinquish your reservations. Embrace formlessness, mutability, and the inevitability of change. Understand that nothing is fixed, that the water parts when you move with it. Focus on your breath to clarify your inner vision, to move your subtle body energy from ida and pingala nadi to sushumna nadi - envision the light of a thousand suns.
LIGHT - WHEN IN BALANCE
Behaviors reflect values, Inner Stability, Flow
SHADOW - WHEN OUT OF BALANCE
Choices are Subconscious not Conscious
Based on Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript designed by Gordon Bunshaft for Yale Univeristy
