Aries, the Emperor, & the Boss
Journaling with Astrology & Tarot: Aries & the Emperor Card
Our Journaling with Astrology & Tarot Series continues with Aries and the Emperor. First, I’m sharing a personal story to help you spot the themes of Aries and the Emperor in your own life.
Paid subscribers, access the Soul Journaling Session for Aries Season here.
I’m not a “Boss Babe.”
I don’t want to be the boss. I don’t want to manage a team.
But if I’m being honest, I do want to be considered a leader.
I never made it far enough in the corporate world to become a “people manager.” I only managed freelancers or interns. The last time I was the “boss” in any capacity was in college, as the News Director of our campus radio station my senior year.
Unfortunately, I was not a good boss.
I realized this during the end of my run as News Director. It was Finals Week, and it was understood that all radio programming would go on as a normal, final exams or not. This was part of us learning what it was like to operate in the “real world,” though of course we were unpaid.
I stopped into the newsroom to check my email between exams. It was fifteen minutes before a short newscast was scheduled to air, and no one else was there.
This was back when we still used email listservs, so of course, before even looking to see who was responsible and if I should reach out to them directly, I fired off a little nasty gram to the entire email list. I said something like, “What the hell, you guys?! You still have to show up, or you find a sub!”
I was absolutely not prepared for the email I got in return from the woman who had the time slot. She claimed she was about to leave when she saw my email, but now she definitely wasn’t showing up. The email had some strongly worded insults for me, none of which I remember, other than the term “flying fuck” was somewhere in there—I think something about not giving a flying fuck about what I thought.
I ended up in a pile of tears at the computer, and I had to fight them off to quickly write and do her newscast for her. Afterward, instead of just letting it go or apologizing for reacting so quickly, I fired off another email back to her, telling her that those nasty words she said were unnecessary. That email was also not received well.
Running from my Bad Boss Behavior
After that interaction, instead of recovering gracefully and enjoying the rest of my time working for the campus radio station, I promptly quit, full of anger and shame. I never did another newscast for the station again, despite having one more full quarter of the year to go, and it had been a part of my life since the first week of college.
I still regret this decision and my behavior.
Back then, I thought being a boss meant holding onto the rules tightly and enforcing them, showing no mercy for the people who fell out of line.
And I was also quick to play the martyr, believing a good leader took on all the work that others didn’t do, which of course only made me more resentful.
I think a part of me still hangs onto the fear of being a bad boss who can’t manage her emotions when things get overwhelming. And so, I’ve successfully avoided it.
A Boss vs A Leader
Clearly, my feelings around leadership are complicated. I want to be a leader in some capacity, but I don’t want to be the boss. And if I don’t want to be a boss, can I ever be a leader?
My exploration of Aries and its corresponding Tarot card, the Emperor, led me to explore what it means to be a leader, and I think both provide some clarity.
Let’s get into the key themes of Aries and the Emperor and how they connect.
Aries (March 20-April 19)
The Positive Qualities
As a fire sign, Aries is confident and bold, often taking the lead and taking quick action. They tend to be independent, curious, and courageous.
Aries marks the start of a new Astrological year (Aries is the first sign in the Zodiac wheel) AND it coincides with the Spring Equinox. This makes Aries Season an ideal time for fresh starts and new beginnings. You may find yourself feeling empowered to go, go, go on all your big personal goals!
The Challenges
But like any Astrology sign, Aries comes with its challenges, too. It’s a fire sign that can be reactive, that can rush things along in their efforts to achieve their goals and be the strong leader in the room.
So this season, you may find your enthusiasm and inner fire rushing you a bit. You might be impatient, not fully thinking things through before you take action. You could be more reactive, creating conflict you didn’t intend to create (with others and within yourself).
It might not be surprising for me to share that my Moon sign is Aries—which aligns with how quick I am to react when I get frustrated, irritated, or overwhelmed. That was on full display when I tried to be the boss!
Featured Emperor cards in order of appearance: The Modern Goddess Tarot by Cecilia Lattari, The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne, Mystic Mondays Tarot by Grace Duong, and The Meraki Tarot by Bouchette Design. I love that all of these bring in the color red in some capacity, and they each give the “strong and silent type” vibes. They each make me want to stand in my power!
The Emperor
The Emperor is considered to be the Father figure of the Tarot. He is a strong, traditional leader that provides security and safety for his people. He is firm but also fair, addressing any issues in a traditional, organized, and systematic way. He builds solid plans and takes action on them, and he’s confident in his decisions. He does not shy away from conflict.
The Emperor, being a more traditional leader, also cares about his status, wanting to be seen and known for his accomplishments.
When drawing the Emperor card, it could mean that:
You are exhibiting these leadership qualities yourself.
You need to be reminded that you have these qualities within you, and you shouldn’t be afraid to show them.
It’s time for you to recognize your own accomplishments and use your experience, leadership, and knowledge to help lead others.
A leadership figure in your life (or who is soon coming into your life) has these qualities, and this is a nudge to connect with them and listen to their guidance.
The Challenges
Much like the sign of Aries, the Emperor card can come with its challenges, too. Typically, you’d consider these challenges when pulling the card in reverse (though I personally intuitively sense which expression is coming through based on the other cards in a reading). These challenges could include:
Being too rigid as a leader, and too stuck on the rules and traditions. (You could see that quality within me from my story—I was the stern father figure rather than the firm but compassionate one).
Avoiding stepping into this leadership role, or having trouble seeing these qualities within oneself.
Struggling with a difficult leadership figure in your life—perhaps a bad boss!
Aries & The Emperor: What Makes a Leader
The desire to take the lead is where the Aries and the Emperor meet. The best expression of Aries’ leadership qualities would be the Emperor’s best qualities.
But a leader who is too strict and stern, too quick to react, and who doesn’t learn to balance their speed with a thoughtful plan of action, can end up falling short—perhaps even abandoning projects or ideas. And instead of providing security for those around them, they create a shaky and maybe even hostile environment in which people are afraid to make any mistakes.
Looking at my story, I see myself as being a rather immature Aries. I hadn’t yet learned what leadership meant to me, and I hadn’t learned to manage my emotions when something went wrong. I was too reactive. But a mature Aries, who has recognized they have this tendency and is able to balance it, can become a strong leader.
This exploration helped me realize that the leader doesn’t necessarily have to be the boss in every situation—we can all exhibit leadership qualities in any situation by providing stability and security for those around us.
But to provide safety for others, a leader must feel secure within themself, understanding how they work and what they need in order to be less reactive and more supportive of those around them.
What to Watch for this Aries Season
This Aries Season, pay attention to:
When and where you feel an inner calling to lead, and take action on that call
Your speed in reacting and then taking action—try your best to create a balance and have a plan
How you want the people around you (or the people you support or lead) to feel when you’re in charge or holding space for them
(My source for this information and many things Astrology-related is the Seasons of the Zodiac: Love, Magick, and Manifestation Throughout the Astrological Year by Stephanie Campos. For deeper card meanings, I always love to consult Biddy Tarot to see if there’s anything else to add to my personal perspective.)
Aries & The Emperor Soul Journaling Session
I’m continuing our new format for these explorations with:
A Soul Journaling Session with one key prompt for the Soul (for paid subscribers). This practice is designed for you to use again and again throughout Aries season to help you uncover new insights as you move along. Paid subscribers, you can access your Aries season practice here:
A set of journal prompts focused on the themes of Aries & The Emperor (for all subscribers). I’ve also included a music track you can listen to while you journal. (All sound healing music is created by my husband.)
I’m opening up the Chat to my paid subscribers to share anything that comes up as we work with this energy. Paid subscribers also receive a one-card reading and personalized journaling prompt for each Astrological season.*
*Note: Due to upcoming changes I’m making to the paid subscription, only the next 3 people to upgrade to paid will receive a monthly one-card reading with a personalized journal prompt.
Your Journal Prompts
What strengths do I have as a leader?
What leadership qualities do I admire in others? How do I see these qualities within myself?
What would it take for me to feel more confident as a leader?
How can I step up and take leadership of my fresh start or new beginning this season/Astrological year?
What action(s) am I being called to take?
How are you feeling?
What did this exploration of Aries and the Emperor bring up for you—were you perhaps reminded of a bad boss, or a time when you were called to step up and lead?
I’d love to hear what the energy of Aries and the Emperor brings up for you. And if you are an Aries, let me know. I’d love to give you a free month of the paid subscription so you can work with the Soul Journaling Session for the season!
With love and gratitude,
Marcy
More Aries Season Resources
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Thank you for sharing that leadership story! 🤍✨
Not that I'm having an identity crisis, but I have found that getting to know my Human Design map has radically flipped the way I have been thinking about the Emperor. You may remember, the Emperor is my personal year number, with the Death card as supporting. In Human Design, I am a Projector and all projectors must wait for the invitation as their strategy. It's flipping me out. I remember learning about servant leadership from Christ in many Bible studies, but being a leader while honoring the Hermit card this year, or being a leader while waiting for the invitation? This is such a radical idea for me and really quite challenging to sit with. Wish me luck!