The elite major arcana are the cards most often selected as representations of people in a reading. Where the world often devoted new travel the emperor is often a strong male.
The Magician is one tarot card that is filled with symbolism. The central figure depicts someone with one hand pointed to the sky, while the other hand points to the ground, as if to say "as above, so below". This is a rather complicated phrase, but its summarization is that earth reflects heaven, the outer world reflects within, the microcosm reflects the macrocosm, earth reflects God. It can also be interpreted here that the magician symbolizes the ability to act as a go-between between the world above and the contemporary, human world.
On his table, the magician also wields all the suits of the tarot. This symbolizes the four elements being connected by this magician - the four elements being earth, water, air, and fire. The infinity sign on his head indicates the infinite possibilities of creation with the will.
The Empress depicts a woman sitting on a throne. From the abundant nature that surrounds her, we can assume that this woman represents the Earth Mother archetype, a goddess of fertility. Her world is ruled by venus which means that there is complete love, harmony, fertility and luxury by the grace of this goddess. The woman herself has blonde hair crowned with stars, signaling her divine connection with the mystical realm. She is dressed in a pomegranate-patterned robe that represents fertility, and she is seated on cushions embroidered with a venus sign. She is surrounded by an enchanting green forest with a river streaming through it. The Empress brings abundance and blessings in the readings of those she meets.
The Empress shows us how deeply we are embedded to our femininity. Femininity could be associated with fertility, expression, creativity and nurturing among many other aspects. It therefore calls you to connect with beauty and bring happiness to your life.
This card shows the Devil represented in his most well-known satyr form, otherwise known as Baphomet. Along with being half goat and half man, the devil has bat wings and an inverted pentagram on his forehead. He is standing on a pedestal, to which are chained a nude man and woman, as if to show that he has dominion over them.
Both the man and the woman have horns, as if to show that the more time they spend with the Devil, the less human they become. The chains make it appear as though the devil has taken them captive. The man has a flame on his tail while a woman has a bowl of grapes on her tail, which symbolizes their addiction to power and finer things in life, respectively.
Looking closely, both the man and the woman don’t look happy. Their individual power has been taken from them, leaving them exposed and ashamed in their nakedness.
In the Emperor tarot card, a stoic ruler figure can be seen on his throne, which is adorned with the heads of four rams, representing his astrological sign - Aries. In one hand, he carries a scepter, representing his reign and his right to rule, and in the other an orb, a symbol of the kingdom that he watches over. The long beard of the emperor represents his vast experience; over time he has learned much about what it takes to rule, to establish power, authority and complete order for the benefit of his people.
Behind him, the barren mountains shows his determination, his ambition for greater heights and his leadership capability. Contrast this with his complement, the Empress, whose flowing fields are filled with nurturing kindness. The Emperor instead rules with grit, strength and force.
In the Lovers card, the man and the woman in the image are being protected and blessed by an angel above. The couple seems secure and happy in their home, which appears to be the Garden of Eden. The fruit tree with the snake behind the woman is a reference to that story, which tells of humanity's fall into temptation and into the realm of flesh and sensuality. The angel depicted here is Raphael, the angel of air - who is of the same element of the zodiac sign that governs this card: Gemini. Air is associated with mental activity, and communication in particular, which is the foundation for healthy relationships. His blessing seems to give this card a sense of balance and harmony, the symbolization of union in a grand and cosmic sense between two opposing forces.