This is the fourth in a series of conversations between the Birth Card pairs and Jason C. Lotterhand, through “The Thursday Night Tarot”, (edited by Arisa Victor). The host for this series is the Fool, representing the individual taking the journey. The fourth Birth Card pair up are Death and the Emperor.
Fool: Welcome to this series of conversations. Information discussed here is based on Jason C. Lotterhand’s work, as presented in “The Thursday Night Tarot”. Something to keep in mind before we enter into the following conversation is the theme for the Death/Emperor duo: “Learning to detach from the physical world, and release all expectations. The ability to take a leadership position, and own one’s power.” To my left is Death, to my right is the Emperor, and to the Emperor’s right we have Mr. Lotterhand. Thank you all for being here. Death, you may begin.
Death: I would like to thank Mr. Lotterhand and the Emperor for being here, and the Fool for hosting this series. As we all know, Birth Cards work in pairs. However, we all carry our own identity. Through Mr. Lotterhand’s work, we hope to clarify who we are to those who carry our energy.
Mr. Lotterhand, you view me as one of the archetypes that indicates change in an individual’s life. Can you expound on that a bit, please.
Jason C. Lotterhand: Change can be a scary thing at times, but it is an integral part of life. The image of a skeleton represents an individuals Self, that part of you that is beyond personality and physical body. The faces on the card represent our sub-conscious and self-conscious. We need to remember that the Self lives beyond any form of phenomenon.
The skeleton is the support for everything that goes on in our personal vehicle (our body).
Death: I am scary to some people, yes?
Jason C. Lotterhand: The thought of physical death – of leaving the physical plane – is frightening to many people. Remember this – you are not going to die … you are going to change.
I have made the comment that fear (as in fear of death) belongs on the Tree of Life. It is one of the names of the fifth center. Fear puts us into a protective mode. When we consciously allow this fear into our lives, it becomes healthy for us – as in making us a bit more aware when we drive, a b it more aware of who and what is around us. We are in essence protecting ourselves.
When we address our fears, we take away the ability for that fear to drain our energy, and take over our life.
Death: Do you have any last words for our audience?
Jason C. Lotterhand: Death carries the number thirteen. In many traditions, this number represents bad luck, so, from the outer point of view, Death is hard to grasp. In the Cabala, which represents the inner point of view, thirteen is the number of love and unity. By looking at Death in the conventional sense, we miss the inner meaning.
Fool: Thank you, Death, and you, Mr. Lotterhand. Emperor, you have the podium.
Emperor: Thank you, Fool. I would like to thank the Death and Mr. Lotterhand for being here, and the Fool for acting as host. Thank you, Mr. Lotterhand, for regarding me as a benevolent figure! You state that I embody the Logos. Can you talk a bit about that for our audience, please.
Jason C. Lotterhand: The Logos is the Divine Reason that guides the universe. The Emperor embodies this guidance in his thoughts, and his actions. His archetype carries the power to look at ourselves, the power of Self to look at all aspects of itself. If you are looking for a tool for spiritual advancement … here you go!
Emperor: You state that “reason” is my primary keyword. How do you mean that?
Jason C. Lotterhand: Divine Reason goes beyond understanding. We are not expected to understand what God is planning. Reason as applied to the Emperor talks about applying reason to our own universe – the physical world. In essence, we are setting our own house in order. We are liberating ourselves – eliminating that which we do not want in our house. The law of life is that we either rule, or we are ruled.
Emperor: Key 4 is entitled the Constituting Intelligence. What does that mean?
Jason C. Lotterhand: In simple terms, nothing exists without being constituted. We are originally constituted by the Divine – whatever we call it. We each carry that same ability to constitute within us. In coming into our true selves, we are literally writing our own “constitution”. Remember – Reality exists, and we are part of it. There is no separation of powers between us and Life Itself.
Emperor: What does it mean when we say that Logos is the Word?
Jason C. Lotterhand: The Word is in essence a vibration. As such, it has the qualifications to become a thing … to take physical form. Through the Creative Word, we call all things into being. The Word is both vision and voice.
Emperor: Do you have any final thoughts for our audience?
Jason C. Lotterhand: The archetype of the Emperor is one that we can call on to help us see the true vision of ourselves. The throne that the Emperor sits on is known as the Cube of Space … i.e the whole universe is his throne. (Note: The High Priestess also sits on a cube.) The Cube of Space is very conducive for studying complex relationships.
Please note: These are, of course, imaginary conversations. The information has been taken from “The Thursday Night Tarot”, Jason C. Lotterhand, edited by Arisa Victor, Newcastle Publishing Co. Inc, 1989. Any errors in translation are mine, and mine alone.
Images are from the “Tarot Lovers Tarot”, by Karyn Easton (http://paranormality.com)
© September 2012 Bonnie Cehovet
Perspectives On Tarot 