The Fairy Tale Tarot-The Wise Old Man

The Wise Old Man sits on a chair of carved stone in the wood. He is looking straight at us with a kind look in his eyes.He has a white beard. He has a medieval type of clothing, and a helmet on his head. His tunic is purple, the colour of the crown chacra, showing that he is a spiritual master. He has a spiral of lightenergy on his breast.
He looks like he is going to get up of the chair any moment.
Behind him and on his sides are trees with benign faces. The trees are alive and have souls too, as we all belong togeather in the embrace of Nature, and the allembracing soul of All That Is.

I like that this card has been renamed; it's taken the meaning out of the realm of the political and into the more universal realm of masculine wisdom.

I also like it because it's making me rethink the card. Normally, when I think of the Emperor, I think of a young man, or a young-ish man. I think of worldly authority, of 'The Man', of the guy in charge. The Emperor has nobility, strength, surety: I think of him as somebody who is so at ease with his power that he is able to enforce it in a way that allows his subjects to keep their power (unlike, say, the power of some of the Kings, which is often gotten at the expense of others).

But where does the Emperor's power come from? It's inherent, inherited. Think back to Renaissance Europe, the birthplace of tarot: in those days, authority was granted at birth, a way of maintaining a hierarchy ordained by God. Social mobility was non-existent. To revolt against the Emperor or the King was to revolt against God. Authority, in this case, wasn't necessarily deserved; it was an accident of birth. No wonder we had some fool kings.

Renaming him the Wise Old Man refreshes the archetype. His power becomes rooted - in experience, in knowledge, in wisdom. Better than that, the Wise Old Man shares his knowledge. His authority goes hand in hand with his wisdom.

The picture roots his wisdom in nature; he's part of it. His is the wisdom of the oak tree. It becomes an organic authority; he hasn't had to fight other people, no blood was shed. His is the authority and the wisdom of the oak tree, borne out of the act of hard living. But instead of turning inwards and reflecting (aka Sorceress), he expresses his knowledge outwardly, taking up and finding a position in the world.

Thank you, DaisyDragonfly, that was a fantastic explenation of the card.
Usually I don´t like Emperor cards, but I feel very drawn to this one!

Me too! I think renaming it the Wise Old Man has grounded it and made it approachable. Emperor carries with it an element of dominance and superiority, whereas a Wise Old Man is warm and earthly

It'll be interesting comparing this to the Hierophant and the Hermit in this deck, don't you think? The idea of a wise old man seems to sit more comfortably with the Hermit -- but that card has a very different image to it than the RWS standard.

I like the different "play" of both the Empress and Emperor in this deck....One viewed as the "Mother" archetype and the other as the "Father"

I agree it makes them more approachable and less like reigning royalty. This card reminds me of The Sage in the Froud Faeries deck...OLD and WISE with lessons learned through time and experience...learned the "hard way" so to speak BUT very valuable. It is a wisdom born of time and life...ancient paths traveled.....paths that all of humankind travels....they are paths that are old and worn and traveled by all....there are lessons to be learned on these paths....and the Old Man is willing to let you gain a slightly easier way...through his knowledge...if you choose to....but it is always a choice.

So I don't see it as a card where the Wise Old Man tries to "push" his wisdom on to others through his leadership, or authority....but rather...his wisdom is there for those who wish to see it....and it is available for all that want to learn from it...Gentle and Kind...he hopes that people will find value in what he knows but he is not going to say..."I told you so"....

This is a great thread. I had many similar feelings when I first looked at this card. As you have all said, this wise old man has learned through experience and struggle. He has lived a of life of facing obstacles head on, learning and growing from each trial and experience. His knowledge is there for us if we should ask, but I also feel he would encourage us to seek our own answers by facing our struggles with confidence and faith.

I think it is telling that all the faces of the forest reside behind him. If there is anything dark or threatening in the woods, he has no fear of it. He's seen it all, so to speak, and his confidence is unwavering.

He has a Gandalf quality for me. He is a patient teacher who will fight right along with you, but truly wants you to find your strength from within yourself.

The Sage and Gandalf; this is really a different and more aprochable Emperor. Thank you for your expenations, DragonFae and jcwirish; this deck is fast becoming my favourite.

Me too Genna. It really opens the imagination in fantastic ways. The cards are so detailed and interesting without being too busy. I just want to keep looking them over to see what i've missed.

IV: The Wise Old Man

An initial description:
A kingly old man is seated on a stone throne. His hair is white and long, like his curling beard. He has a jeweled band across his forehead. A spiral is centered on his chest and glows. He is wearing a mulberry tunic and green leggings, as well as green footwear. The throne is made of stone and on the left is the spiral symbol once more. On the right arm of the throne are some nature based symbols. At his feet are many small pebbles and all around him are grass and greenery. Tall old tress grow around him and in them are many faces, reminiscent of nature spirits. The card is primarily green and brown in color.

Preliminary meanings:
The wise old man is most likely a king. He is revered for his knowledge and advice, and is a guide. He is familiar with nature and the way of mankind.

The basic fairy tale from once upon a fairy tale:
A mother left her twins and they were replaced by changelings. She goes to Llanidloes' wise man, who tells her how to find out if they are. They were, and she drowns them, getting back her own children.

personal significance:
The wise old man sees between the two worlds.

book symbolism, etc:
The wise old man is focus and clear vision through obscurity; he is mature vitality and has new ideas. He is authority, continuity and balance; the unity of the conscious and unconscious. He is spiritual enlightenment and father like leadership. A reminder to proceed with a rational and deliberate mind.

variations of the Brewery of Egg shells:
I couldn't find any variations, although I found a number of articles on changelings.

Traditional meanings of the Emperor (From Gray's book):
Stability, law and order. He is the active father force and stands for domination, authority, and law. It means leadership, mental activity, and results of action. Reversed is a loss of control.

Parallels:
Both the wise old man and the emperor embody power and authority, a testament to their wisdom and control. He is a leader, who guides one through perilous times.

The Emperor (From Journey of the hero):
He personifies structure, order, clarity, and reality. He is the guarantee of security and order as well as responsibility and perseverance. He also is the power that allows ideas, desires, and intentions to become. He is the force protecting life. His archetype is the father, and is the moving force of reality.

Related to the Wise Old Man:
The two men are both the figure of responsibility and clarity. The wise man is a guide who protects the life of the child, returning him to his mother.

Meditation/writing jump off:
The wise old man sits on his throne in the forest. His throne has been there since the beginning of time, made of solid stone that withstands the elements. He stars into your eyes, a hand upon his knee as he listens to you speak, the forest around him paying attention like a king's court should. He is here; offering up the wisdom and guidance of the ages, a beacon of light who has seen it all.