The two opposite aspects of  creative energy, female and male. The empress is the receptive, generous, mother aspect; the emperor is the decisive, active, male aspect. In my deck, the empress is shown with an infant at her breast. She is mother, the giver of blessings. The emperor is shown in an almost warlike aspect complete with an erect phallus; he is not to be fooled with. He will keep the world in line, while she will see to it that the world is nurtured.

I have a picture for The Empress, but not for The Emperor, sorry.

I see the Empress as a very gifted person...sign of fertility and abundance.Very feminine and very sweet, she seems to rule the world in her own way! She has all the stars on her head and she's surrounded by a beautiful nature while she's sitting comfortably on her armchair! I see this card as a positive one! She also reminds me of pregnancy and motherhood.

The emperor looks very serious and stern...he seems to be ready to face out any problem he runs into. He is a good father and protector! I also see this card as a positive one...
He's there to help and to protect you..unless you're with the "bad" ones...

If I keep the history I can see we are innocent (the fool), we start to study things (the magician), we assume a good position on life (Empress – Emperor). In a reading for someone the Empress would represent the nobles feelings, the conscience, the wisdom (Empress) and the richness, the self confidence, the eye we have related to ourselves (the Emperor).

I’ve been reading Tarot for so many years but I never had this comprehension so close to my inner self like it’s happening now. Thanks for this opportunity!

Hugs,
Renata

Using The Waite/Smith Tarot

3 - The Empress ~ Mother, Femininity, Privileged, Nature
4 - The Emperor ~ Father, Masculinity, Authority, Leadership

Together~ Absolute rulers. Parental figures. As parental figures, they are also protective, supportive, giving and yet disciplinarians as occasions may require.  A ruling pair. Authoritative. Benevolent. Guiding. Their appearance commands/demands respect. Neither can be challenged. They are a pair, yet opposite- each picking up where the other lets off.  Each a half of one whole.  Two sides of one coin. Each fulfilling the other. What one doesn't, can't or won't bring to the table, the other one could or does. When together, they represent what perfect parents could be, but not necessarily what they are. Each sits on a throne that faces forward from their position within the card.  Bold. Sure of themselves. Dominating.

The Empress~ Mother Nature.  Mother figure. Her throne & surroundings are 'soft'.  She has the sign of Venus, the goddess of love & beauty, on her heart shaped shield at her feet and the bottom pillow behind her.  Some have said that the designs on her robes are flowers that make the sign of Venus also.  Others claim these designs to be roses or pomegranates.  Looking closely, it appears as if the artist (Pamela Colman Smith) intended the design to be pomegranates (compare to the larger, more detailed pomegranates on The High Priestess card) in the shape of the sign of Venus.  Pomegranates are a recurring theme; a symbol of fertility.  The Empress looks out directly at the viewer.  On her head is a diadem with 12 stars, reference to the zodiac.  Each star has six points as in the Seal of Solomon. In her right hand (the dominant side) she holds an scepter; With the globe on top, it could be representative of the world- Taking the scepter as a whole could be a phallic symbol.  The scepter could even be both depending on the position of the card. I notice the stream, the wreath upon her head, the grain growing at her feet, the fertile forest behind her, the collar of her gown with 11 circles and the pearl necklace of 7 spheres.  All are symbolic and hold meaning, but I'm heading for a book here if I don't stop somewhere. The Empress can either represent good or bad, depending on her position in a spread and the card combinations.

The Emperor~ Father Time (his obvious older age & white beard, the never changing mountains behind him).  Father figure. His throne & surroundings are 'hard'.  He has the sign of Aries, ram's head/god of war, on the back and arms of his throne.  He also has the ram's head on the left (deemed to be the weaker, feminine, more passive side) shoulder of his robe.  Contrary to the belief that The Emperor looks straight out, a closer look at the card will show he looks to his right (the strong, masculine, dominant side), where if the cards were laid down side by side and in numerical order, he would be looking at The Empress.  A lot of suggestions could be made from this observance alone.  His throne is stone; hard and cold.  In his right hand, he holds a scepter in the form of the Crux Anasata (something like an Ankh) indicating he has influence over life and death.  The Emperor also holds a globe (of sorts, looks more like an ornament or fruit) in his left (passive, feminine) hand. Does The Emperor bend to The Empress? Is earthly control willingly given to The Mother?  I see other symbolic signs, the color of the outer robe, the blue inner clothing, the armor beneath it all.  There is a small river/stream that runs behind the throne. The sky is red.  He wears a crown with alternating stones of color~ but again, I'm making a book here~ so sorry~  In The Emperor I see a card that can mean many things, all depending, as usual, on where the card falls in a spread and any combinations associated with it.

I think both The Empress & The Emperor cards would tip the scales more towards the positive in an average reading.