In the Beginning was the Word ~ Aries and The Emperor

Chapter Ten

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD
~ In the Court of the Crimson King ~

- chapter index -
pg. 1 - Intro: The Schizoid Man | pg. 2 - Night Sounds
pg. 3 - Welcome to the Machine | pg. 4 - The Laboratory
pg. 5 - Agamemnon | pg. 6 - Prometheus
pg. 7 - Paranoia's Poison Door | pg. 8 - Projective Identification
pg. 9 - The Promethean Rebel | pg. 10 - Aries and the Emperor
pg. 11 - Mirrors | pg. 12 - In the Beginning was the Word
pg. 13 - Death Seed | pg. 14 - I Talk to the Wind
pg. 15 - Said the Straight Man to the Late Man | pg. 16 - Epitaph
pg. 17 - Apollo | pg. 18 - The Fate of All Mankind
pg. 19 - Malkuth

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The Emperor

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The war images of verse two point to the astrological sign of Aries (Mars, the Roman god of war). Appropriately, the first song on the first album represents the first sign of the zodiac.

ARIES

"The Ram, first sign of the zodiac in the mundane chart, and sign of all beginnings. The Great Beginner, sign of spring, freedom, leadership and emblem of the initiator in all things. The Ram is the unifying Emperor because he is the head of the world, the mansion of the exaltation of the Sun. The most powerful number is One, the Ace that tops the multitudes."

- The Magician's Dictionary

"Ruling planet: Mars (War)
Occupation: Leader
Color: Ruby or crimson
red, true blue, and white"

( the crimson and "true blue" of the album cover, the "white" of Moonchild )

"Aries rules: The head,
face (except nose), the
cerebral hemispheres of the
brain."

(the head and face of the album cover, the cerebral hemispheres of the Thinking Function)

- Aries

The first clue as to the astrological sign of this song was given in the first line.

"Cat's foot iron claw"

"Aries rules metallic iron."

- Aries

"Aries - the Ram
It is the new-born child crying "Me!"
In Tarot it is the Emperor; the force of domination, energy and desire for leadership."

- Aries

Aries' motto: "I am."

"Some of Aries' positive and negative qualities are: Energy, Aggressiveness, Action, Impulsiveness, Courage, Independence, Speed, Competitiveness, Quick tempered, Violence, Intolerance, Arrogance, Selfishness, Egotism, Brusqueness, Insensitivity."

- Astrology Panplanet

"Aries is the purveyor of the quality of Electric Fire to the solar system, which has the effect of burning and destroying. Here is Arien strife! Aries forces the soul on to the burning ground to initiate a process of purification. The fire of the mind sets the 'jungles of experience' on fire...,"

"Innocents raped with napalm fire"

"...to leave the Path 'clear and unobstructed'. Strife and struggle for self-actualisation (or actualisation of the possibility of 'God's idea' at whatever level of existence) can be seen as a route to clarification, a burning-off of the dross, a necessary clearance which allows us to see exactly where we are on the Path."

- D. K. Foundation

"Ares was usually accompanied by Eris, goddess of strife. Also accompanying him were Deimos and Phobos, signifying Dread and Alarm."

- Of Gods and Men

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The Emperor Tarot Card

"This card refers to the sign of Aries in the Zodiac. This sign is ruled by Mars, and therein the Sun is exalted."

- Book of Thoth

"The Emperor represents the characteristically masculine aspects of consciousness, solar illumination, which demands clarity, but may be harsh and withering. As ordainer of laws, the Emperor represents conscious, rational thought, and is closely connected to logos (Lat. ratio) as articulated thought. The Emperor is thus the Paternal Logos (as opposed to the Empress, the Maternal Eros), which comprises discrimination, judgement, and insight."

The Promethean excesses of such scientists as Francis Bacon are also characteristic of the Emperor.

"The Emperor does not, like the Empress, flow with nature; his fiery spirit leads him to impose his will on nature and to force her to conform to his artificial standards of order. As a consequence he is fundamentally alienated from the dark, Titanic forces of nature, and therefore vulnerable to their attack."

(The "dark Titianic forces of nature" as represented by Clytemnestra, for example.)

"Inevitably the Emperor will grow old and sick and require rejuvenation at the hands of the Empress, Priest and Priestess (see VI.Love and VII.Temperance)."

- The Pythagorean Tarot by John Opsopaus

"The Emperor is also one of the more important alchemical cards; with Atu II and III, he makes up the triad: Sulphur, Mercury, Salt. His arms and head form an upright triangle; below, crossed legs represent the Cross. This figure is the alchemical symbol of Sulphur (see Atu X). Sulphur is the male fiery energy of the Universe, the Rajas of Hindu philosophy. This is the swift creative energy, the initiative of all Being. The power of the Emperor is a generalization of the paternal power. With regard to the quality of this power, it must be noted that it represents sudden, violent, but impermanent activity. If it persists too long, it burns and destroys.

There is one further symbol of importance. His shield represents the two-headed eagle crowned with a crimson disk. This represents the red tincture of the alchemist, of the nature of gold, as the white eagle shown in Atu III pertains to his consort, the Empress, and is lunar, of silver."

- Book of Thoth

Shield emblem from the Emperor tarot card
and the Imperial Eagle of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty

"The Emperor Frederick II... believed in the priestliness of his own power. If we can interpret the double-headed imperial eagle of the Hohenstaufen dynasty represented the claims of both the church and the state."

- Sigillum Secretum

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