In her book about the Haindl Tarot Rachel Pollack states:
"Hermann Haindl created these pictures. Following his guidance I have interpreted them. Both of us hope and expect that each person who enters their world will find a fresh meaning."

The classical version of the Emperor shows an elderly man sitting on a throne. As we already know key words of this card would be "earthy power", "control", "father", "system", "order" and all these attributes are describing a saturn principle much more than a mars one. Nevertheless Kabbalah (?) connects it to Mars or Aries and most of the interpretations seem to follow that. The "Mars" components of the archetype, like male sexuality, spontaneity, youth, vitality, dominance through force and aggression are not expressed by an old man sitting on a throne. Obviously in Haindl's understanding of the card, the Mars part was more important than the traditional expression and meaning and so he changed the picture and turned the Emperor into a young naked man in front of a huge tree.

Signs of his majesty are only the rod of power and a golden ball in his hands and a crystal on top of his head. Besides that the picture is very naturalistic and simple. It suggests sheer willpower, vitality and sexual potency. Like the huge trunk at his back the man, in the color and structure of his body, seems to have grown out of the ground, but now he is going away from his roots and turning his back to Mother Nature. He wants to do things HIS way and seems to be quite self centered in his beliefs and wishes. Haindl (and Rachel Pollack) seem to imply a feminist critic in this card: the male dominance and arrogance towards its roots, towards the female, towards nature.

In my personal view Haindl did no favour to the whole deck by turning the Emperor into a young lover. As I understand the archetype, the Emperor WAS this young guy , but developed into a mature man. He might be strict and sometimes his views might be a little narrow . He might have difficulties to accept new ideas or concepts, but in a way that's not his job. His job is to establish a certain structure like the bones in our body. Haindl's young guy hasn't arrived at his throne yet... he will need ages to grow up, to develop structures, to build a house, a palace, an Empire. I think, the deck needs a much more saturn colored card here.
At least i miss it...

Mia
Miradji@aol.com