The Emperor is one of the masculine archetypes in Tarot and he represents control, structures, stability, power and discipline. The Emperor describes someone with great power and authority, someone who is influential, logical and practical. The the Eight of Cups stands for dissatisfaction and it's expressing the desire to withdraw, to walk away from a situation, to change, as we hear the calling of a new or different future. In some cases the Eight of Cups can even indicate betrayal. The combination of the Emperor and the Eight of Cups shows someone who is leaving a situation behind.

To understand the elemental relationships between the cards, we should always take into account their actual meaning. The elements of the cards are Fire (Emperor) and Water (Eight of Cups). A poor combination that shows a battle between the two elements, as Fire and Water are enemies. This combination foretells confusion and lack of stability.