The ankh-shaped sceptre
Tarot glossary
The ankh is an ancient Egyptian sign shaped like a looped cross and strongly associated with life. European art and occult design reused it long after antiquity. The Emperor’s sceptre borrows that outline, adding Egyptianising authority to a European ruler. The shape supports a life-and-power association, but Waite does not give the sceptre a separate doctrinal explanation.