Temperance is a card about finding balance, flow, and abundance exactly where you already are.
To give you a bit of context whilst you reflect on your own relationship to the card, here’s a few key things to know about Temperance.
This card is the 14th card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot, and it represents balance and moderation in life.
In the Rider Waite Smith version of the card, you’ll see an angel at the edge of a pool of water - one toe dipped into the pool, the other foot on dry land. In each hand, the angel holds a cup, and they’re in the midst of pouring water back and fourth between the two.
Traditionally, Temperance imagery emphasizes the need for balance and moderation in all aspects of life. It suggests that a balanced approach to life can bring about positive outcomes and success. Temperance is often associated with patience, self-control, and the ability to find the middle ground in any situation.
In a Tarot reading, the Temperance card may suggest you need to find balance in their life, to avoid extremes and find harmony. It may also indicate a need for patience and self-control in a situation, or a call to look for the middle ground in a conflict.
The card also has associations with alchemy - particularly the transformation of elements. The water poured beneath the two cups is made infinite by the angel’s action - it’s more than the sum of its parts, and this card urges you to transform what you already have to work with, too. Temperance is a reminder that you don’t always need more, more, more, more. You just need to make the best use of what you’ve got.
The water being poured between the two cups can represents the balance between the conscious and unconscious minds, while the angel’s feet - one in the water and one on the ground - can represents the integration of the spiritual and material worlds.
Overall, the Temperance Tarot card is a reminder to seek balance and harmony in life, and to approach situations with patience, self control, and a willingness to make the most of what you’ve got.
In your tarot journal, you’re asked to reflect on what this card means to you, now, in this moment, and what actions and thoughts it inspires in you. As you journal, pay attention to what you’re personally picking up in the card, but also consider what the key themes and symbols in the card might be telling you. How does the card call you to use self-control in your life right now? Where is it urging you to find a better balance in your spiritual and material life? What is it encouraging you to make the most of?
This mini-tarot lesson was brought to you by me, Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, founder of Pip Cards Tarot. I hope you gained a little context to help you continue reflecting on the card in your own way, and I’ll see you tomorrow for another mini-lesson.