Temperance

Following the theme of staying grounded, this month’s Tarot card Temperance is the perfect example of emotional self-control.

Temperance is the archetype of divine balance, the calmed and relaxed mind. It represents the emotional balance one should strive to attain in all situations. 

Looking at the card you can see the archangel Cassiel or the angel of tears who presides over the death of kings. Sometimes, Temperance is depicted as a woman or an androgynous figure. The depiction of a genderless figure only serves to emphasize the lack of polarization. It teaches us that the middle road is found when one is not swayed too much to one side or the other.

Looking deeper into the card the angel has one foot in rippled water and the other on dry land giving greater prominence to the message of the evenness of emotion. The square with a triangle embedded within it on the chest of the angels robe represents the blending of two opposites to create a whole which is more than the sum of its parts.

The path in the background represents the journey that each of us must make toward our own enlightenment. Temperance represents the inner peace that when achieved creates the wisdom that gives you the endurance and focus needed to accomplish goals.

In a reading Temperance invites you to use self-control, temper your reactions with calm o that you may proceed with mental clarity.  It can indicate that things to come in your life will require you to remain neutral, or at the very least to remain emotionally stabilized.

Upright Key Words: Harmony, Abstaining from excess, Balance, synthesis, Moderation ,Blending, Self control, Emotional stability