Temperance tarot card meaning: balance and harmony

Key Points

Here are 3 key points about the meanings of Temperance Tarot Card:

• Balance, harmony, and finding the middle ground.

• Patience, moderation, and going with the flow.

• Bringing the opposites together and compromising.

Overview of Temperance in the Tarot Deck

Temperance stands for balance, moderation, patience and self-control. Finding balance and harmony, and working towards a sense of equilibrium, are vital. Temperance encourages us to be calm and rational so we can perceive things clearly. This card shows that you should keep your expectations in check and not go to extremes.

The angel mixing water in the tarot card between cups of temperance suggests realism. This symbolizes combining elements in balanced proportions. The angel has one leg on land and one leg in the water, teaching us about the combination of the two. Temperance tells you to keep your focus during distractions and bring balance within and without.

Symbolic Significance of the Card

Apart from the main mixing of elements, there are other symbols in Temperance. With the angel dressed in white, this represents pure intention and a calm mind. The sunlight symbolizes enlightenment and clarity. The mountains and the path show the trip is long for moderation. Overall, the card is a reminder to strive towards equilibrium and centeredness with patience, care and attentiveness.

Visual Imagery and Symbols

We see the temperance angel dressed in white robes with beautiful wings. The woman stands with one foot on land and one foot in water, which symbolizes that she is grounded but also open to the intuitive realm. With both her hands, she holds two cups, one water-filled and another blank. She is pouring water from one cup to the next with conscious and intentional efforts to blend them. Behind each sun is a symbol of a triangle that signifies the divine masculine energy.

Description of the Imagery on the Temperance Card

The angel shown on the temperance card shows balance and patience. Her white clothes show her purity while her wings show her spirituality. She mediates between the earthly and divine realms. The two cups symbolize an opposite energy or matter and spirit. The angel mixes and channels the two energies to bring them together by pouring the water. The angel stands with one foot on land and one in water, showing the ability to stay down to earth while still being open to emotional flows and the subconscious. The sun in the background indicates illumination and unification.

Meaning of Important Symbols like the Angel, Cups, and Water

The angel represents a guiding figure that helps to maintain balance. The two cups represent the joining of opposites, forces and matters. By pouring the water back and forth, you create an even blend. The water represents feelings, mysticism, and the movement between mankind and god. These symbols show balance between extremes with time, intention and spiritual insight. The result is inner stability, peace and wholeness.

Numerological and Elemental Associations

The number associated with the Temperance tarot card is 14, which adds up to five (1 + 4 = 5). The number 5 represents change, freedom, adventure and versatility. It signals that Temperance wants you to adapt to the changes and new possibilities.

Temperance Connects to the Number Fourteen.

The number 14 stands for balance, harmony and moderation. It is created with 1 and 4. 1 represents new beginnings, while 4 suggests stability. It indicates blending of intuition with logic, and the spirit with matter. Temperance aims to blend two elements. The number 14 encourages us to strike balance in life.

Elemental Significance and its Influence on Interpretation

Temperance correlates with the element of water in tarot. Water represents emotions, relationships and inner peace. Temperance, a water card, warns us to practice emotional maturity, compassion, and staying with the flow. This means that we should handle our emotions effectively and focus our energy on fulfilling relationships.

Core Meanings and Themes

The Temperance card is all about finding balance. It urges us to mingle contrasting elements and bring various facets of our identity into a unified entity. Temperance teaches us to choose the middle path and take only what we need. It symbolizes the blending of our spiritual and material nature and achieving inner balance.

Balance and Harmony

Temperance balances things out and puts them in sync. It encourages us to discover compromise and moderation to create harmony and balance. It refers to mixing the new and the old, masculine and feminine, which brings peaceful cooperation. To achieve balance and harmony, we must find the middle way.

Moderation and Self-control

Being moderate and patient opens Temperance. The card suggests us to wait for the right time and not impose anything. To flow, we have to go with the flow! It asks us to stop dealing with our current situation. To develop self-control, we have to temper extremes of behavior in ourselves. This suggests that we must use temperance for things to come.

Integration of Opposites

The Temperance card symbolizes the joining of one half with another. This card requests that we combine and harmonize the different sides of our personality. The Temperance card tells us to find common ground between two opposites.

Finding harmony between opposites brings insights and peace of mind. We find balance when we blend opposing forces and energies.

Temperance in a Tarot Reading

Positive interpretations

Temperance refers to staying centered and grounded during challenges. During encounters with difficulties, temperance acts as a good sign that will help us along the way. When you get the Temperance tarot card in a reading, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to stop fighting. It only means the following:

• Take the rough with the smooth.
• Find the middle ground.
• Compromise is possible.
• Be reasonable in your actions and avoid extremes.
• Healing and restored health, physical or emotional.
• Being at peace with yourself and your relationships.

Reversed Meaning

Some difficulties that temperance can indicate are:

• Struggling with patience and wanting to rush things
• Having trouble reaching an agreement with someone and being stubborn
• Indulging in any excess as it means losing self-control.
• Feeling bored and wanting more intensity or drama in life
• Not taking the time to center yourself regularly but the build-up of stress
• Obligations get in the way of spiritual or creative nurture

Contextual Influences on Meaning

The meaning of temperance changes depending on the other cards. For example, after the tower, it means calm after the storm, which is the ability to rebuild on a stable foundation. With the devil, it means a warning for things taken to excess as they can lead to addiction. With the lovers, it means finding harmony between the heart and mind. Similarly, with swords cards, it means finding diplomatic measures to come to a resolution. With wands cards, it means the prevention of enthusiasm from becoming excessive as you risk burnout. With the cups cards, it means you are losing emotional balance and self-care is needed. To summarize, temperance has an essence that concerns grounding and balance, but the details depend on the surrounding cards, querent’s question and the reader’s intuition.

Comparative Analysis

The Temperance tarot card means moderation and harmony. It is associated with the middle path between extremes. In many decks, the image of Temperance is an angel mixing water between two cups, alluding to the blending of opposites.

Relationship with Other Major Arcana Cards

Temperance is associated with other major arcana cards based on choices, balance, and moderation. It is believed to be more balanced than cards like The Devil or The Tower, which depict excess and disruption. The World and Temperance have similarities in their call to integrate everything. It complements The Hermit in reentering the community after reflection and sharing knowledge.

Contrasts with the Devil and the Lovers

The Devil teaches us about being blocked, powerless and interfering addictions while Temperance is about choosing freely to balance out everything with moderation. The Lovers emphasizes passion and tough decisions between two opposites. Temperance means to combine opposites instead of choosing one or the other. It is less tense than The Lovers’ offers but more conciliatory and synthesizing.

Practical Applications

The Temperance card denotes a sense of balance and calm. You can show synthesis energy in daily life by:

Finding Harmony

• Find balance in everything and don’t overdo or underdo things.
• Make time for work and play.
• Use good reason and gut feel.
• Bring opposites together through reasoned agreement.

Going with the Flow

• Be adaptable and patient rather than forcing control.
• Let events unfold naturally without resistance.
• Temper instinct with reason.

Exercising restraint

• When making choices, take your time and think well.
• Don’t react impulsively.
• Live moderately.
• Manage stress through healthy outlets, not vices.
• Prioritize needs over wants.

Guidance for Personal Growth

Temperance tarot has the wisdom for inner development and self-improvement.

Cultivate inner peace

• Find tranquility through meditation and introspection.
• Make peace with your past.
• Heal inner conflicts and contradictions.

Nurture wellbeing

• Take care of your physical, mental, emotional health.
• Make time to recharge.
• Find work-life balance.
• Seek professional help if needed.

Develop Self-Knowledge

• Examine your core values, strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand what motivates you.
• Integrate all aspects of yourself.

Temperance in Decision-Making and Problem-Solving

When facing choices or challenges, temperance encourages:

Objectivity

• Look at all sides dispassionately.
• Weigh pros and cons impartially.
• Consider others’ perspectives.

Moderation

• Avoid extremes.
• Find middle ground.
• Compromise if possible.
• Take the long view.

Patience

• Let solutions ripen and don’t force outcomes.
• Adapt to changing conditions.
• Allow the process to unfold.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)