Temperance
Keywords · Upright
Keywords · Reversed
Upright
Temperance stands for balance, patience and the skillful blending of opposing forces into a harmonious whole. It invites you to find the middle way, to act with calm, and to trust the natural flow of life. Healing and inner peace arise when extremes are reconciled.
Reversed
Reversed, Temperance points to imbalance, excess and a lack of patience. Opposites refuse to reconcile for now, and overindulgence or hasty action disturbs the harmony. The task is to return to your own center.
Love
In love, Temperance promises a balanced, patient relationship in which both partners give and take and reach harmony together. Reversed, impatience or excess can upset the equilibrium.
Career
At work, Temperance advises patience, teamwork and the measured blending of different skills into a coherent result. Reversed, there is a risk of burnout, friction or loss of moderation.
Health
For health, Temperance represents recovery, balance and a moderate lifestyle that brings body and mind into equilibrium. Reversed, it warns against excess, stress or a disturbed inner balance.
Symbolism
A winged angel pours water back and forth between two cups, standing with one foot on solid ground and the other in the water — an image of the union of conscious and unconscious. The triangle within a square upon the breast, the irises, and the path leading to the sun-crown point to spiritualized matter and a higher purpose.
Numerology
Fourteen joins the stability of Four with the new beginning of One and reduces to Five — it signifies patient adjustment and dynamic balance following the upheaval of Death (XIII).