Tarot Talk
Since we are kind of on a Major Arcana roll, let’s look at the card known as Temperance. First, we should quickly define and describe some terms.
There are 22 Major Arcana cards in a Tarot deck, with numbers from 0 to 21; the Majors usually deal with broader and more far-reaching life experience issues, archetypes that are easy for us to identify with and connect with at some point in our lives. An archetype (pronounced “ark eh type”) is a generic, idealized model of a person, an object, or a concept which can be copied, patterned, or imitated. The term archetype often refers to one of two concepts: a “stereotype,” a personality type observed multiple times, especially an oversimplification of a personality type; stereotypes can be positive or negative, or an “epitome,” which is the embodiment of a particular personality type, especially as the “greatest” or “best” example of the particular personality type; epitomes can also be positive or negative.
So archetypes present personality traits that are common enough to be known by us all, through images (rather than words) that contain symbolism that connects with our subconscious in a universal manner. Each of us can understand the symbolism of archetypes and connect with that symbolism because each of us has (or will) personally experienced these archetypes.
Each Major Arcana card corresponds to an archetype, an image, a number, an element, an astrological sign or planet, a Hebrew letter, and a Path on the Tree of Life joining two Sephiroth. Let’s start breaking this one down; we’ve got a lot of work to do!
Many Major Arcana cards represent archetypes of people in our lives. The Empress is The Mother, The Emperor is The Father, The Hierophant is The Teacher; we easily understand these archetypes because most of us have them in our lives. Other Tarot Majors represent ideas or feelings or concepts or stories, rather than people. Temperance is one of these cards; it is the archetype of balance, the kind of balance which demonstrates that moderation can be the path to wholeness.
The traditional image on Temperance shows a winged angel, usually with the symbol for the element of Fire (an upright triangle) or a sun on its chest. The angel is standing at the edge of a body of water, with one foot on dry land and the other foot either on the surface of or in the water. The angel holds two cups and is pouring water from one cup to the other, as if mixing the contents. The background usually consists of a sunny sky, sometimes with a few white, fluffy fair weather clouds, a green landscape, sometimes with mountains in the background or flowers at the shore of the lake. Often there is a path running from the shore of the lake toward the distant sun. Variations usually draw on these more traditional images; for instance, sometimes the angel is seated at the shore, body facing away from the viewpoint of the seeker yet looking over one shoulder at the seeker. I’ve even seen a Temperance card that only shows the two cups, with liquid flowing from the higher cup to the lower cup. No matter what the image, the balance of extremes is its message. The image of the cups and the fluid being poured from one to the other also tells us of the immortality of the life essence. The angel of Temperance transfers that essence from one receptacle to another without spilling a single drop. So, too, does our own life essence continue, even after it is transferred from one receptacle to another.
Temperance is numbered 14. This number has a karmic influence, encouraging balance, harmony, temperance and prudence (often through the presentation of challenges or extreme situations to be dealt with or overcome). In the cycles of the moon, there are 14 waxing days and 14 waning days, thus the time of growth is balanced with the time of ebbing effort. Even the Tarot itself is connected to the number 14, for there are 14 Minor Arcana cards for each suit of the Pips. 14 reduces even further to the number 5, which brings the concept of movement to stability; the combination of opposites presented by this number can sometimes be disconcerting or uncomfortable, but the natural next step is balance and harmony.
Temperance corresponds with the element of Fire. Fire corresponds with the Minor Arcana suit of Wands, playing cards suit of Clubs, the cardinal direction of South and the color Red. It represents creativity, ideas, ambition, and growth. This element represents seeds being planted and things being born; Fiery energy encourages us to move forward and to take action based on Divine Will rather than our ego-based Self. In its natural state, the element of Fire is hot and dry. It tends to bring spontaneous change or impulsive, energetic effects. Fire is passionate in nature, and transforms everything in our world. Fire can sanitize or cleanse, and it can destroy everything in its path; Fire can warm us and keep us safe, or it can kill us. Fire is associated with our ability to experience joy and passion (including sexuality), and can represent enthusiasm and a pull towards being physical or artistic; it can also represent recklessness and apathy, a lack of energy and potential health issues.
In astrology, Temperance corresponds with Sagittarius, my own sun sign. Sagittarius, the 9th sign of the zodiac, is often seen as the wanderer, but remember, not all those who wander are lost! Sagittarius is the truth-seeker, the enthusiastic consumer of information who loves knowledge achieved by traveling the world and talking to everyone. Sitting for hours talking of philosophy or religion is heaven to those born under this sun sign. The life quest of a Sagittarian is to understand the meaning of life, using both spiritual and philosophical disciplines to digest what they learn. This is a mutable Fire sign, and thus while exploration and adventure are a necessary part of life, procrastination is also a danger. Sagittarius corresponds with Jupiter, and is expansive in all things, is an effective healer, and can be a bridge between humans and animals.
In the Hebrew alphabet, each letter is connected to the creative forces in the universe. They express themselves on three levels: one level is archetypical and runs from the first to the ninth letter; the second level is one of manifestation and runs from the tenth to the eighteenth letter, and the third is a cosmic level and runs from the nineteenth to the twenty-second letter. Temperance corresponds with the Hebrew letter Samekh, the fifteenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet and a member of the manifestation group; this letter represents the tent post, or the concept of supporting (the tent post needs to be strong enough to hold up the tent, or everything will collapse). In a way, the letter Samekh can be seen as the bridge between the lower world and the upper world, both holding those two worlds away from each other and connecting them to each other at the same time.
On the Tree of Life, Temperance represents Path 25, running between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into the physical world of action and outer reality) and Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify), representing Tentative Intelligence. Yesod can be seen as the trunk of the Tree of Life, the place where our personalities form and our Self abides, and the place where we first experience the non-physical. Tiphareth is the center of the entire Tree; all Paths connect either directly or indirectly to Tiphareth. The 25th Path tells of balance achieved through experiencing extremes, and of the balancing of personal energy with sacred energy. This Path also tends to bring us face to face with the Beast that dwells within each of us. We need to accept that in order to be a whole person, we need to also accept that Beast.
There are some themes here, laced through all this information. Balance has many faces, and Temperance offers the idea of achieving balance through experiencing extremes. Temperance is about holding things apart and drawing them together, at the same time; a kind of push me-pull me energy, like sitting balanced on a seesaw.
We are reminded through working with the Temperance card that equilibrium is attained by equal and opposing forces acting against each other in moderation and in concert. The verb “to temper” tells us that if we adjust our ingredients, we can find the right recipe, and if we make it through a test or hardship, we will come out the other end stronger and more confident. Temperance is grace under pressure, something we all need, and Temperance encourages us to compromise so neither side loses and both sides win.
Temperance is also known as the art card; indeed, Crowley named his card Art in the Thoth Tarot. Uncle Al sees the Art card as representing the alchemic stage of Coagulation, wherein an adept can easily move between the worlds of matter and spirit, can join spirit and soul with the body, and can unite with themselves on all levels. Coagulation is often seen as the phoenix rising from the ashes, manifesting resurrection. The Temperance card reminds us that nature and the cycles of nature are themselves a healing agent; death in the end is a chance for the life essence to liberate itself from a worn out vessel so that essence can rest and prepare to be poured into a new vessel, similar to the image of the angel pouring the liquid from one cup to another, while standing between the worlds of Earth and Water.
The saying, “if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger” seems to be written just for the Temperance card of the Tarot Major Arcana!