Temperance. The winged figure of a female— who, in opposition to all doctrine concerning the hierarchy of angels, is usually allocated to this order of ministering spirits— is pouring liquid from one pitcher to another. In his last work on the Tarot, Dr. Papus abandons the traditional form and depicts a woman wearing an Egyptian head-dress. The first thing which seems clear on the surface is that the entire symbol has no especial connexion with Temperance, and the fact that this designation has always obtained for the card offers a very obvious instance of a meaning behind meaning, which is the title in chief to consideration in respect of the Tarot as a whole.
14
Major Arcana
The Mediator
Temperance
You find balance in the in-between, where opposites blend into harmony. The magic is not in extremes, but in the space between.
Standard: Bringing opposites together. Moderating your actions or emotions. Finding middle ground. Reaching compromises. Synthesizing solutions that please everyone involved. Using the old to make something new.
Reversed: Going to extremes. Disrupting group efforts. Ignoring healthy approaches to life. Becoming an addict. Practicing gluttony. Tearing something or someone apart. Breaking alliances.
Keywords
Blending
Synthesis
Mediation
Combination
Harmony
Questions to Ask
- How can I avoid extremes?
- What does everyone involved have in common?
- How might combining familiar things help me create something new?
A. E. Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot