Major Arcana 14 Tarot Temperance (Abstinence)

Description: The card depicts a woman with red wings, she is standing in a lake. In her hands she holds two jugs, from one to the other she is pouring water.

The main meanings of the card in the upright position:

1. The end of one stage of life, the beginning of the next;
2. Equilibrium, balance;
3. Coordination;
4. A strong sense of personal integrity;
5. A period of happy union of souls;
6. Friendship, trust, reciprocity;
7. A new acquaintance, a new connection;
8. Patience, the golden mean;
9. A sense of tact, lack of prejudices;
10. Compromise;
11. Artistic creativity;
12. Competitiveness;
13. Unification of different forces;
14. Serenity, peace;
15. Wise leadership;
16. Cooks.

The main meanings of the card in the inverted position:

1. Emotional instability;
2. Dissipation of creative energy;
3. Fanaticism;
4. Sexual excesses;
5. Lack of balance;
6. Refusal to compromise;
7. Overreaction;
8. Frivolity, impulsiveness;
9. Limited thinking;
10. Unsafe sex;
11. Excess in everything.

Moderation, sometimes Abstinence, which is incorrect, because it again refers to one of the four most important virtues, according to Aristotle.

The card depicts a woman holding two cups (jugs): water is poured from one to the other, symbolizing the eternal cycle of energy in the Universe. Hence her name in the Egyptian Tarot: Two Vessels.

She has two wings behind her: this is the Angel of Time, the «Solar Genius», as she was called in the old days. On her chest is a decoration in the form of a triangle enclosed in a square: a symbol of the spirit hidden in matter. Usually she is depicted standing on the bank of a river or directly on the surface of the water, and she has no shadow.

She (or he) has passed the kingdom of shadows, leaving far behind both her body and her shadow and her past. Now she is concentrating before flying into the future, gathering her strength, of which there is little left, but enough to reach the goal — the kingdom of light and sun. The river before which she stands is one of the rivers of the underworld, but not Lethe, the river of oblivion, but Styx, by whose waters the Greek gods swore an oath. This gives her hope.

The Temperance card is the last card of the second septenary, also signifying the end of one stage of life and the imminent beginning of the next.

Other names for this card: Balance, Daughter of Unity.

SPIRITUAL EXPLANATION: This card symbolizes the path of direct ascension into a state of spiritual enlightenment. Michael is the Archangel of Fire, and this element is closely associated with Tipheret, the seat of the spiritual Sun. Sagittarius, which is also a Fire sign, rules this path on the Tree of Life. In Greek mythology, iris flowers were dedicated to Iris, the goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. The rainbow, among other things, is also a symbol of God's promise to humanity. Mixing or adjusting one thing to another is essentially creating balance and harmony. On the Tree of Life, Tipheret is the realm of spiritual harmony.

TARO DIALOG MEANING: This card represents balance, equilibrium, coordination, and the ability to live and work in harmony with others. Drawing this card means that you possess these qualities. Your attitude to life reflects a strong sense of personal integrity and the ability to manage emotional and intellectual qualities when interacting with others.

Your personal and business spheres are stable and balanced, and you are calm and content with life. However, it is important that you maintain this sense of calm and stability. Be patient as you explore new opportunities and save for the future.

REVERSED MEANING: Your personal and business interests are competing with each other. You are experiencing emotional instability. Your decisions are currently failing you and your creative energy is dissipating. Stop and re-evaluate key aspects of your life before moving on to something new.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LESSON: True harmony and integrity will become possible when you learn to balance the material and spiritual aspects of your life.

WORK: Here it means that work must, first of all, be approached in a balanced and good-natured manner. Both a friendly, harmonious atmosphere in the group and a normal, unforced work rhythm are required, allowing you to act «with feeling, with sense, with arrangement.» Then all the tasks that were previously solved only in the order of an emergency and terrible stress can be completed calmly and without tension. And this does not mean laziness, weakness, indifference, and especially hack work. On the contrary: this is the very peace of mind that allows you to act quickly, effectively and purposefully (cf. Zen instructions in the art of archery).

CONSCIOUSNESS: At the level of consciousness, «The Right Measure» means a harmonious unity of spirit, soul and body. That is, we need, first of all, to come to an agreement with ourselves, to resonate with the Cosmos, to find peace in our souls, to love ourselves — and to forget about careerism-rivalry, about self-digging and self-criticism over trifles. Having realized, having felt this, we will acquire the ability to completely naturally, without any ambitions, restore peace and quiet around ourselves, to help others find their happiness and to serve them as a worthy example.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: A period of peaceful, happy unity of souls, friendship, trust and reciprocity. This is possible only with complete peace of mind. And this, in turn, can be achieved only when the main thing for us is not success in the outside world (at work, in politics, etc.), but the subtlety and warmth of relationships with each other, not the ostentatious well-being of the family, but modesty and simplicity within it. This card can also indicate the imminent conclusion of a new acquaintance, a new relationship.

Names in other languages: La Temperanza, La Temperance, The Temperance, Der Geist.

Astrological correspondences: Libra and Sagittarius, Jupiter and Venus. Pluto as a sign of dark power.

Kabbalistic meaning: moderation.

Occult meaning of the Arcana: moderation.

Physical meaning of the Arcana: fetus (child).

Places: a large farm; a beautifully furnished house; property; an estate; a prosperous firm.

In an upright position

Keywords and phrases: Modulation. Prudence. Patience. The golden mean. A balanced view. A sense of tact. Honesty. Lack of prejudice. Ability to avoid extremes. Compromise. Putting one's heart into any work. Prudence. Combining disparate elements. Successful combinations. Proper proportions. Artistic creativity. Competitiveness. Calm attitude towards one's abilities. Unification of various forces. Balance. Tranquility. Serenity. Peace. High morality. Harmonious balance. Coordination. Adaptation. Adaptation. Wise leadership. Frugality. Mercy. Balanced expression of sexuality. Moderation. Compassion. Friendship. Forgiveness. Cooperation. Reconciliation. Gentleness. Purification of the soul. Mixed marriages. Interracial harmony. Time heals all wounds. Moderation in all things. Calm! One day at a time. No excesses. We are all God's children. No regard for race, color or creed. The most important factor in this card is the right timing.

Situation and Advice: A wise combination of disparate elements creates something new. You may form a relationship or friendship with someone of another race or culture. You can work harmoniously and patiently with others. You may be considering prudence and extremes in behavior, including, in particular, sexual behavior. Now you are able to create a very harmonious mixture from various components. Moderation and wise management are the keys to success. You need to slow down, reconsider your position and be ready to compromise. Old wounds will heal with time. There is a possibility of temporary separation. There may be some kind of test, such as a medical examination or exam that the questioner will have to pass.

People: Spiritual healers. Adepts*. Artists. Advocates. Leaders. People of color. Partners in interracial marriages. People involved in civil rights. Chefs. Those who can cook well. Alchemists. Mediums.

Reversed

Key words and phrases: Fanaticism. Imprudence. Sexual excess. Lust. Lack of balance. Pressure. Refusal to compromise. Overreact. Overfulfillment. Disagreements. Wasted energy. Lack of control. Obsession. Excessive ambition. Impatience. Frivolity. Frequent mood swings. Intemperate passions. Intemperance. Inappropriate behavior. Variability. Frivolity. Scattered energy. Impulsiveness. Conflict of interests. Indecision. Reason and emotion out of balance. Haste makes waste. Out of this world. Inadequacy. Narrow-mindedness. Stress. Weak judgment. Clash of opposites. Immorality. Immorality" Left behind. Gluttony. Overindulgence. Gluttony. Trying to combine incompatible elements. Unsuccessful combinations. Haste. Unsafe sex. Threats to the wind. Eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow you may die. Excess in everything.

Situation and advice: You have acted unwisely, and now you have to pay for the consequences of your behavior. Your inability to restrain your appetites can lead to tragic consequences. Lack of sexual fidelity can become a serious problem in relationships with a partner. Your obsessive desire to achieve a goal by any means necessary can lead to the fact that you will go to extremes just to get the desired result. Unwillingness to compromise can lead to problems.

People: Gluttons. Manufacturers of defective products. Extremists. Those who are unable to moderate their appetites. Nymphomaniacs. Drug addicts. Alcoholics. Women who love too much. Those who are forced into sexual acts. People who are too impressionable, impatient and irritable.

The inner meaning of the Temperance card

Focus, gather your strength and be merciful to the people around you. A change in your destiny awaits you, perhaps a long journey. But for now, there is a respite. Use it to think again: what will you take with you from the past to the future?

Yes, this card says (in the upright position), you are having a hard time now — and it seems that you do not have enough strength to reach your goal. But here you need to remember the well-known principle of the «school of survival»: well, at least ten more steps, at least five more, at least one step! And one more, the very last one. And — look! — here you have reached your goal.

When answering a question about the outcome of a planned business, it promises success only to those who have enough patience and endurance.

In other situations, it can mean successful contacts abroad: trips, business relationships, or even moving «to a permanent place of residence».

And, of course, it can have a literal meaning: «nothing too much», as the ancients said, that is, you should observe moderation in everything (otherwise you will not have enough strength to reach your goal).

In an inverted position, it means that you will not have enough strength to reach your goal, so it is better to abandon your plans. Contacts with foreign countries are unsuccessful.

Or — excesses, which, as we know, are harmful.

For a businessman, inverted Moderation is advice to temporarily moderate his appetites, calm down, «freeze» the company and wait for three months, if not more.

Even if everything seems to have stopped, events develop according to their own laws and will give results in due time. Do not push them. There is nothing you can do now. The best thing is to sit back and wait. In fact, this is the only thing you can do in this situation.

The Lesson of Temperance Tarot teaches the most important and perhaps the most difficult thing you must learn — patience. There are times in life when it seems that nothing is happening, nothing is moving, you come to a standstill and cannot change anything.

This is not about someone deliberately holding you back. This is a necessary period of waiting, and although everything seems to have stopped, something is happening. Here is a very mundane example: after you have prepared the dough, put it on a baking sheet and put it in the oven, you must wait for the bread to bake. There is no need to pace from corner to corner and upset yourself. Time must pass for the bread to bake. While you wait, the bread is baking. The efforts you have made, the things you have set in motion, will bear fruit. You only need patience.

Moderation Tarot also teaches that you can use the time when you are forced to wait usefully. Think about what you have already done and what remains to be done, examine your own needs and motives, learn to understand.

However, the most important thing is to force yourself to learn to grumble. In this life, we are used to constantly doing something. It is important to know that there are times when you can no longer do anything or should not do anything.

Type of person in the upright position: a balanced person; a secular or spiritual mentor; a person developing spiritually.

Type of person in the inverted position: an unbalanced person with a sick psyche; someone who can't cope with anything; a person who ignores the need for spiritual development.

Psychological meaning of the Temperance Arcana: think carefully whether your approach to life and other people is adequate; are you not disturbing the balance of another person or your own with your behavior? Try to give at least a little love to your loved ones and yourself. You are in a continuous process, which in human language is called life. Now is a favorable moment to stop and think about what from the past you want to take with you on your further journey. Weigh this carefully so as not to overload yourself with unnecessary ballast and not to transfer unnecessary problems and complexes into the future. Do not give in to the temptation to remain forever suspended between the past and the future, because then life itself will begin to push you forward and this may turn out to be too painful. Remember that you are not alone in the world — there are people living around you too.

The meaning of the Temperance card will become clearer if we translate it as «The Right Measure». It is a positive opposite to the following Arcanum of the Devil, symbolizing immoderation. «Moderation» is characterized by such qualities as harmony, balance, good-naturedness and peace of mind. This card corresponds to that happy state when a person feels himself, loves himself and is therefore in harmonious balance with the surrounding world. If the question concerns health, mental or physical, then Moderation means well-being or recovery.

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