Welcome back, my darlings! The last couple of weeks have been about embracing change and the extremes that can affect us. Today, I want to talk to you about moderation. The ideal state of being is balance, and this next card shows up to tell us to keep ourselves level in upheaval type situations. Temperance is the fourteenth card in the Major Arcana, and calls for emotional level-headedness,
Upright, Temperance demands patience and moderation. Even when stressful situations arrive, temperance wants us to maintain an even keel. Consider all perspectives and walk the middle of the road. Bouncing to extreme ends of the spectrum won’t help you or anyone else. If others are creating friction, being a peacekeeper and combining the diversities to create something new that is even more valuable than the individual ideas. It can also be a sign that you are at peace in whatever situation you find yourself, and may be learning a lot about something that interests you.
Reversed, this card is a warning. You’ve been straying from your long term vision and found yourself at one end of the spectrum. You know you need a moderate approach to reach this goal, so restore balance as soon as possible. Once you do, the stress and tension will melt and you’ll find the flow once again. As you realign, you may encounter tension from others, especially if alignment demands you change living arrangements, relationships, or careers to achieve the moderation that will help you succeed. This can even open the door to deep self-healing in a private way. Focus on your long term plan, and align your daily activities with your higher purpose.
This is one of the few cards, in my opinion, that follows the “understood” idea that upright cards are good and reversed cards are bad. Usually the cards don’t follow that formula, but there are a couple that do, and Temperance is one of them. When this shows up, check your emotions. Are you being level headed and objective? Or are you responding emotionally and irrationally? Everything in moderation, my darlings!