Whatever you do, try to find a balance in all aspects of life. You see, the excess and extremes are never good, even when they are in relation to some good things. For example, having too much money has proven to be just as bad as having too little.
Temperance is one of the most important traits one needs to have on their spiritual journey. It is also a Major Arcana card with a powerful message and intriguing symbolism. In this article, we will guide you through the key meanings of this Major Arcana card, so keep reading!
The Temperance Keywords
Upright card (keywords)
Alchemy, Balance, Connecting with your guides, Harmony, Looking for divine intervention, Moderation
Reversed card (keywords)
Disharmony, Imbalance, Lack of patience, Onset of illness
The Temperance Tarot Card Description
In the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, the Temperance card features an angelic figure in a white robe. The angel’s wings are red and black, which makes an interesting contrast. There is a golden crown and a halo on the angel’s head, and on its chest is a yellow triangle, a symbol of balance between the spiritual and material world.
The angel is holding two cups and pouring water from one cup to another. He is standing with one foot on the dry land and the other foot in the water. This is another reference to the sense of balance that this card represents.
Far away in the distance, behind the angel, is a mountain range with a path in the middle. Right where the path ends, you can see a sun shining brightly. This symbolizes taking a moderate approach and a middle path, which will lead you to success.
The Temperance Upright Meaning
When in an upright position, this card symbolizes balance, middle ground, harmony, moderation, and patience. A more specific upright Temperance meaning is a symbol of good health, a good daily routine, and a sense of calmness.
Additionally, it represents your inner voice telling you to allow your life force to flow through you. Don’t try to obstruct it by making extreme choices and spending too much energy on certain things. Relax, calm down, and try to be moderate with your emotions, words, decisions, and habits.
Love Meaning
This card calls for moderation even during a love tarot reading. If you are single and looking for a partner, put in the effort, but don’t try too hard. Trying too hard will make you look desperate, and that’s never a good look in the eyes of potential partners. Also, don’t spend all your energy looking for a partner; focus on your personal growth, too.
If you are already in a relationship, it is harmonious and full of love and understanding. Make sure to appreciate what you have, and don’t become too complacent. Keep working on your relationship, make your partner feel seen and heard, and communicate your issues openly and level-headedly.
Career Meaning
Your hard work is finally paying off. Many good things are ahead of you, and you will reach all the success you dreamed of. However, be cautious—you still need to strike a good balance between work and personal life. If you focus too much on work, your personal life will suffer, and vice versa.
Additionally, be wise when deciding how much effort you will put into your work. We live in a society that encourages giving your all, but will it always lead you to success? When you work too hard, people may take it for granted and disrespect your boundaries and limitations.
If this sounds like you, change your attitude. Do your tasks the best you can, but don’t let your colleagues burden you with their tasks. Show your readiness to take on more complex responsibilities, but let your superiors know you have reasonable boundaries.
At the start, this can cause some friction, especially between you and the colleagues who were used to taking advantage of you. However, you will notice a positive change in how they treat you over time.
Finances Meaning
Your finances are doing great. You are earning a decent amount of money, and you aren’t an excessive spender, so you can always set some money aside and save it for the future. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pamper yourself with some little things and treats—after all, this card teaches you to be moderate, which extends to both spending and saving money.
The Temperance Reversed Card Meaning
In a reversed position, the Temperance card represents unhealthy habits and a slightly dysfunctional moral compass. It shows that you have a somewhat extreme approach to life—you either do too much or too little, and there is no middle ground in any area.
A reversed Temperance meaning also suggests that your health isn’t the greatest. You might be suffering from an underlying illness caused by your unhealthy lifestyle and bad habits. Overall, this card in the reversed position shows that you feel unbalanced and in disharmony with the world around you. You lack the patience to make your goals come true, costing you dearly.
Love Meaning
Moderation isn’t only important for our daily lives—it’s also key to a successful and healthy romantic relationship. It seems you are lacking moderation when it comes to your love life. If you are in a relationship, it’s not really healthy and stable. You may be swinging between extremes, with you and your partner madly in love one moment and then hating each other the next. Such relationships are passionate and intense, but they are also toxic and will end badly sooner or later.
If you want to save your relationship, think about what’s causing all this drama. Is it you, your partner, or both of you? If it’s you, you can work on yourself and your issues to become a more stable partner. However, if it’s not solely your fault, remember that your partner probably won’t change. It may be best to leave the toxic relationship, try to resolve your issues, and, once you are healed, look for a more balanced and healthy relationship.
For those who are single, the reversed Temperance shows that they are trying too hard to find a partner. We understand your need to find someone who will love and understand you, but you can’t force such things. Otherwise, you could end up in some bad relationships just to avoid being alone.
Career Meaning
At work, you are going through some stressful situations. You also have unrealistic expectations, which makes you even more dissatisfied. You should communicate your dissatisfaction with your superiors, but you need to find the right moment, the right voice, and the right arguments. A well-balanced and respectful approach is much better than emotional outbursts.
Your biggest problem, career-wise, is your need for instant gratification. It’s completely normal that you have certain ambitions and dreams and that you don’t want to be forever stuck in the same position. However, success doesn’t happen overnight; you must work hard and patiently until you can achieve your goals.
Finances Meaning
Your finances are shaky at the moment, which is nothing that you can’t or won’t overcome, but be moderate with your spending. Of course, a small treat here and there is completely fine, but don’t overdo it, and try to stay focused on the future rather than the present.
Other Cards With The Temperance
When interpreting your tarot spreads, remember that tarot meanings are very nuanced, especially because the cards in the same spread interact with each other. This is also true with the Temperance card, as its meanings become more specific when you pair it with other cards. Some interesting combinations are discussed below.
The Temperance and the High Priestess
The High Priestess is the card of your intuition, inner knowledge, and inner wisdom. Together with the Temperance card, it reminds you that the wisest and smartest thing to do is always to stay moderate—don’t be too hasty or too slow, too scared or too confident.
The Temperance and the World
While the previous card combination focuses more on the role of moderation in your inner wisdom, this combination emphasizes the importance of moderation on a grand scale. You see, the world is not black or white, bad or good, beautiful or ugly—it is a mixture of all these extremes, or better said, a balance between them, so try to look at things with a nuance.
The Temperance and the Lovers
This card combination is great for those interested in love tarot readings. Together, the Temperance and the Lovers remind you how important balance is in the relationship. When you combine love with patience, calmness, and moderation, your relationship will be harmonious and serve your highest good.
The Temperance Card and Its Astrological Sign
The Temperance card is closely connected to the Sagittarius zodiac sign and its ruling planet, Jupiter. Sagittarius is a sign of higher learning, growth, diversity, and learning, and as such, it encourages you to approach things with an open and grounded mind.
Conclusion
The Temperance card is your inner guidance, reminding you to stay balanced and steady. “Too much of a good thing” is an old saying highlighting the dangers of extreme choices, habits, opinions, and actions. So, avoid the extreme and choose the middle route—it’s the fastest and most steady path to your goals!
If you want us to be your tarot guides, try our psychic chat or our free tarot readings and learn your destiny…
