Twinn Swan

The imagery of the Temperance card is one of the presence of absolute stillness within. Anyone who has ever meditated knows that there is nothing simple about it. A big lesson to learn when it comes to Temperance is the importance of non-action. What are we saying NO to? What are we going to say NEVER AGAIN to?

Moderation does not come to most folks easily. It is also a delicate thing to maintain and sustain. It requires concentration, patience and extreme sensitivity to the forces that are beyond one’s control. When the Temperance card appears, the advise is to tread lightly, not lose your temper and refrain from using any force. This is not to a time to push forward and accelerate, but rather, a time to consolidate various points of view and bring them into a central position.

It is only through a long process of trial-and-error that we understand what we need to do as well as what and who we must absolutely avoid. Come to think of it, it is not so much about doing and not doing. It is about how much we do and not do. Ultimately, it is the dose that is the poison.

By living moderately and within one’s means, we begin to bring our lives into balance regardless of the ever-changing circumstances around us. Try not to rock the boat when Temperance appears. Rather, stay still as the boat rocks… Eventually, if you wait long enough, the boat will, indeed, stop rocking.

One of the many truisms of life is that we end up becoming entangled in other people’s disputes and dramas. When this happens, we, ourselves, may end up needing help getting ourselves out of whatever mess we find ourselves stuck in. If the entanglement has gone on for a significant amount of time, it will most likely be a painful process to release it.

When the Temperance card appears, it may indicate that there has been a death in the immediate family or a messy and longstanding dispute that has not yet been fully resolved. The truth is, a period of consolidation is necessary before one can fully move forward.

No matter how terrible or tense your struggles were or how unforgettable the old memories may be, the sunrise in the background shows that peace, happiness and well-being will soon be a possibility for you. Move on, explore and discover whatever else life has to offer.

Moving forward, things will indeed be far more inclusive and equitable despite all the past difficulties you’ve had. We often cling to the status quo because an element of fear has grown strong within us and we just cannot imagine it being any other way than how we have known it to be.

But the truth is, there are other options and choices. Explore what else the world has to offer you and then choose wisely among them. The Universe well and truly has your back.

Moderation

Are the days of extremes and excesses behind you? If they are not, put them behind you immediately. Take the steps and the strides necessary to leave behind what you no longer value. Sometimes, we thought needed someone or something. But once we realise that we no longer need it, we have to learn to let it go. Do not cling. Learn to surrender and to release.

Any sort of imbalance in life, when not kept in check, becomes unhealthy. To truly understand the Temperance card, we have to follow it in light of the sequence of the Major Arcana. It comes immediately after the Death card, indicating that something in your life must end for good. Once ‘it’ is gone, ‘it’ will never come back into your life ever again. You must take the appropriate steps to accept this and move on.

By abandoning extremism, happiness will slowly start to come into your life. You will not miss anything from the past at all. You are, indeed, going to find a greater degree of acceptance for who you are and what you believe in. For some people the status quo is sufficient to live on, but for others, it is a source of suffocation.

In either case, Temperance comes to remind us that no matter what we’ve been through or how badly we’ve been betrayed or abandoned, love is, and will indeed, come knocking on our door.

Balance

What is the relationship between our inner and outer worlds? The two are not independent, but rather, interdependent. When the Temperance card appears, it usually means that one will soon be able to regain a sense of tranquility no matter what calamity life has decided to throw at them. The calamity will soon be replaced by a calm.

Alchemy, be it inner or outer, is only possible when we get the measurements right. Extremism is the very opposite of temperance. For instance, if you are a chatterbox, perhaps you need to balance this by having periods where you are silent. To be temperate, one must know how to choose and maintain a sense of equilibrium by bringing opposites together into a central position.

If we do not learn to balance seemingly opposite and contrarian forces, our entire life and our entire state of inner and outer being can be completely thrown off balance. To regain a sense of composure requires that we continually make adjustments.

The Alchemist in the illustration of the Temperance card has his foot in the water. While the Alchemist is in touch with his feminine side, it is not his dominant energy. Perhaps he will, indeed, need that energy either from his environment or from someone who he trusts. Temperance may indicate the presence of a life partner that will be able to provide you with the balance that you need. Expect someone truly unexpected to come into your life when the Temperance card appears.

Time will tell and time will, indeed, reveal all. If you find yourself unable to act–although you do feel the need to–let it pass. Something is holding you back for a good reason. While it may be irritating to stall, it can still be a good thing. Avoid haste, avoid rushing and above all… avoid excess and waste.

Walk towards the centre and remember that no matter what happens, that is both the goal and the destination.