Temperance
Major Arcana · XIV · Fire
Patient alchemy — the mixing of opposites into something neither could be alone.
Upright meaning
The angel Temperance pours water between two cups — one gold, one silver, one the past, one the future — with one foot on solid earth and one in the flowing river. The process here is slow and deliberate: the mixing of apparent opposites into something that could not exist without both. This card marks a period of patient integration, of healing through the gradual synthesis of parts that seemed irreconcilable, and of the longer view that allows the process its necessary time.
Reversed meaning
Temperance reversed marks excess, imbalance, or the impatience that interrupts a process before it can complete. Something is being pushed beyond its natural rate of development, or two things that need to find their correct proportion are being kept separate or forced into a false unity. The alchemy requires time and the exact right mixture; neither can be rushed or approximated without losing the transformation.
At a glance
| Suit | Major Arcana |
|---|---|
| Number | XIV |
| Element | Fire |
| Yes or no | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
Is Temperance a yes or no card?
Temperance is read as "yes" in a yes/no reading. Reversed, its message softens or turns toward imbalance and excess.
What does Temperance mean upright?
Upright, Temperance stands for balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning, alchemy, harmony.
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