Temperance, sometimes known as Art, typically shows an angelic figure mixing two cups of liquid. The mixing of the cups represents the need for balance and moderation, as well as the alchemical process of transformation.
In readings, Temperance represents the blending of opposites to create a harmonious whole. This card signifies the need to find a balance between extremes in life, whether it be work and play, reason and emotion, or physical and spiritual needs. The Temperance card asks us to integrate all aspects of ourselves to achieve a state of wholeness.
In everyday life situations, the Temperance card can be seen as a call to find balance in our relationships, work, and personal lives. It can also represent the need to find a middle ground in situations where we get emotional. This card reminds us that transformation and growth come from the harmonious blending of all aspects of ourselves, for example, the mastery of one’s dark side.
Questions to Consider
- In what areas of your life do you struggle to find balance?
- What extreme beliefs or behaviours could you moderate to achieve a more harmonious state?
Exercise Ideas
- Meditate on the imagery of the Temperance card and contemplate its symbolism in your life.
- Create a vision board or collage representing the different aspects of yourself that need to be balanced and integrated.
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Surrealist |
Diary |
bifrost |
Langustl |
Rider-Waite |
Variations of the Card
Whether this card is known by the name of Temperance or Art, the concept of alchemy pictured is the same. The RWS version has an angel with a symbol of alchemy on his robe. It’s not really a ‘he’, but an androgynous figure. They have one foot on the ground and the other in the water as they mix alchemical substances.
Langustl shows two banks of a river behind the two large cups. A higher consciousness watches from above, watching over the heavenly interactions of angels.
bifrost clearly shows creation taking place by the merging of opposites. The union of alchemy’s lion and eagle symbols gives birth to the Griffin, a gold-stacker. Gold is a symbol of the refinement and purification of the soul, as well as health and wealth. The alchemist breaks themselves down to restructure themselves with a stronger constitution.
As Diary‘s cards often show an insider’s perspective, this card exemplifies that concept. Diary‘s figure takes a hands-on approach, immersing herself in the mixture she is manipulating. In a circle of fire, her creation (that symbolically contains herself) is coming to life. Surrealist sometimes seems to almost continue where Diary left off. In this deck, the weird gooey substance that appeared in the Norn and Hanged Man cards has taken form, and in life, it finds many barriers and separations.
