Temperance… I just don’t get it

[SamT]

Does anyone else struggle with temperance… it’s just a card I cannot connect with and when it comes up which is has recently I just stare at… what’s peoples take on it? How do you read the card? Any advice of how to interpret it better? 
 

I use the light Seers tarot l.

[katrinka]

The angel is mixing water with wine. It's a card of getting the right blend, creating harmonious combinations. The angel is androgynous and, in the RWS, has one foot on land and one in the water. In the Thoth, it's titled "Art" and it has an alchemical motif. It's all there in the image, if you've got a good deck. Sometimes it's helpful to look at the cards on either side to see what's being combined.

I think it's the title that throws people off - people hear "temperance" and think of those sourpusses who clamored for Prohibition. But it's not about abstinence. Balance and moderation, yes, but not abstinence. "Tempering" wine means getting it to the proper temperature. We have refrigerators and ice buckets these days, but I guess before that, people might have added cool water:
https://www.kcellars.com.hk/portfolio-view/tempering-your-wines-on-summer-days/

 

This could be relevant, too:
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/why-did-the-ancient-greeks-and-romans-drink-their-wine-mixed-with-water-5063

 

So it's all about blending. Not difficult, once you know that.

[SamT]

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

The angel is mixing water with wine. It's a card of getting the right blend, creating harmonious combinations. The angel is androgynous and, in the RWS, has one foot on land and one in the water. In the Thoth, it's titled "Art" and it has an alchemical motif. It's all there in the image, if you've got a good deck. Sometimes it's helpful to look at the cards on either side to see what's being combined.

I think it's the title that throws people off - people hear "temperance" and think of those sourpusses who clamored for Prohibition. But it's not about abstinence. Balance and moderation, yes, but not abstinence. "Tempering" wine means getting it to the proper temperature. We have refrigerators and ice buckets these days, but I guess before that, people might have added cool water:
https://www.kcellars.com.hk/portfolio-view/tempering-your-wines-on-summer-days/

 

This could be relevant, too:
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/why-did-the-ancient-greeks-and-romans-drink-their-wine-mixed-with-water-5063

 

So it's all about blending. Not difficult, once you know that.

Thank you for responding. I’ll definitely read the articles thank you! 

[HOLMES]

I think sam t, 

The key to understanding a tarot card is to have a basic basis or keyword.. 

So your intuition can flow from. 

For the main meaning of temperance i use is balance, moderation but such a keyword doesn't cover every situation.

 

Like for some it may mean alchemey. Which for me i have no clue. 

But die to the mixing and getting everything in perfect harmony is key to a good potion

 

Then you have tempering swords which i found out in a meme was a way to make low quality metals into a tough sword.

[devin]

I also battled with Temperance for the longest time.

 

As a quirk, I sometimes read it as reducing or tempering the card to its left. Kinda in the same way as some see Death as ending the card to its right (or left, depending on what deck you're using).

 

I'm not sure if the light Seers version would have any specific meaning attached.

 

[devin]

Oh, and as A.E. Waite, who knew a thing or two, says: TEMPERANCE.--Economy, moderation, frugality, management, accommodation. Reversed: ... disunion, unfortunate combinations, competing interests.

[katrinka]

5 hours ago, devin said:

As a quirk, I sometimes read it as reducing or tempering the card to its left. Kinda in the same way as some see Death as ending the card to its right (or left, depending on what deck you're using).

 

I like that. 🙂
 

5 hours ago, devin said:

I'm not sure if the light Seers version would have any specific meaning attached.

Androgynous angel, check. The sun and moon are a bit of a departure, and it isn't clear what the angel is doing with them - juggling, kind of, but not exactly. I think something was lost when they did this one.

[SamT]

6 hours ago, HOLMES said:

I think sam t, 

The key to understanding a tarot card is to have a basic basis or keyword.. 

So your intuition can flow from. 

For the main meaning of temperance i use is balance, moderation but such a keyword doesn't cover every situation.

 

Like for some it may mean alchemey. Which for me i have no clue. 

But die to the mixing and getting everything in perfect harmony is key to a good potion

 

Then you have tempering swords which i found out in a meme was a way to make low quality metals into a tough sword.

Thank you I actually really like the idea of a keyword for each tarot I think I am going to start including that in my practice. Yeah it is normally balance I think when I see it but I think the issue is sometimes it doesn’t fit a situation, like you said, but I really like the tempering swords analogy as well. Definitely given me w different take. 

[SamT]

6 hours ago, devin said:

I also battled with Temperance for the longest time.

 

As a quirk, I sometimes read it as reducing or tempering the card to its left. Kinda in the same way as some see Death as ending the card to its right (or left, depending on what deck you're using).

 

I'm not sure if the light Seers version would have any specific meaning attached.

 

I didn’t actually think of the way you read it. I might try that next time it comes up and see if it fits. Yeah it’s a card that I just can’t bond with. To be fair I am like that with most of the pentacles suit apart from the king and queen I just bloody adore them. Sometimes I think what would the queen of pentacles do 😂

[katrinka]

What I like, rather than keywords, is reducing each card to its essence. So for Temperance it might be "blending" - that's it, no writing reams about every little detail of the card, no gushing over it, no hermetic goop to wade through.
But you have to unpack it according to context.

But context is just A) The question, and B) the neighboring cards.
And we know it's a nice card, it's generally favorable.
The meaning given in the Tarot Fortune Cards LWB:
"The meaning to the Questioner is, in addition to temperance, that good management will prevail. Especially is this so in marriage. A change for the better in your circumstances is indicated. 

Upside down - Some rival may cause worry."
So that (other than "good management") seems to be talking about a marriage. A blending of people, a couple rather than two individuals. You can apply that to other contexts: Work and leisure, chicken and rice, rum and coke, dogs and cats, whatever you're asking about.  And back to "good management" - isn't that just getting the collective to pull together harmoniously?

I love the concept of card essences, they make everything so much clearer. You're not mired down in the details, you can razor in to the crux of what the card is telling you. The details are just the icing on the cake. It was Andy Boroveshengra who put a name to this and clarified it, credit where credit is due. 🙂

Edited July 22, 2021 by katrinka

[euripides]

4 hours ago, SamT said:

I didn’t actually think of the way you read it. I might try that next time it comes up and see if it fits. Yeah it’s a card that I just can’t bond with. To be fair I am like that with most of the pentacles suit apart from the king and queen I just bloody adore them. Sometimes I think what would the queen of pentacles do 😂

 Looking at the Lightseer, my initial reaction was 'yeah, not getting anything...' too... but then on reflection: androgyny, there's a blend of strength (bovver boots!) and fragility (expression, slim shoulders, singlet) and ease (posture). Resting the arm on the sun - leaning on the light - they're also shading some of the sun's light with their hand, allowing the moon to have a bit more of her own space and light. Those angel wings are there, ethereal, but those boots are made for walking.

 

Greek:

• Three bowls do I mix for the temperate: one to health, which they empty first; the second to love and pleasure; the third to sleep. When this bowl is drunk up, wise guests go home. The fourth bowl is ours no longer, but belongs to violence; the fifth to uproar; the sixth to drunken revel; the seventh to black eyes; the eighth is the policeman’s; the ninth belongs to biliousness; and the tenth to madness and the hurling of furniture. (Eubulus, Greek playwright, 4thC BCE – quoted by Athenaeus in ‘Deipnosophists’ 2.37c)

 

 

 

 

[SamT]

9 hours ago, katrinka said:

What I like, rather than keywords, is reducing each card to its essence. So for Temperance it might be "blending" - that's it, no writing reams about every little detail of the card, no gushing over it, no hermetic goop to wade through.
But you have to unpack it according to context.

But context is just A) The question, and B) the neighboring cards.
And we know it's a nice card, it's generally favorable.
The meaning given in the Tarot Fortune Cards LWB:
"The meaning to the Questioner is, in addition to temperance, that good management will prevail. Especially is this so in marriage. A change for the better in your circumstances is indicated. 

Upside down - Some rival may cause worry."
So that (other than "good management") seems to be talking about a marriage. A blending of people, a couple rather than two individuals. You can apply that to other contexts: Work and leisure, chicken and rice, rum and coke, dogs and cats, whatever you're asking about.  And back to "good management" - isn't that just getting the collective to pull together harmoniously?

I love the concept of card essences, they make everything so much clearer. You're not mired down in the details, you can razor in to the crux of what the card is telling you. The details are just the icing on the cake. It was Andy Boroveshengra who put a name to this and clarified it, credit where credit is due. 🙂

I love this… I am actually quite excited to start using the idea of the “essence” of the card. Going to to start a wee section for my daily pulls I feel like that will help understand the cards better. 
 

Also the way you just described temperance as blending, marriage, work-leisure. Has actually really helped. I won’t lie snd say I 100% get the card still but I think I understand it a bit more. I feel like if it now came up in a reading I could work with it a bit more and also get more from my reading. So thank you! 

[SamT]

6 hours ago, euripides said:

 Looking at the Lightseer, my initial reaction was 'yeah, not getting anything...' too... but then on reflection: androgyny, there's a blend of strength (bovver boots!) and fragility (expression, slim shoulders, singlet) and ease (posture). Resting the arm on the sun - leaning on the light - they're also shading some of the sun's light with their hand, allowing the moon to have a bit more of her own space and light. Those angel wings are there, ethereal, but those boots are made for walking.

 

Greek:

• Three bowls do I mix for the temperate: one to health, which they empty first; the second to love and pleasure; the third to sleep. When this bowl is drunk up, wise guests go home. The fourth bowl is ours no longer, but belongs to violence; the fifth to uproar; the sixth to drunken revel; the seventh to black eyes; the eighth is the policeman’s; the ninth belongs to biliousness; and the tenth to madness and the hurling of furniture. (Eubulus, Greek playwright, 4thC BCE – quoted by Athenaeus in ‘Deipnosophists’ 2.37c)

 

 

 

 

Yeah I think if I am honest I haven’t really looked deeper into the card. It’s definitely one that requires a lot more of a thought process from me. Even though it is a “nice” card it really doesn’t bring that feeling to me, but then maybe that in itself is a message to blend my life a bit better 😂😂😂

[magicskills36]

I think Temperance is all about balance for moderation.

[Nisaba]

On 7/23/2021 at 12:55 AM, devin said:

As a quirk, I sometimes read it as reducing or tempering the card to its left

... except that, in the forge, tempering steel hardens it.

[AlbaTross]

I understand it as a card of balance, moderation and blending.  It's definitely a card I needed some time to reflect on to really understand its nuance, particularly in regard to blending.  I mean, I'm not going to say I'm an expert on any of the cards by any stretch.  I'm sure there are different angles and nuances of a card that I haven't thought about yet, and they're sure to be revealed in an illuminating reading in the future.  Temperance is certainly one of those cards I can envision that happening with.  My best advice is to keep doing readings.  Maybe you will eventually see more of the Temperance than has been revealed to you thus far.  

[katrinka]

On 8/18/2021 at 1:22 AM, Nisaba said:

... except that, in the forge, tempering steel hardens it.

True, but "tempering" means adding water when you're talking about wine.
Tempering steel means heating it to the melting point and then cooling it. The composition of the steel isn't changed. It's still iron and carbon, nothing is mixed in.
https://monroeengineering.com/blog/what-is-tempered-steel/

 

Since the angel isn't at a forge, well... 😉 And watering wine would definitely weaken it!

It might stave off a hangover, though. 😁

Edited August 26, 2021 by katrinka

[Guest]

It is often harder to be temperate than to abstain. Temperance is knowing the correct amount — not in moderation, but the right amount of something needed. This allows for true reason to flourish.
 

Often the card also refers to the correct time.  Knowing when to act and when to forbear. The winged figure has been identified as the angel of time by several occultists.  

[TheStarOfCups]

To put it as easily as possible I boil temperance down to 3 words: balance, patience, and harmony.

 

The more balance someone has in their life, the more patient they become with their circumstances. This allows for harmonious energy to flow around them. Sometimes when pulling temperance you need to be more tempered, and some times it's to let you know that you're already flowing perfectly with the universe!

 

I hope this helps!