Liminal/New Liminal Tarot - Temperance

14 – Temperance

Beside a weeping willow, an angelic being forms an alchemic mixture from the sun and moon that results in a rainbow. She stands with one foot on land and one in the water. A heron flies overhead as a fish jumps from the water.

Temperance shows several opposite poles – the sun and moon, the land and water, the prey (fish) and predator (heron). It doesn’t seem a coincidence that a card that cautions against excesses follows a card about endings (Death). Humans often act out when dealing with a loss, overindulging their personal desires beyond common sense or reason. Yet Temperance isn’t about labeling one thing ‘good’ and another ‘bad,’ she only encourages us to find the middle way. Just as light is made up of a spectrum of colors (the rainbow), so Temperance suggests we choose a variety of ways to deal with life’s ups and downs rather than depend on one extreme. She urges us to find a balance between optimism and pessimism, choosing instead a realistic view so we can take our next step wisely.

“When we feel lonely, when we feel hopeless, what we want to do is to move to the right or the left. We don't want to sit and feel what we feel. We don't want to go through the detox. Yet the middle way encourages us to do just that. It encourages us to awaken the bravery that exists in everyone without exception, including you and me.”

― Pema Chödrön