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TL;DR: Waite wrote in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911) that the divinatory meaning of Temperance is frugality, moderation, thrift, management, adaptation; the reversed meaning relates to the church, religion, sects, the clergy, along with division, unfortunate combinations, and conflicting interests. In modern Tarot reading, this card is often understood as balance, patience, harmony upright and imbalance, excess reversed. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: one may review the pace of work, the way of listening in relationships, spending levels, and moderate living, all for reference only.
Where does the Temperance card sit in the Major Arcana?
Temperance is card number 14 in the Major Arcana of the Tarot deck. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck printed in 1909, with artwork by Pamela Colman Smith, this card carries the number XIV. A. E. Waite described and interpreted the card in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, published in 1911.
How does Waite describe the Temperance card?
Waite writes in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911): a winged angel, with the sign of the sun upon the forehead, and on the breast the square and triangle of the septenary. He refers to the figure in the masculine, but the image is neither distinctly male nor distinctly female. The figure is said to be pouring the essence of life from one cup into the other. One foot rests on land, the other on water, thereby illustrating the nature of those essences. A straight path goes up to certain heights on the verge of the horizon, and above there is a great light, through which a crown is seen vaguely. Waite notes that therein is a part of the Secret of Eternal Life, as it is possible to man in his incarnate condition. He also says that all conventional emblems are put aside here, and all conventional meanings as well, meanings that relate to the changes of the seasons, the unceasing movement of life, and also the combination of ideas. Waite adds that to say this figure symbolises the genius of the sun is incorrect.
What does Waite give as the divinatory meaning of the Temperance card?
Waite writes in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911) that the divinatory meaning of this card is: economy, moderation, frugality, management, accommodation. The Reversed meaning according to Waite is: things related to the church, religion, sects, the clergy, sometimes including the priest who will celebrate the marriage of the querent; besides that, disunion, unfortunate combinations, competing interests.
It should be noted that the divinatory meanings Waite gives in the 1911 book often differ from modern meanings. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck was printed in 1909, with artwork by Pamela Colman Smith, while the interpretive text is Waite's in the 1911 book.
According to how Tarot is read today, what does the Temperance card mean?
According to how Tarot is read today, Temperance upright is usually understood as balance, patience, harmony. Reversed, this card is usually understood as imbalance, excess. The common keywords are balance, patience, harmony.
Today's reading is not tied to the divinatory meaning Waite gives in the 1911 book. This is the practical card-drawing meaning the site uses, and it is also the meaning common in Tarot materials today.
How are the symbols on the Temperance card understood?
According to Waite's description in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911), on the card there is an angel with the sign of the sun on the forehead and the square and triangle of the septenary on the breast. The angel pours the essence of life from one cup into the other. One foot rests on land, the other on water. Behind, there is a straight path going up to certain heights on the verge of the horizon, and above is a great light with a crown vaguely seen.
Waite states clearly that all conventional emblems are put aside here, and conventional meanings as well. He also says that to say this figure symbolises the genius of the sun is incorrect.
According to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, what does the Temperance card suggest?
According to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, Temperance evokes the image of pouring water from one cup into the other, a slow and controlled motion. That image can be associated with harmony between opposites, but it should not be taken as a statement about destiny or the future.
Today's suggestion
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: at work, you might reconsider your pace and priorities instead of pouring all your effort into a single direction. In love, you might pay attention to listening and adjusting so that both sides feel at ease. Financially, you might review your expenses and keep your spending within control. For health, you might pay attention to a regular routine, sensible eating and rest. This is only a reference suggestion, not advice that replaces your own decisions or professional consultation.
Quick reference table: Temperance upright and reversed
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Deck | Major Arcana |
| Order number | 14 |
| Main keywords | balance, patience, harmony |
| Meaning upright | Balance, patience, harmony. |
| Meaning reversed | Imbalance, excess. |
Overview article on the topic: Tarot Basics: The 78 Cards and the Meanings of the Major/Minor Arcana
