Temperance
Tarot card meaning, upright and reversed.
Temperance represents balance, integration, and patience.
Reversed, Temperance points to imbalance, excess, and impatience.
Temperance upright meaning
Temperance stands with one foot on dry land and one in the stream, pouring water between two cups in an arc that should spill and somehow never does. That impossible steady pour is the skill of the card, blending two things without losing either. Behind the angel a path runs up to the mountains where the sun is rising. Whatever opposing parts of your life you have been asked to choose between, this says mix them slowly instead, one careful pour at a time.
Temperance reversed meaning
Reversed, the arc between the cups breaks and the water goes everywhere, too much of one thing, not enough of the other, the mixture lost. The angel's foot has slipped fully into the water or fully onto the land, and the balance that needed both is gone. The path to the mountains is still there, just harder to see. Look for where slow moderation, not more effort, is the missing ingredient.
AffirmationI pour slowly between the two cups and let nothing spill.
Which two parts of my life am I refusing to pour between?
Common questions about Temperance
What does Temperance mean in tarot?
Temperance represents balance, integration, and patience. Temperance stands with one foot on dry land and one in the stream, pouring water between two cups in an arc that should spill and somehow never does. That impossible steady pour is the skill of the card, blending two things without losing either.
What does Temperance reversed mean?
Reversed, Temperance points to imbalance, excess, and impatience. Reversed, the arc between the cups breaks and the water goes everywhere, too much of one thing, not enough of the other, the mixture lost.
Is Temperance a yes or no card?
It depends. Temperance is balanced, so it answers with a question rather than a yes or no. Look at the cards around it and what you already feel.
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