78 Weeks: Temperance

To find out what these threads refer to, please seeThe link above provides suggested dates and links to all threads for this study.

Some amongst us may be working through the deck in a different order, and using different decks.

For more general comments or questions about the 78 weeks, please post in the thread linked above.

Enjoy!

My First Card - December 22nd, 2003

Thanks for posting this, jmd
I don't feel like this will be a weekly occurance for me, a post as such, on Aeclectic.

I have already posted this in the meditation thread and I would have liked to add to this, but time alludes me this morning. But it will be awhile before the Magician/Fool crew get here

RWS Temperance, I looked at the image quite closely, taking in the images and then closed my eyes and imagined the card still being there. The Knight of Pentacles visits me a lot in meditation, so it took a bit to get him to leave!
These were the first impressions I wrote in my journal:" I felt this meditation in my third eye and was first drawn to the toe in the water, feeling the water, very delicate. I felt that this card was very tranquil, peaceful and feminine, that the angel was a beautiful woman. The feeling was a lot about water. But then I realised that not only is Temperance connected with Water and Earth, but Fire (volcano) and Air (wings/flight). And the Universe = Spirit. Temperance has a connection with the stars and The Star. There seems to be a lot that's secretive or hidden, one must search to find. Search the Elements, Universe and Spirit and take flight."

When I got out my other 2 study cards (Herbal and Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg), low and behold, there is no angel in the Herbal, instead a beautiful woman. I have hardly ever looked at either of these decks, I really want to connect Tarot to herbs so I understand them better and the Russian deck, so dark, may help me to understand the 'shadow' side better.

XTAX

Edited to note there is no volcano in RWS, instead the sun above mountains. In my meditation it was so clear to me that it was a volcano. How interesting...

ack!! I think it would be a good idea to put the starting date of each thread in the subject....like this...

78 Weeks of Study (card name) (beginning date of that week like this week it would be: 12.22.03 for monday or sunday 12.21.03)

What 'cha think?

OOp never mind...I found the date list...heh...posted before I looked. D'oh!

Temperance - XIV

Universal Waite

Angel figure dressed in white (purity) with red wings pouring water from one cup to another. The cups represent the flow from concsious to unconcsious - fluidity of feelings, constantly moving. The angel has one foot in the water and one on land. Showing that she is in touch with inner feelings (water) but still grounded (earth), in contact with the outside world - keeping a balance between the two.

There is a pathway in the background, leading up between two mountains - this makes me think of taking the middle path or road. There is a rising "sun" behind the two mountains - representing new beginnings, new hope - this rising sun looks like the crown from the fallen king in the Death card.

There are two yellow Iris flowers behind the angel. They represent the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris. With the rainbow being a symbol of promise and hope. Peace and beauty after a storm or rain - the mixing of water and fire (sunlight) to create the colours of the rainbow.

The latin word "temperare" means "to combine properly" and this card makes me think of calm, avoiding extremes and excesses, blending, finding the right mix, moderation, compromise and co-operation. The angel looks like she has her eyes closed - like she is serenely concentrating, focussing on the flowing and blending of feelings to keep them moving and mixing, whilst balancing between feelings and outside influences.

Thoth

Thought I would start including my new Thoth deck in the study and found this card has some slightly different imagery which gives me more insight into temperance. Don't have a book yet on the Thoth so am just going purely from the image itself - wanted to just look at the images of the deck first to get my feeling of the cards before reading more about the imagery in the books.

The "person" which seems like a blend of two people coming together - the dark and light - male and female, is adding fire and water together in the cauldron. A mixing of opposites to create a balance or something new. Her dress is green - peace and tranquility, and there is what looks like a rainbow rising from the cauldron mix (steam or vapour?) and wrapping around her shoulders like a shawl - the rainbow representing promise and hope and linking back to the Goddess Iris. The circular background behind her also has rainbow colouring under the words. There also appears to be sort of spider webs behind this - spider webs possibly representing creation, the web of life.

The white (purity) lion and red (passion) eagle either side of the cauldron, which has a bird sitting on a skull on it. Again these two animals seem to represent a balance of some kind. With this card in the Thoth not being called Temperance, but "Art" - it makes me think of the art of blending / mixing in the right proportions of things in life. Looking forward to reading more about this card when the book arrives as I am sure there is a lot I have missed like the blue circles on the front of her dress and the latin looking writing behind her.

Really enjoyed studying this card this week and particularly liked the connection to Iris, the Rainbow Goddess, so have typed out part of the myth from The Mythic Tarot book by Sharman-Burke:

"Here we meet Iris, goddess of the rainbow and messenger to Hera, queen of the gods. Iris was the feminine counterpart of Hermes, Zeus' emissary, and was beloved by both gods and mortals because of her kind, loving nature. If Hera or Zeus wished to make their will known to men, Iris flew lightly down to earth where she either borrowed mortal shape or appeared in her divine form, that of a beautiful winged woman. Sometimes she cleaved the air as swiftly as the west wind, Zephyrus, who was her consort. At other times she glided down the rainbow which bridged sky and earth. She sped through the waters with equal ease. Even the underworld opened before her when, at the command of Zeus, she went to refill her golden cup with waters of the Styx River by which the Immortals bound themselves with fearful oaths."

Looking forward to reading the other posts as they come in. Off to now start studying "The Devil"!

CreativeFire

T Temper
E Equilibrium
M Moderation
P Patience
E Energy
R Restraint
A Alchemy/Adaptation
N Non-extreme
C Compromise/Calmness
E Economy

To me, temperance is about balancing the outer and inner, finding a middle road, bridging the gaps, getting the right chemistry. Another thing which came to mind the other day is that of 'losing your temper', or 'keeping your temper'. Temper is a reference point. Losing it, means losing control, balance, reason, to tip over the edge, or to be further one side than the other.

HADAR

I think this is my favourite card so far. In my meditation, the message I got was one of restraint. I think this was because I have spent a lot of time trying to work out the significance of the rope around her waist. It looks like someone could just grab it and yank her back. Is it the rope from the hanged man? She pours liquid from one jug to the other, it is not clear in which direction the liquid is flowing, it flows from and to both the red and blue jugs. An exchange, reciprocation, uniting of opposites, the jugs are opposites, her dress is in opposite colours.

CRYSTAL

This angel, pours from one jug to another, but she is much more focused on what she is doing. Her wings blend into her dress. I get a greater sense of 'measure' here. Too much of one and there would be dilution. The mix has to be just right - conscious and unconcious. Light and dark are more emphasised in this card too. Transformation.

HAINDL

Alchemy is the name of this card. It is full of opposites. One half of the card is blue and the other red - unconcious and concious. The sun/moon, light/dark, male/female devil/angel are all depicted. This card is a reminder to look at both sides, to weigh up a decision carefully, to look at both sides of an argument, or both sides of the story, to try and unite differences. The astrological symbol of sagittarius is shown on this card, it looks like an arrow, which travels a straight pathway, but this can also be a weapon of destruction.

J

Ahhh Temperance, my shadow, no wonder I've struggled a bit with you. I suspect Temperance will continue to provide me with challenges.

For me, Temperance is about combining impossible opposites to make something entirely new. Clearly we're looking at an angelic being, perhaps signifying the higher self. The impossible angle of the liquid as it travels from one jug to the other seems to be a message to the physical being that this is something that can just not be done on a physical level. Could it be a message to ask for assistance?

I also struggled with my own version of this card. What does an angel wear? I've not yet encountered a card that has so much symbology tied up in what the character depicted is wearing. After considerable contemplation I realised she had to wear a long dress. The only long dresses these days seem to be formal so I searched the web for formal gowns before arriving at what I consider the perfect solution. The dress, with train, worn by a Prom Queen. I present my version of the Temperance card:

Tom love the card especially the water XTAX

Hadar Marseilles

She pours water from a red vessel to a blue one but in a diagonal manner. This shows the progression of development to spirituality. She is an Angel - a messenger - and she is helping man to develope spiritualy - this is her purpose.

Her expression is one of reflection and intelligence. Her clothes are a mixture of mainly read and blue wich shows a balance, a temperance. The rope (?) around her midrift is a restriction - she is being held back from mixing unevenly.

She is creative, shows self restraint, fairness and tranquility.

By mixing the contents of the two vessels it parallels the mixing of opposites for a harmonious balance. Her whole body is a pose of balance. The way she stands, her arms bent outward, while pouring. The growth (plants) in this card refer to psychic growth.

Moonbow*

HERON MARSEILLES

I am standing here with these two vessels. My wings feel so light and feathery, sensitive. It is a receptive, spiritual feeling, like being in touch with heaven.

I am pouring, pouring...then I move my hands apart and the water stays suspended between the vessels! My wings flex and feathers ruffle in recognition that this is important but I don't know what it means.

The work of pouring and mixing is divine (gold vessels) but it is my own human energy that energizes the work. The red flower on my forehead indicates this, it pulses to the beating of my heart.

The dark belt around my waist indicates that I am constrained. I am dong this work of mixing for myself. The water doesn't *go* anywhere. It will take a cataclysm for me to rid myself of these heavy robes and pour the water out into the river (Star card)

My vessels are precious, true gold. they have wings on them you can see this on the one in my right hand. What I am mixing moves fast (time, *temp*erance?) The red and blue of my dress shows that I am mixing human passion and spiritual energy but I do it "on the fly" in the context of everyday life, in every moment that passes.

SECRET TAROT

The angel stands near a filthy swamp. The air is thick with brown smog and you can hardly see her. She wears a smog-colored dress and has grey wings that won't show the dirt, like a pigeon. Her hair is carefully arranged and tied back neatly.

The only white in the card is the pure water that she has kept clean, and the ermine (symbol of chastity) that looks on.

She has not let the dirt and ugliness of the scene pollute what is important to her. She is preserving the water but not letting it stagnate, it splashes in a lively way from cup to cup.