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