HISTORICAL DEATH: DANSE MACABRE

The Visconti di Modrone tarot (1441–1447) shows Death on horseback

with a bandage around his head, wielding a huge scythe—very like our
Rider-Waite card, as it too shows a bishop or king and children, all about to
succumb. In the Visconti-Sforza tarots, Death is a skeletal archer who
holds a vertebra in the shape of an archer’s bow. The clear message is that
death, just like love, strikes at random.
The Black Death, famine, and the Hundred Years War in Europe in the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries made death a very common part of life
in medieval times, and paintings showing Death were a common reminder
of our frailty: Painter and printmaker Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 1562 The
Triumph of Death depicts a Dance of Death, or Danse Macabre, showing
Death as an animated skeleton slaying people from all walks of life, again,
like the randomness shown in the Rider-Waite card. Later, Death’s dance
became a subject for satire, and Death became an almost comic figure,
leading unwilling and random citizens to their demise.

DEATH’S REFLECTIONS
We can see aspects of the Death card in these minor arcana cards:

The Ten of Swords, for endings

The Four Aces, for beginnings

TRY A READING WITH DEATH: LOOKING AT

TRANSFORMATION
If you are uncomfortable with the Death card, focus on the meaning of transition
and change—and get comfortable with the image. Take Death from your deck
and lay him before you. Now shuffle the remaining cards, and cut the deck or fan
out the cards facedown. Choose two cards with your left hand and place them as
shown. You could ask, “What needs to go?” or “What will be transformed?”

Card 1: Past issues: what is to be released

Card 2: The outcome
 XIV TEMPERANCE

Alternative Name: Art

Number: XIV
Numerology Link: V, The Hierophant
Astrological Sign or Planet: Sagittarius the Archer
Element: Fire
Hebrew Letter: Samekh
Symbol: Support or crutch
Meaning: Patience
Tree of Life Pathway: Fifteenth, between Yesod and Tiphareth
Chakra: Solar plexus, for personal power
Key Meanings: Moderation, reconciliation, healing, and angelic guidance
UNDERSTANDING TEMPERANCE
An angel holds two cups flowing with water. He has one foot on a rock and the
other in the pool of water, showing the present, conscious mind (the rock, or
earth), and the past, emotions and the unconscious mind (water). A clear path
runs from the pool through two mountains and toward a potential future: a
luminous rising sun. A new horizon or perspective is in sight. The riverbank is
lush and verdant, and two yellow irises bloom there, symbols of hope. The
angel, by moderating the flow of water in his cups, creates a harmonious flow, a
new reality.
In the major arcana sequence, the angel of Temperance sits between card
XIII, Death, and XV, The Devil; it is the antithesis of Death’s loss and the
Devil’s enslavement to materialism and base urges. The angel is Archangel
Michael, the protector warrior-angel, who offers us spiritual help and guidance
while we strive to pacify or temper volatile forces. If we look closely, we see that
the water from Michael’s cups could be running upward or downward. Alchemy
is at work, suggesting that a little magic may be needed if we are to reconcile all
the demands upon us.
Temperance is one of the tarot’s four virtues. Numerically between VI, The
Lovers, and XX, Judgment, Temperance is also the second angel card in the
major arcana sequence; it’s a call to spiritual connection and service. This is
shown by the symbol of the sun on Archangel Michael’s forehead and the amulet
on his chest (see Temperance’s Symbols). Angels in the tarot are also connected
with time. With Temperance, we are dealing with issues of the past, present, and
future. With the Lovers, Archangel Raphael calls time on a present decision with
future impact; with Judgment, Archangel Gabriel calls time on the past.
Temperance’s number is XIV, the double of prime number 7, the magical
number of creation. In numerology, the sum of XIV (14; 1+4 =5) gives 5, or V,
The Hierophant. The Hierophant’s and Temperance’s Archangel Michael is a
divine meditator.

TEMPERANCE’S ASTROLOGY
Sagittarius the Archer (November 23–December 21) is Temperance’s sign. The
archer is sometimes known as the centaur—half-man, half-beast—showing the
blending of opposites. The glyph for Sagittarius is the crossed arrow, like that of
the archer. It is a symbol of precision, just as Archangel Michael pours the water
between goblets at a precise angle so no liquid is spilled. Temperance’s element
is Fire, for action and energy.

TEMPERANCE AND KABBALA

The Hebrew letter associated with Temperance is Samekh, meaning support and
patience. Temperance is placed on the Tree of Life on the fifteenth pathway,
between the spheres of Yesod and Tiphareth, linking together the qualities of
change and salvation.

UPRIGHT MEANING
Temperance shows you dealing with a potentially volatile situation, and you
need to temper your thoughts and actions to find balance and harmony. This
means choosing neither one nor the other, but blending two opposing forces to
create an inspired solution. The card also asks you not to resist, but to accept
both sides of a situation and be guided by what feels most natural to you. It is
time to reconcile any area of your life that is out of kilter. Be hands-on; you can
analyze what you might do for eons, but what matters now is action.
Temperance also shows you are connecting with your guides and angels. You
may be given a sign, such as advice from a friend or even a stranger whom the
angels have sent to help you. This may also be the beginning of a spiritual
journey for you. In your projects, what you imagine you can create. You may
also be inspired by an invention or work of art from the past.
Here are some other interpretations:

Home: Running a household and dealing with demanding children or

partners is a fine balancing act, but you have the financial and emotional
resources to succeed.
Relationships: This is a stage in a relationship when you can reach a new
level of trust. If you are single, you may be guided toward a new partner; it’s
an emotionally intense time.
Career and money: You may be dealing with difficult or highly sensitive
individuals. Be the diplomat, and you can work a miracle. In money terms,
pay extra attention to your income and outgoings.
REVERSED MEANING
Temperance reversed shows imbalance and unfairness in relationships and
problems with money; what you pour into your relationships and work isn’t
rewarded. This card can also show you struggling with change, and the past
dominating your present and future. In this position, difficult old memories can
resurface and you feel held back. Try to look at what you need now, in the
present.

ITS WISDOM MESSAGE

You are guided to find peace.

TEMPERANCE’S SYMBOLS
In the Rider-Waite tarot, Temperance appears with these magical symbols. Some
of them reappear in other major arcana cards, so learn to recognize them and
you’ll soon find you can apply your knowledge throughout the deck.

The triangle and square: The triangle within the square denotes the element
of Fire (the upward-pointing triangle) and the Earth (the square). This, said A.
E. Waite, is the symbol of the septenary—the seven principles of man
according to nineteenth-century Theosophists. The seven principles are the
physical body, the astral body, the breath, desire, thought, the spirit, and “I
am.” Above this amulet are the four Hebrew letters Y, H, V, and H, the
tetragrammaton for the Lord or, when spoken, Yahweh.
The cups: A cup represents the vessel of our experience. In Temperance, one
cup is for the past and one is for the present, and the water running between
the two symbolizes the present—what we create from the past and our future
expectations. The cups also show focus on the task in hand.
The sun symbol: The dotted circle on the archangel’s head is the astrological
symbol for the sun and spiritual illumination. It is also the alchemical symbol
for gold.
See this symbol on card XIX, The Sun; 0, The Fool; and VI, The Lovers;
as a halo, see card XII, The Hanged Man.
Archangel Michael: Archangel Michael is the protector-archangel who deals
with cutting through fear and letting go of the past.
See the Archangels Raphael and Gabriel on card VI, The Lovers, and XX,
Judgment.
The irises: The irises refer to Iris, the Greek goddess of rainbows and hope.
The water-pool: The water symbolizes purification and regeneration in
cultural practice and is also a signifier of the flow of emotions and
unconscious mind.
See this symbol on card XVII, The Star, and XVIII, The Moon.
Rising sun over mountain/volcano: Symbolizing renewal, it’s a new dawn
after a period of stress, shown by the mountains.
See the sun rising over the city on card XIII, Death.
 HISTORICAL TEMPERANCE: FINDING
CHARITY
Temperance has few variations in its card design throughout history. Early
tarot cards of the Renaissance show a woman without wings, and after the
1700s, the woman becomes an angel; the two cups, however, have always
been present.
It’s likely that Temperance embodies more than just one virtue.
Prudence, Faith, Hope, and Charity are the “lost” cards of the tarot, which
once appeared in variations of the Visconti-Sforza tarots of fifteenth-
century Italy as well as earlier tarots. It’s likely that Temperance became a
natural home for Charity, as the Catholic catechism states, “The virtue of
chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of Temperance, which seeks to
permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason.”

TEMPERANCE’S REFLECTIONS
We can see aspects of Temperance in these minor arcana cards:

The Two of Coins, for weighing up a decision, or money flow

The Six of Cups, for harmony
The Page of Cups, for magical thinking
The Queen of Cups, for nurturing a situation
The Six of Pentacles, for fairness and generosity

TRY A READING WITH TEMPERANCE: MAKING PEACE

Take Temperance from your deck and lay the card at the top of the spread as
shown. Now split the deck into the minor and major arcana and shuffle each pile.
Choose the first two cards from the minor arcana pile and lay them out as shown,
then choose cards 3, 4, and 5 from the major arcana pile. You could ask, “What
do I need to temper?” The suit element of the minor cards will show you which
life area needs attention. The majors give you a deeper insight into how the
situation may be transformed.

Card 1: What factors are in balance (minor arcana)

Card 2: What factors are out of balance (minor arcana)
Card 3: What guidance do I need? (major arcana)
Card 4: Action to take (major arcana)
Card 5: The outcome (major arcana)

TIP: For cards 1 and 2, you can use the general minor arcana suit meanings to
begin with:
Swords: work, focus, decisions—the mind
Wands: projects, inspiration, travel—the soul
Cups: emotions, relationships—the heart
Pentacles: money, home, security—the physical body