XIV The temperance: the storm is coming
Just to be clear, I didn't like this card. I worship chaos, and I hate to be bored, to wait, to let go of everything, and let the plot run its course. I hate to sit without any action waiting for something. That's exactly what the temperance card is about. And that's why it took me so long to understand its meaning. Now I tolerate it. Kinda.
I already said what the temperance is about. But to make it clearer, let's start with the symbolism of the card. The card number is fourteen. One plus four gives us five. The fifth card is the hierophant. The temperance has a connection to it. However, while the hierophant stands for the belief in rules, the society, the higher-ups. The temperance is the belief in the divine plan. "Trust the process." If you see this card in a reading, in an upright position, you know you are on the right path, no doubts.
But let me break it down into pieces. Let's start with who we see. You might have noticed already the person drawn on the card point towards the energy being more masculine or feminine. In this case, it's neutral. The person is androgynous. On top of that, they are an angel. The angel holds two cups, and it's focused on poring water from one cup to another. Its face is calm, greek-statue like. It leans towards nothing. It's a perfectly balanced card. It's a divine card, like I said. But it's a neutral type of divine.
The angel steps with one foot into the water, and it keeps his other foot firmly on the ground. It's another sign of how balanced it is. You will hear the world "balance" a lot. Tye water symbolizes intuition and emotions, while the ground points to the material world and your body. This card is all about listening to your intuition while staying grounded. Listen to the spirits, but live with your head high up in the sky. Cherish the reality and the psyche. Have you seen me get angry at spiritual people who teach that fixing someone's "energy" might heal their body? I believe in it. But I also believe antibiotics work too. Especially if it's an infection. The best way to stay healthy is to combine modern and holistic medicine. The angel thinks that, too. Do both.
I also want to point out one thing. Why exactly do we see an angel? We could skip the wings, and the person looks gender neutral without them. So why an angel? Maybe because it's waiting for something. It has a higher purpose, it knows what it is, it has an idea of what's to come, but it must wait... for the call. For the divine to call it. It reminds me of the symbolism of the judgment in the bible. Angels will come down to earth to call people for judgment day. It's patiently waiting, trusting the process, waiting for its purpose to fulfill. It got the cups to pass the time, but it's waiting for something bigger. Little the angel knows the next card will be the devil. Good luck with that.
Are you going to believe me if I tell you this card may also point out towards the future hardship and already prepares you for the entrance of the devil? If you look further, at the horizon, you will see the path leading the mountains with a crown above them. The path of life leads towards an obstacle you must climb and conquer to achieve success. The journey ahead won't be easy, but it will be worth it. You just need to stay patient and wait a little longer. Like I said. Trust the process.
But there is one more thing which I didn't mention. The two yellow Iris flowers are growing on a meadow. The two points surrounded by the green grass. I've seen it means passion and friendship. It never felt right to me. It turns out it also means joy and abundance. A flower growing out off grass like a planted seed, a garden that is about to bloom with time. Once again, it's about waiting for something that is about to come. You know something will come, but you must give it a little more time to grow. It also reminds me of when you wait for the delivery man with your package. You look out of the window. You know the man will deliver it today but you don't know what time exactly it will be so you wait by the window waiting for him, hoping he will come in every second you hear something outside.
Key words: balance, patience, higher purpose, trusting the path, following the divine plan, harmony, peace, a period before a storm, or a blessing, waiting period,
Key words reversed: imbalance, feeling stuck, boredom, restlessness, you're not aligned with your path, the rush to achieve your goals in a draining way, bad choices, wrong way of doing things
