Tarot Card: Major Arcana XIV, Temperance

Tarot’s Temperance card might as well be called Integration. Really. An integrated, wholesome, healed self. With heavenly wings. Enjoying a serenity that can only belong to Gods and Goddesses.

So how can you –lovely human on your journey– get there, and what does integration mean, anyway?

The Elements of Your Soul

Just like Mother Nature has her 4 elements, your soul does too. The art of life is in combining these in equal amounts –being your own alchemist. The recipe for happiness.

Your Earth Element

Your body. The solid ground you stand on, physically and spiritually. Your ability to meet your basic needs such as good food and a safe, stable shelter. Ask yourself:
Do I feel confident about my ability to provide for myself?
Am I able to meet my needs?
Can I stand on my own two feet, sometimes all alone, and still trust that all is well?
Do I believe in the basic goodness of life?

Your Water Element

How you feel about yourself.
Do I like me?
Do I believe that I am worth all the best things, including love?

Don’t answer by going to your mind. Feel it. In your heart. Do you deserve all the great things life has to offer? From stunning paintings to designer shoes. Whatever it is you’d like to have. A fulfilling job. An amazing lover. First you have to feel it in you. “Yes! I am a beautiful person.
I deserve all that!”

Your Fire Element

What gets you to wake up in the morning and actually do things.
Do I have zest for the life I have? If not, how can I awaken more vitality in me? How can I fire up my appetite to be, do, have whatever it is that I secretly crave? Find out what motivates you. What makes you focus. What makes you want to be here and now. you’d like to have. A fulfilling job. An amazing lover. First you have to feel it in you.

Your Air Element

Your mind. It’s the one that goes blah-blah-blah when out of control and hijacks the whole system. The crazy thoughts. The negative thoughts. The positive thoughts. All thoughts. All images. Just anything your mind produces.

How does Temperance do it?

All elements are important but Tarot’s Temperance starts with Earth first. Then Water. Fire. Lastly, Air. Like Maslow’s triangle of needs, Temperance has a triangle on her dress. She has God’s name written above the triangle, in Hebrew. The key to becoming your own God or Goddess is through integrating your soul elements in EQUAL amounts and starting with the right one!

Why is the card called Temperance? Simply because too much of any element is not good.

Temperance: Zodiacal Association

Temperance is associated with Sagittarius – zodiac’s optimist, curious, enthusiastic risk-taker. For healthy integration, embody the Sagittarius energy and philosophy: experiment, learn, experiment again, develop confidence, and go experiment again. This is how you can be the you that you crave. Don’t lose faith – alchemy is a life-long lesson.

Temperance and Love: Wholesome Relationships

If you’re currently in a relationship that doesn’t satisfy you but you’re willing to stay and work to make it blooming again, Temperance is here for you! Using the 4 elements, ask yourself:

Earth

Is my relationship on solid ground?
Do we trust each other?
Do financial concerns get in the way?
Can we relax knowing we’ll be fine?

Water

How do I feel about this relationship?
How does my partner feel?
What’s going on in our emotional relating?

Fire

What motivates me to want to stay and improve what I have with my partner?
What motivates my partner?

Air

Am I mostly positive or negative about our day-to-day life together?
Is my partner positive? Or, do we let negativity rule us?

Build and rebuild your relationship using these 4 elements. Remember: Solid ground first. Always.

Your Solid Ground

Don’t know how to feel grounded? Too anxious? Stressed? Slow down and breathe. Close your eyes and literally feel the ground under your feet. Breathe again. Deeper and deeper. Feeling the soles of your feet. Breathe. Do this for a few minutes as a meditation and grounding will come.

You can also visualize and meditate on the Temperance image – just how calm she is and how everything seems to simply work out. Visualize her and breathe. Feel her in you. Be her. Doesn’t work? Then take a brush and paint an image of her. Do whatever works.
Embody her energy and you’ll feel wonderful.