The Temperance tarot card (XIV) is the 15th Major Arcana card in the standard Rider-Waite Tarot deck. It represents patience, moderation, calmness, perspective, peace, harmony, and healthy balance in life. Read on to dive deep into the meaning and symbolism of the Temperance tarot card.
Temperance Tarot Card Keywords
Upright: patience, moderation, calmness, perspective, peace, harmony and ease, perfect balance
Reversed: self-indulgence, clashing, lack of perspective, recklessness, hastiness, imbalance, out of order
The Temperance Card as Feelings
Upright, the Temperance card could be a feeling of satisfaction, fulfillment and joy. You are in complete harmony with yourself, your environment and the people around you. It is a time to appreciate all the good things in life without feeling guilty or indulging too much.
Reversed, this card can indicate feelings of restlessness, impatience and even anger. You could be feeling overwhelmed, out of balance and maybe even resentful because you feel like things aren’t going your way.
The Temperance Card as Advice
Upright, the Temperance card is telling you to take a step back and appreciate what you have achieved or reached with patience and moderate effort. It suggests that you practice moderation in all aspects of your life and to strive for balance in the face of conflicting desires.
Reversed, this card could be indicating that it’s time to take a break from demanding situations or heavy responsibilities. You need to make some changes so you can find a sense of balance and harmony in your surroundings. Taking some time out to relax, meditate, or spend quality time with your loved ones can help you to re-energise and reconnect with yourself.
The Temperance Card as How Someone Sees You
Upright, the Temperance card is an indication that you are a thoughtful and balanced person. You have the ability to maintain harmony, even in chaotic or difficult situations.
You are often called upon to be the mediator, offering wise counsel and insight as people come to you for advice. People see you as reliable, capable, and strong-willed; someone they can trust. You are highly regarded for your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure and manage stressful situations with ease.
Reversed, the Temperance card speaks of imbalance in your life. You might feel overwhelmed by the demands on you, or like you are being driven too hard.
It may be time to take a step back and find a balance between your emotional and practical needs.
You could be feeling drained from trying to keep everything in order and manage people’s expectations, or you may have become overly focused on one particular area of your life. It is important for you to take care of yourself and find the time to nurture your own mental and spiritual wellbeing.
The Temperance Card as What Someone Wants From You
Upright, the Temperance card is a reminder to practice moderation. It could be that someone in your life wants you to find balance between their needs and yours, or it may suggest that the person is looking for understanding and patience from you.
They could need you to hold back on your expectations of them, or come at an issue with more openness and flexibility.
Take time to reflect and find the right balance between what you need and what someone else needs. Too much or too little of either won’t get you anywhere, so it is important to practice patience and temperance in order to reach a place of mutual understanding.
Upright Temperance Tarot Card Meanings
Upright, the Temperance card represents a sense of peace, balance, and harmony.
You are entering or will soon enter a phase where you’ve come to accept where you are in life, who you are, and are comfortable with yourself and where you’re headed.
Though life isn’t going to be perfect, you can accept the ups and downs and ride any waves that come your way.
You have an easy confidence that you have everything you need to thrive, and your outlook is good.
Upright Temperance Meaning For Love
Upright Temperance Card Meanings For Relationships
The upright Temperance card is an excellent card for relationships.
It represents a sense of balance, peace, harmony, and being on the same page.
You are matching each other’s vibration and intentions, and you will find that you get along well.
Even when things aren’t going so great, your arguments lack forcefulness or harshness.
You have mutual respect for each other and if you want it to, your relationship can go the distance.
If you do have issues in your relationship, the upright Temperance card should give you confidence that you can solve them amicably.
Furthermore, there is a sense of ease to the card.
You don’t feel like you have to work against each other, and though there are disagreements, they never escalate out of control.
Another beautiful thing about the Temperance card is that it’s so well-balanced that it frequently symbolizes a soul mate level romance.
So, if you think your current partner might be your soul mate and the Temperance card shows up in a reading, pay attention!
Upright Temperance Card Meanings For Singles
If you are single and manifesting love and the Temperance card shows up, it means that you are in a favorable place to manifest love.
You are ready to be with someone, you’re living a fulfilling life, and you have let go of the past or any toxic relationships that were damaging to your self-worth.
You don’t feel like you need somebody to complete you — instead, you are whole already and can create an amazing compatible partnership.
This person may come into your life via a friend or work connection.
You may meet this person through the use of online dating sites, or social media, but it’s likely to be some sort of shared interest or activity.
This card in this position is an indicator that if you are patient and calm, you’re more likely to get what you want.
And your next love could be the love of your life!
It’s definitely a time to feel positive, uplifted, and excited about what’s to come.
Upright Temperance Meaning For Money & Career
The upright card represents finding peace and a place of stability in your career, where you feel like you are empowered rather than disempowered.
You find the work you do rewarding and uplifting, an opportunity for self-expression, yet if there is room for improvement or you think you could do better with a different opportunity, you are likely to find success there as well.
You have a sense of perspective and are able to remain calm and patient through any struggles you may encounter.
You can accept that things aren’t perfect, but there is equal value in the ups and downs.
It’s also very likely that your hard work will be noticed and rewarded.
So if you’re waiting for a promotion or an offer that will advance your career, be patient and balanced and you will be rewarded.
Specifically for your finances, right now you should not expect any sways either for the positive or the negative.
Balance and consistency is key.
You won’t have any huge windfalls of income, but you are equally as unlikely to experience any significant losses.
Just stay the course for now and enjoy stability.
Reversed Temperance Tarot Card Meanings
When the Temperance card shows in a reversed position, it means that you are off-balance, not seeing things clearly, and thus are unable to make good decisions.
It may seem like nothing is going right, and this frustration could also lead you to find relief in any number of vices.
So be careful of self-soothing in ways that could make your situation worse.
Don’t let bad habits get ahead of you.
You may feel like your communication is off with others in your life.
You’re saying what you want and need and how you feel, but it seems like nobody is listening or cares.
As a result, you may clash with those around you, ending in unnecessary drama.
Right now your best bet is to find your center and get back in touch with the calm, rational person you know yourself to be.
Reversed Temperance Meaning For Love
Reversed Temperance Card Meanings For Relationships
Temperance reversed shows up most frequently in a relationship and love reading when one person feels like they are giving more than the other.
You may feel like you are more heavily invested in the relationship than your partner.
Or, if the reverse is true, you could be experiencing lots of pressure from the other side to “prove” your love.
There may even be accusations of infidelity or dishonesty even when nothing is truly wrong.
Unlike with some other cards, when Temperance shows reversed it means there is an imbalance, but it’s usually not a sign of infidelity or anything malicious.
It could be that one person is moving a little quicker than the other.
Or that the feelings are the same but the communication or energy is a bit off.
You may be feeling like you are not seen or heard by the other person.
Remember that this struggle, this lack of harmony, is a signal to slow down and take stock of your relationship.
Both with what’s going on currently and where each partner wants to see things go from here.
Be patient, wait it out, and you will find your center again.
It may just take some time to get back to that place where you can express yourself in a calm, rational way that is balanced and even-keeled.
Reversed Temperance Card Meanings For Singles
If you’re single and Temperance shows in a reversed position, be careful to avoid giving too much away too soon.
This can manifest in many ways, including making yourself too available, pressuring others to move more quickly than they’d like, or investing more time or money into a relationship that doesn’t quite warrant that level of commitment just yet.
If you find yourself in a “friends with benefits” situation, it might be worth considering what’s going on.
Temperance reversed suggests that your boundaries are too loose.
You may even feel like you have no boundaries and have forgotten who you are as a person!
Be aware of this tendency to put yourself second to others.
Right now it’s very important to have self-control and not be too free with your affections.
Don’t allow yourself to get so swept up in the moment that you forget what you want, even if that is simply companionship and a deeper connection with another person.
You may even find yourself open to meeting someone new soon.
For now, though, it’s important to remember that you are worth more than cheap entertainment!
If someone isn’t making time for what you need right now, walk away and know that the right person for you will be much more respectful of what you’re looking for in a relationship.
No one should try to pressure you into anything.
You are worth more than that!
Reversed Temperance Meaning For Money & Career
For your work and career, Temperance reversed means you’re out of balance both in the work you’re putting out and with the people you work with.
It could be that you haven’t been feeling your best, thus, aren’t performing at the highest standard.
Even still, you may be sensitive to constructive criticism and this makes it feel so much worse.
Or, you could be coming across as too prideful and not willing to truly listen to the advice you’re given.
You might also feel like your co-workers or employees are taking advantage of you.
You may feel like you have been giving your all and it’s going unrecognized, leading to resentment on your part.
The best way to handle this is to take a step back, re-evaluate your approach and try to get in touch with the root of any resentment or anger you may be harboring.
Try not to lash out at others or make reckless decisions regarding your career until you are able to find a way for all parties concerned to work together harmoniously.
When it comes directly to your money, if you’re feeling a bit low right now, it could be tempting to use “retail therapy” to make yourself feel better.
But now is not the time to use money as a vice to improve your emotions.
Instant gratification and reckless behavior with your money will only end in disaster.
Take a deep breath, relax, and think about the real problem and how you can actually take steps to fix it.
Don’t go into debt because you’re emotionally struggling.
It’s very unlikely that things will improve just because you’re spending money.
Instead, take a long look at your financial situation and see what you can do to make the necessary changes for your own sake before it becomes too difficult to manage.
Final Thoughts On The Temperance Card
Congrats on taking the first step to working with the tarot and learning to read for yourself and those you love!
Just by interacting with different cards and learning more about their meanings, you are already on your way down your path to spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment.
The next natural step is to make sure you receive your free numerology reading.
Few things are as powerful as numerology for helping you improve your tarot readings.
But I’m not going to tell you that the information you’ll uncover will make you a better tarot reader.
It’s better for you to get your reading and find that out for yourself.
That way, it’ll be a much more personal, special, and beautiful experience.
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