Queen of Tarot

The ancient wisdom of the cards

Temperance Tarot Card Meaning and Art Alleged Tarot Deck

Designation

Temperance

About the Deck

Alleged Tarot Deck

A modern digital cartoon deck featuring traditional symbolism in a whimsical stick-figure style.

Provenance

Damian Cugley. Web, 2002. Used with permission of the artist.

Tags

trumps-14, temperance

Meaning of Temperance from the Alleged Tarot Deck

Upright

balanced personality, tactfulness

Reversed

moodiness, uncertainty

According to Many Schools of Thought

A. E. Waite's Secondary Meanings

Temperance. The winged figure of a female--who, in opposition to all doctrine concerning the hierarchy of angels, is usually allocated to this order of ministering spirits--is pouring liquid from one pitcher to another. In his last work on the Tarot, Dr. Papus abandons the traditional form and depicts a woman wearing an Egyptian head-dress. The first thing which seems clear on the surface is that the entire symbol has no especial connexion with Temperance, and the fact that this designation has always obtained for the card offers a very obvious instance of a meaning behind meaning, which is the title in chief to consideration in respect of the Tarot as a whole.

S. L. MacGregor Mathers's Divinatory Meanings

Upright

Combination, Conformation, Uniting

Reversed

Ill-advised combinations, Disunion, Clashing interests, &c.

Papus's Divinatory Meanings

Temperance. Economy.