
XIV Temperance: complete tarot meaning
Upright
Balance, patience, harmony
Reversed
Imbalance, excess, lack of moderation
Numerology | 5 | Change, Conflict, Challenge, Transformation |
Element | Fire | Enterprise, Creativity, Work, Passion, Energy, Motivation |
Yes / No | Maybe | – |
Astrology | Sagittarius | Moderation, Spiritual Harmony, and the Blending of Opposites |
Planet | Jupiter | Wisdom, Expansion, Spiritual Guidance |
Symbols & Imagery
Upright
Angel and Feet Placement | Balance between emotions and practicality, spiritual harmony |
Golden Cup and Water | Flow of energy, patience, blending of different elements |
Golden Triangle | Divine wisdom, higher consciousness, and inner equilibrium |
Iris Flowers | Hope, renewal, and divine messages |
Path to Sun | Spiritual enlightenment, the journey toward higher awareness |
White Robes with Red Wings | Purity, guidance, and divine influence |
Reversed
Angel and Feet Placement | Feeling uncentered, extremes in emotions or behavior. Lack of stability, struggling to stay grounded |
Golden Cup and Water | Poor flow in life, struggles with adapting to change |
Golden Triangle | Making impulsive decisions, acting without foresight |
Iris Flowers | Disappointment, feeling directionless |
Path to Sun | Delayed personal growth, avoiding spiritual lessons |
Red Wings | Acting without thought, ignoring intuition |
General Interpretation
Upright
Temperance represents balance, harmony, and moderation. It encourages you to blend different aspects of your life—emotions, actions, and beliefs—into a cohesive whole. This card urges you to find equilibrium. Practice patience and take a measured approach to situations. Create peace and unity in all areas of your life.
“I create balance and harmony in my life.”
Key Meanings
- Balance & Harmony: Striving for equilibrium in all aspects of life.
- Moderation: Taking a measured, moderate approach instead of extremes.
- Patience & Adaptability: Cultivating the ability to wait for the right moment and adjust as needed.
- Healing & Integration: Merging different energies or aspects of yourself to create wholeness.
Advice
- Find balance: Look for ways to create harmony in your life and avoid excess.
- Be patient: Trust that things will come together when the time is right.
- Moderate your approach: Avoid extremes and seek a steady, middle ground.
- Embrace healing: Allow time for emotional or physical recovery and integration.
Final Message
Temperance encourages you to take a balanced approach to life. By practicing moderation, patience, and integration, you can bring harmony and peace to your relationships, projects, and personal growth.
Reversed
Temperance reversed signals imbalance, extremes, or a lack of moderation. You may be feeling out of sync with yourself or others, or perhaps you’re indulging in excess or behaving impulsively. This card indicates a need to find balance and harmony, but it may take some effort to restore equilibrium.
“I find balance by slowing down and trusting the process.”
Key Meanings
- Imbalance: Overindulgence, extremes, or a lack of harmony.
- Lack of Patience: Impatience or acting without considering the consequences.
- Misalignment: Being disconnected from your true self or from others.
- Disharmony: Feeling out of sync with your environment or relationships.
Advice
- Seek balance: Identify areas where you are overdoing or underdoing things and restore harmony.
- Practice moderation: Avoid excess and learn to make adjustments where necessary.
- Be patient: Allow things to unfold at their own pace, without forcing outcomes.
- Take a step back: Reflect on how to bring greater peace and alignment into your life.
Final Message
Temperance reversed invites you to slow down, restore balance, and seek moderation in all areas of life. Avoid extremes and focus on finding inner peace and harmony.
Love & Relationships
Upright
When Temperance appears upright in a love reading, it signifies balance, patience, and moderation. This card calls for harmony within yourself. It also calls for harmony in your relationships. It encourages you to find a middle ground between opposing forces.
“I create balance and harmony in my love life. I trust in the flow of patience and moderation to bring peace and healing.”
Key Meanings
- Balance and Harmony: Temperance encourages you to find equilibrium in your love life. Whether it’s balancing time between partners, emotions, or priorities, this card asks you to create harmony and moderation.
- Patience and Moderation: In matters of love, Temperance advises against extremes. It’s important to be patient and take a balanced approach to avoid rushing into or out of situations.
- Healing and Integration: Temperance often signifies a time of healing. You and your partner work together to integrate your differences. This creates a peaceful, stable relationship.
Interpretations by Situation
If Single:
- Temperance suggests that the best approach to love right now is one of balance. Avoid rushing into relationships or pushing yourself too hard to meet someone.
- This card calls for patience and trust that the right person will come to you in time.
- Focus on balancing your own needs, emotions, and priorities before seeking a relationship, ensuring you are emotionally ready.
In a Relationship:
- In a relationship, Temperance asks both partners to create balance and harmony. This is a time for compromise, patience, and blending your individual needs to create a peaceful, balanced union.
- Focus on healing any emotional wounds together and integrating your differences in a healthy way.
- It’s important to maintain patience and not rush through challenges. Trust that everything will unfold at the right pace.
Reconnecting or Reconciliation:
- If seeking reconciliation, Temperance suggests that healing is possible, but it requires patience, understanding, and a balanced approach. Both partners must be willing to compromise and find a middle ground.
- Take time to rebuild trust and integrate changes in the relationship, creating a sense of peace and emotional stability.
Final Message
Temperance upright is a reminder that love thrives in balance, patience, and harmony. Approach your romantic life with moderation and openness, and you will find peace and fulfillment.
Reversed
When Temperance appears reversed in a love reading, it suggests a lack of balance or harmony. Patience may be lacking in your romantic life. This card signals that things may feel out of sync, either within the relationship or within yourself. There could be excess or extremes at play. These might include overindulgence, impatience, or emotional imbalance. These factors prevent the healthy flow of love and connection. The reversed Temperance card asks for more moderation and self-reflection to restore harmony.
“I bring balance and harmony into my love life, embracing patience, moderation, and understanding in all my relationships.”
Key Meanings
- Imbalance: There may be a lack of emotional or physical balance in the relationship. One or both partners could be giving too much or too little, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction or disharmony.
- Impatience or Excess: You might be feeling frustrated and rushing things. There may be tendencies toward overindulgence, such as excessive emotions or actions that cause more harm than good.
- Lack of Harmony: There is an absence of mutual understanding. The emotional connection may feel fragmented. This situation creates tension or conflict.
- Inability to Compromise: Temperance reversed suggests that one or both individuals may struggle to find common ground. They might not see the other’s point of view. This prevents the relationship from flowing smoothly.
Interpretations by Situation
If Single:
- The Temperance reversed card can indicate that you are not in a state of balance or harmony within yourself. This imbalance makes it difficult to attract the kind of relationship you desire. You might be feeling frustrated, either from impatience or from not feeling ready to open up emotionally.
- There could be extremes in your behavior. You might go to one extreme in your desires. Alternatively, you might avoid emotional connections altogether. This card calls for moderation, patience, and finding peace within yourself before seeking love.
- Reflect on your approach to love and whether you are rushing into things or expecting too much too soon. Take time to work on emotional balance and self-love.
In a Relationship:
- In an existing relationship, Temperance reversed suggests a lack of balance and harmony between you and your partner. You may be experiencing emotional extremes—either one partner is too passive, or the other is too aggressive, creating conflict.
- There could also be issues with compromise. One or both people may be unable or unwilling to meet each other halfway. This imbalance can lead to feelings of frustration and disconnection.
- To restore peace and harmony, it’s important to focus on patience and moderation. Finding a way to work together toward common goals is also essential. Both partners need to reflect on their individual contributions to the relationship’s dynamic.
Reconnecting or Reconciliation:
- If reconciliation is the goal, Temperance reversed indicates that the relationship may be experiencing emotional imbalance. There might be impatience or an inability to find compromise. Old conflicts or unresolved issues may resurface, preventing the healing process from moving forward.
- Reconciliation will require both partners to take a step back. They must restore balance within themselves. Balance must also be restored within the relationship. Healing will take time and patience, and it is important to avoid rushing or pushing for immediate resolution.
Final Message
Temperance reversed calls for balance and moderation in your love life. You may be struggling with emotional extremes, impatience, or a lack of compromise. This card asks you to reflect on your actions. Work on restoring harmony within yourself and your relationship. Patience, self-reflection, and emotional balance will guide you to healthier connections and greater peace in love.
Career
Upright
When Temperance appears upright in a career reading, it signals balance, patience, and harmony. This card represents the need to integrate different aspects of your career and life to find success.
“I create balance in my career and embrace patience as I grow.”
1. Finding Balance and Harmony
- Temperance encourages you to seek balance in your professional life. You may need to manage your work-life balance, or harmonize different aspects of your career to achieve your goals.
- Focus on finding equilibrium between your career and personal life. Balance your efforts to achieve long-term success.
2. Patience and Moderation
- This card signals that success will come through patience and moderation, not rushing. You may need to pace yourself and take a gradual, steady approach to your career.
- Be patient with the process. Take one step at a time and avoid acting impulsively.
3. Integrating Different Skills or Roles
- Temperance involves integrating various aspects of your career. It includes combining multiple skill sets or roles into a harmonious whole.
- Seek ways to combine your skills or passions to create a more fulfilling and balanced career. Embrace diverse opportunities that align with your talents.
4. Collaboration and Cooperation
- This card suggests that working cooperatively with others will bring positive outcomes. Collaboration and diplomacy are key to finding success.
- Seek collaborative opportunities. Work harmoniously with others to achieve common goals.
5. Healing and Restoration
- Temperance can signal a period of healing or restoration in your career. If you’ve been experiencing stress or burnout, now is the time to take a step back and recover.
- Take care of your mental, physical, and emotional health. Restoring balance within yourself will help you succeed in your career.
6. Adapting to Change
- Temperance asks you to remain flexible and adaptable as your career evolves. Blending different approaches or ideas will allow you to find creative solutions.
- Stay adaptable and open-minded as you integrate new ideas or methods in your career.
Final Message
Temperance (Upright) reminds you that achieving success requires patience, balance, and cooperation. By harmonizing different aspects of your career, you can create a peaceful and productive path forward.
Reversed
Temperance reversed in a career reading signals imbalance. It indicates frustration or a lack of harmony in your professional life. You may be struggling to find stability or patience.
“I cultivate balance and patience in my professional life.”
1. Lack of Work-Life Balance
- The reversed Temperance suggests that your career is consuming too much of your time or energy, leading to stress.
- Set clear boundaries and create a healthier balance between work and personal life.
2. Feeling Frustrated by Career Delays
- You may be struggling with impatience, wanting things to progress faster than they are.
- Trust the process—good things take time. Rushing may lead to mistakes.
3. Workplace Disharmony or Conflict
- This card can indicate tension with colleagues or difficulty fitting into a team environment.
- Work on improving communication and collaboration. Strive for a peaceful work atmosphere.
4. Lack of Clear Career Direction
- The reversed Temperance suggests that you may be feeling scattered or unsure about your long-term career goals.
- Take time to realign your focus and create a clear professional path.
5. Struggling to Adapt to Workplace Changes
- You may be resisting adjustments in your job, making transitions more difficult.
- Be flexible—adapting to change can open doors to new opportunities.
Final Message
Temperance (Reversed) urges you to restore balance in your career. Rushing, resisting change, or overworking will only create stress—seek harmony instead.
Finance
Upright
Temperance tarot card, when upright, represents financial balance, moderation, and steady growth.
1. Financial Stability & Moderation
- Symbolism: Temperance encourages finding balance between spending and saving.
- Maintain a moderate financial approach—avoid both excessive saving and reckless spending.
2. Long-Term Wealth Growth
- Steady & Sustainable Finances: This card signifies slow but stable financial progress.
- Focus on long-term investments rather than quick profits.
3. Blending Resources for Financial Success
- Mixing Financial Strategies: Diversifying income sources and combining strategies can bring financial stability.
- Balance investments, savings, and income streams for financial security.
4. Warning Against Impulsivity in Finances
- Avoid Extremes: Overspending or extreme frugality can disrupt financial stability.
- Maintain a middle ground—budget wisely while allowing for enjoyment.
Final Message
Temperance upright in finance highlights moderation, patience, and steady growth. It advises balancing financial habits for long-term security.
Reversed
The reversed Temperance card indicates financial excess, poor money management, or a lack of balance in financial decisions. It warns against extremes—either overspending or being overly frugal.
1. Financial Excess & Overindulgence
- Symbolism: The reversed Temperance card suggests financial extremes—spending recklessly, making risky investments, or failing to set financial limits.
- Strive for financial moderation. Avoid impulsive purchases and ensure money is being allocated wisely.
2. Imbalance in Saving vs. Spending
- Too Cautious or Too Careless: This card warns against extremes. One extreme is hoarding money out of fear. The other is spending excessively without a financial plan.
- Find a middle ground between saving and enjoying financial rewards. Budgeting can help create stability.
3. Poor Financial Planning & Impatience
- Lack of Long-Term Focus: The reversed Temperance card suggests rushing financial decisions. It indicates not allowing wealth to grow steadily over time.
- Adopt a strategic financial plan. Avoid chasing quick money and focus on steady, sustainable financial growth.
4. Conflict Over Financial Priorities
- Disorganized Finances: This card may indicate struggling to balance financial obligations. You might prioritize debt payments over savings. There could also be a mismanagement of expenses.
- Reassess financial priorities. Align spending and saving with long-term goals.
Final Message
The reversed Temperance card calls for financial balance. Avoid extremes in spending or saving, and take a measured approach to wealth-building.
Health
Upright
Temperance, symbolizing balance, moderation, and healing.
1. Physical & Emotional Equilibrium
- Holistic Healing: Encourages a balanced, integrative approach to wellness—mind, body, and spirit working together in harmony.
- Moderation is Key: Advises against extreme diets, over-exercising, or neglecting self-care, promoting a sustainable lifestyle instead.
2. Patience & Long-Term Health
- Slow & Steady Progress: Healing is a process—avoid rushing results and trust that small, consistent efforts create lasting change.
- Inner Peace & Stress Management: Encourages mindfulness, meditation, and stress reduction techniques for emotional balance.
Cautions & Balance
- Avoid Extremes: Swinging too far in any direction—whether in diet, exercise, or mental health—can disrupt well-being.
- Trust in Natural Healing: Temperance advises allowing the body time to adjust rather than forcing quick fixes.
Advice
- Strive for Balance: Maintain harmony in diet, exercise, rest, and mental well-being.
- Practice Patience: Long-term wellness requires steady, mindful effort.
- Blend Science & Spirituality: A combination of medical knowledge and holistic healing may serve you best.
Final Message
Temperance upright signifies balance, patience, and holistic healing. It’s a call to maintain moderation, embrace gradual progress, and cultivate harmony in all areas of health.
Reversed
Temperance (Reversed), symbolizing imbalance, excess, and impatience.
1. Physical & Emotional Imbalance
- Overindulgence or Restriction: Swinging between extremes in diet, exercise, or health routines rather than maintaining moderation.
- Burnout & Exhaustion: Ignoring the need for rest or pushing too hard without proper recovery.
2. Mental & Emotional Struggles
- Frustration with Healing Process: Wanting quick results instead of allowing gradual progress.
- Emotional Volatility: Stress and mood swings impacting overall well-being.
Cautions & Balance
- Avoid Extremes: Sustainable health comes from moderation, not all-or-nothing approaches.
- Prioritize Balance: Physical and emotional well-being require harmony between action and rest.
Advice
- Slow Down & Reassess: If something isn’t working, adjust your approach rather than forcing it.
- Listen to Your Body: Overexertion can lead to setbacks—honor your limits.
- Practice Patience: Healing and progress take time—trust in the process.
Final Message
Temperance reversed warns against imbalance, impatience, and extremes in health. It encourages moderation, mindfulness, and a steady, sustainable approach to well-being.
Spirituality
Upright
Temperance, as a symbol of divine balance and spiritual harmony, embodies the power of moderation, patience, and alchemical transformation. In its upright position, this card calls you to find equilibrium. It encourages you to integrate opposites. Embrace the middle path in your spiritual journey.
1. The Path of Spiritual Balance and Moderation
- Finding Harmony: Temperance represents the blending of opposites—light and dark, action and stillness, the physical and spiritual. Spiritually, this card invites you to seek balance in all aspects of your life. Make sure that no one force overpowers the other.
- Flow with Grace: Like the angel pouring water between two cups, this card teaches an important lesson. Life flows best when we allow energies to blend naturally. We should not force extremes.
2. The Alchemy of the Soul
- Inner Transformation: Temperance symbolizes the process of refining and purifying the soul. It suggests that you are in a stage of integration. You are bringing together lessons, experiences, and spiritual insights. This process creates something new within yourself.
- Alchemy Through Patience: Just as fire refines gold, your soul is undergoing a transformation that requires time. Be patient—true spiritual growth unfolds gradually.
3. Aligning with Divine Timing and Trust
- Embracing Divine Timing: This card reassures you that everything is unfolding as it should. If you’re feeling impatient, trust that the universe is working behind the scenes to align you with your highest path.
- The Middle Way: In many spiritual traditions, balance is the key to enlightenment. Temperance encourages you to walk the middle path—avoiding excess, extremes, or impulsive decisions.
4. Integration of Mind, Body, and Spirit
- Wholeness Through Balance: Just as Temperance blends elements, this card calls you to nurture all parts of yourself. Focus on physical health, emotional well-being, mental clarity, and spiritual connection.
- Living in Alignment: When you align with your true self, life flows effortlessly. If something feels off, reflect on where you may be out of balance.
Spiritual Warnings & Balance
- Beware of Extremes: This card warns against overindulgence or excessive restriction. Whether in emotions, beliefs, or actions, strive for moderation.
- Avoid Rushing the Process: Transformation takes time. Trying to force an outcome before its time may disrupt divine timing.
Actionable Practices
- Energy Balancing Meditation: Visualize yourself surrounded by golden light, bringing harmony to your mind, body, and spirit.
- Work with Water Energy: Take a cleansing bath or sit by a river to meditate on the flow of life. Water teaches us adaptability and patience.
- Journaling on Balance: Ask yourself, Where in my life am I experiencing imbalance? How can I bring more harmony into my daily practices?
- Practice Alchemy in Life: Engage in creative or spiritual activities that bring transformation, such as cooking, art, or meditation.
Final Message
Temperance upright is a call to cultivate balance, patience, and trust in divine timing. It teaches that true transformation happens through moderation, adaptability, and the integration of all aspects of the self. When you flow with life rather than force it, you create a path of peace, harmony, and spiritual fulfillment.
Reversed
Temperance reversed signifies imbalance, impatience, or a lack of harmony in your life. Instead of flowing with divine timing and moderation, you may be experiencing chaos, emotional extremes, or spiritual misalignment.
1. Spiritual Imbalance & Lack of Moderation
- Feeling Out of Sync: The reversed Temperance card suggests that something in your life is off-balance. This could involve your emotions, spiritual practices, or daily routines. Are you overextending yourself in one area while neglecting another?
- Excess or Neglect: This could manifest as overindulgence in food, work, relationships, or spiritual practices. It may also involve the complete avoidance of necessary healing work.
2. Impatience & Resistance to Divine Timing
- Forcing Outcomes Instead of Trusting Flow: The reversed Temperance card warns against rushing a process that requires patience. Are you trying to push ahead when the universe is asking you to wait?
- Ignoring Signs & Guidance: If things aren’t working out, it may be because divine timing is at play. Instead of forcing progress, surrender and trust the unfolding process.
3. Inner Turmoil & Emotional Instability
- Struggling to Find Peace: Temperance reversed often appears when emotions are running high, and inner harmony feels out of reach. Are you suppressing feelings instead of processing them?
- Fluctuating Between Extremes: You may feel torn between different aspects of yourself. You might struggle to integrate your logical mind and emotional heart.
4. Disconnection from Your Higher Self
- Neglecting Spiritual Practices: If you’ve lost touch with meditation, mindfulness, or self-care, this card encourages you to reconnect.
- Straying from Your Path: Are you aligning with your highest self, or are distractions and external pressures leading you astray?
Spiritual Warnings & Balance
- Beware of Burnout: If you’re overworking, overthinking, or overdoing anything, slow down and restore balance.
- Avoid Seeking Quick Fixes: True healing takes time—don’t rush through important spiritual lessons.
Actionable Practices
- Grounding & Centering: Spend time in nature, practice yoga, or do breathwork to bring stability.
- Self-Reflection & Balance Check: Journal about where in life you feel out of sync. Identify what adjustments need to be made.
- Energy Alignment Ritual: Work with water—take a bath, visit a river, or meditate with water sounds to restore emotional equilibrium.
- Practice Patience: Trust that everything is unfolding as it should—repeat affirmations like “I am in harmony with divine timing.”
Final Message
Temperance reversed is a call to restore balance, embrace patience, and realign with your spiritual flow. It teaches that forcing progress or living in extremes will only lead to more chaos. Find your center, trust divine timing, and create harmony within yourself before seeking it externally.
Personality
Upright
A balanced, harmonious, and patient person. They blend different aspects of life with ease, making excellent mediators, healers, or holistic practitioners.
Reversed
An imbalanced, impatient, or chaotic person. They may struggle with excess, addictions, or lack the ability to find peace.