The Pictorial Key to the Tarot

XII
Temperance

XIV. Temperance
sacred-texts Waite Index Previous Next
XIV
Temperance
A winged angel, with the sign of the sun upon his forehead and on his breast the square and
triangle of the septenary. I speak of him in the masculine sense, but the figure is neither male nor
female. It is held to be pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice. It has one foot upon the
earth and one upon waters, thus illustrating the nature of the essences. A direct path goes up to
certain heights on the verge of the horizon, and above there is a great light, through which a crown
is seen vaguely. Hereof is some part of the Secret of Eternal Life, as it is possible to man in his
incarnation. All the conventional emblems are renounced herein.
So also are the conventional meanings, which refer to changes in the seasons, perpetual movement
of life and even the combination of ideas. It is, moreover, untrue to say that the figure symbolizes
the genius of the sun, though it is the analogy of solar light, realized in the third part of our human
triplicity. It is called Temperance fantastically, because, when the rule of it obtains in our
consciousness, it tempers, combines and harmonises the psychic and material natures. Under that
rule we know in our rational part something of whence we came and whither we are going.