The Fool's Journey - 14 Temperance- Learning The Tarot

Fool's Journey Day 15

With The Vice Versa deck the original side is called This Side and the added side is called That Side. There is no good side or bad side or right side and reverse side. It simply another aspect of the card.

The next step on our journey is 14 - Temperance

This side: An Angel pours the water of life from one cup to the other in endless equilibrium. Her robes bear the symbols for sulfur (spirit), and mercury (soul). There are 3 prime elements and the one not shown is salt, which represents the body and its absence here shows us that this alchemical process is for the spirit and soul.

In a reading: The alchemical act of tempering is to bring it into balance. The angel is tempering the life force by balancing many things. Sun and Moon, gold and silver, active to receptive, day and night, logic and intuition. (These are the many correspondences for the two cups) Where are you out of balance? What element needs to be increased or decreased? What do you need to do to restore harmony?

That side: From The Angels point of view you can see the Hanged Mans gallows now empty. Maybe The Hanged Man was so influenced by Temperance that he no longer needed to be removed from the mundane world. Maybe the gallows still waits for The Hanged Man and Temperance is the keeper of this transformational place.  A white eagle and red lion sit behind Temperance. These are alchemical symbols for the elements of water and fire. Temperance is the peaceable combination of opposites in perfect balance.

In a reading: From here you are looking at the Hanged Man's gallows and the angel stands between you and it, as well as the eagle and lion. Right now they are cautioning you from undertaking an act of sacrifice because now is not the time to surrender your ego to a higher cause.