The Pictorial Key to the Tarot

XIV. Temperance
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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.
file:///C|/My%20Documents/Spiritoality/Books/The%20...y%20to%20the%20Tarot%20-%20A.E.%20Waite/pktar14.htm [15/07/2001 23:10:31]