By Luna Ravenwood · Updated August 3, 2026
Divination and Dreams Guide
Quick Answer
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, Temperance is a Major Arcana card numbered 14 corresponding to Sagittarius. Upright it speaks to balance, moderation, patience; reversed it mirrors imbalance, excess, lack of purpose. The archetype pairs with Amazonite for grounded reflection, not prediction.
Upright Keywords
Reversed Keywords
Temperance Upright Meaning
An angel stands with one foot on land and one in water, pouring liquid between two cups in an endless flow. The triangle on her chest represents spirit manifesting through matter. Temperance appears when balance and patience are your path forward, not choosing between extremes but integrating them. This card mirrors the art of blending opposing forces into something that contains both but is neither. The angel doesn't rush; the flow between the cups is steady and purposeful.
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, this card is read through three reference works. According to Rachel Pollack in Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom (1980), Temperance functions as one station in the deck’s unified literary sequence. Arthur Edward Waite in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) describes the original symbolism Pamela Colman Smith painted into the card. Mary K. Greer in Tarot for Your Self (1984) describes the upright meaning as the archetypal opening, the question the card offers, not the verdict it delivers.
Temperance Reversed Meaning
Reversed, Temperance indicates excess or imbalance, too much of one thing, not enough of another. The flow has been disrupted. You may be overindulging, overworking, or swinging between extremes rather than finding the middle path. The reversed Temperance asks: what have you been neglecting in favor of what you've been overdoing? Balance doesn't mean moderation in everything, it means the right amount of each thing.
Today’s Guidance
“Today asks for balance and patience. The answer isn't at either extreme, it's in the flow between them. Temperance says: slow down. Blend. Integrate. The right mixture takes time.”
Morning Intention
Identify one area where you've been in excess and one where you've been lacking. Temperance's morning is about conscious rebalancing.
Midday Reflection
Are you rushing? The angel pours slowly. Temperance at midday asks you to trust the pace that produces quality, not speed.
Evening Release
Release the urgency to have everything figured out right now. Hold your amazonite and let the day's experiences integrate without forcing conclusions.
“I blend opposing forces into harmony. Balance flows through me naturally.”
Crystal Companion: Amazonite
Amazonite harmonizes heart and throat, head and heart, the same integration Temperance embodies. It helps you find the balanced middle path when extremes are pulling you apart.
Amazonite
A soothing stone of honest communication and emotional harmony.
Numerology of Temperance
Temperance carries the number 14. In the Pythagorean tradition, this reduces to 5, the number of change, freedom, and transformation. The archetype is striking: the temperance embodies the same vibration that Life Path 5 natives are here to learn.
Notice the pattern: when this card keeps appearing in readings, or when 14 keeps appearing in your day, both are likely pointing at the same lesson. See more in the angel number meanings guide.
Astrological Correspondence
Temperance · Sagittarius · Hebrew letter Samekh (ס)
Astrid Moon would read Temperance as mutable Fire, the Sagittarian alchemist blending the elements of your life. The card asks for patience and the slow integration of opposites.
Card Details
Number
14
Suit
Major Arcana
Element
🔥 Fire
Astrology
Sagittarius
Neighbouring Cards
Temperance in Love, Career, Finance
The same archetype mirrors different territory depending on the question. Read how Temperance meets specific dimensions of your life.
What’s Next?
Three good directions while Temperance is in the room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Temperance tarot card mean?
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, the Temperance is a Major Arcana card corresponding to Sagittarius. Upright it speaks to balance, moderation, patience; reversed it mirrors imbalance, excess, lack of purpose.
What crystal pairs with the Temperance?
Amazonite is the crystal companion for the Temperance. Amazonite harmonizes heart and throat, head and heart, the same integration Temperance embodies. It helps you find the balanced middle path when extremes are pulling you apart.
Is the Temperance a yes or no card?
In yes-or-no readings, the Temperance answers yes. Temperance represents balance, patience, and the harmonious blending of opposites. The answer is yes, but it requires moderation, patience, and finding the middle path rather than rushing to extremes.
What does the Temperance mean reversed?
Reversed, Temperance indicates excess or imbalance, too much of one thing, not enough of another. The flow has been disrupted. You may be overindulging, overworking, or swinging between extremes rather than finding the middle path. The reversed Temperance asks: what have you been
How to Read a Spread
Luna Ravenwood's free guide: the structure of the deck, three spreads and what each is for, the three schools of reversals, and how to read for yourself without flattering yourself.
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