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XIV - Temperance...The ArcherDescription of the Illustration:A strong wise centaur runs on the top of a high mesa in the middle of a scorching hot desert, poised with his bow and arrow ready to shoot in the direction of a graceful white swan and the planet Jupiter, far in the distance. He has clearly been traveling on a long journey, and still has far to go to make it to his destination, which appears to be the planet Jupiter. Behind him he leaves a blue female centaur who holds two cups; it seems that a fiery light shoots upward from one cup to fill the emptiness of the other. (She's preserving the light.) The upper left sphere is gray (Chokmah) while the lower right sphere is blue (Chesed). Element: Fire, Masculine, Transmissive, Mutable sign
ModerationTemperance’s territory is the scorching desert, vast and empty since few travelers are willing to negotiate its uncomfortable extremes. Temperance avoids excesses, exercising moderation and self-restraint.The Fool now faces the difficult challenge of satisfying two extremes: attaining distant goals as opposed to preserving what is. On the Temperance card we find two centaurs, half-human and half-animal, considered the wisest of all for their perfect integration of the animal body with the human mind and spirit. Our Fool meets both the male centaur, whose arrow is the Root of Fire and Chokmah, as well as the female, who preserves the cup of Chesed, the sphere of Water and Regeneration. Temperance offers the Fool the secret to balancing Creation with Preservation: each in its appointed time, and not a moment longer.
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