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La Tempérance (14)

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de La Tempérance dans la tarot de Marseille


The Lovers, resembling Adam and Eve, stand uninhibited in a pastoral scene, naked and gazing upward and outward. Behind Eve is the legendary apple tree where a green snake coils up the trunk, and behind Adam is an orange-leaved tree where each leaf flares off its stem like a candle flame. At the top of the card is a gigantic yellow sun and a red-winged angel who looks down upon Adam and Eve with tenderness. There is one peaked mountain between them; it looks barren and steep, suggesting the difficult journey ahead.

It is perhaps surprising that the male and female of this card do not look longingly into each other’s eyes; rather, Eve looks up toward the angel and Adam looks out at the unknown landscape. Together, yet through their different inclinations, they populate the creative world we live in. When we think of love we often think of passion and lust: these forces are restrained or balanced in this card. There is fire but it is whittled down to a candle flame. There is sin in the snake, and the snake may even be able to lick Eve’s neck from its position, but the apples continue to grow.

Most remarkable in this scene is the way Adam and Eve’s separate journeys are part of something bigger than each of them individually. Their separate efforts serve everyone and are guided by a benevolent, upward force. Their open postures suggest that love motivates them but also that they are ignorant of what is to come and also the consequences of their actions. Eve looks up and Adam looks ahead; together they can confront whatever challenges may arise, though individually their worldview is partial.

Also in this card is a grand spaciousness, an opportunity to shape and cultivate a not-yet cultivated world.

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Vous avez tiré la tempérance à l’endroit ?


Interpretation

You have a major opportunity for change before you. If you find the situation frightening, it is important to understand that a pre-requisite for your well-being is thoroughly thought out choices that you accept. In life, it's completely normal to be confronted with major decisions, the important thing being simply to learn from them so you can advance.

If the draw is about your love life, the card reveals that you are in a period of reflection. You already have good prospects of desire and a stable love life. A blockage is temporarily preventing you from taking full advantage of them. For example, it may be a painful memory of one of your past relationships, a fear of commitment or an exaggerated desire for independence. However, it is now time to take this key decision that will unlock your future.

The task is not as difficult as it seems. You already know deep inside you what you really need and your natural prudence will protect you from the consequences of a decision made too hastily. Have confidence in yourself and let your intuition speak: it will guide you to the most appropriate path for you. Action is a prerequisite for unlocking the promise of happiness!

Ask yourself

•Is there someone in your life you are collaborating with on a creative project? If so, consider how to balance your different talents. Or, perhaps you are working on a project yourself; mediate your own output, balancing grounded Adam-energy with your more creative Eve-spirit.

•Are you on the verge of a new relationship but worried about the challenges that might go along with it? This card suggests that, despite potential challenges in the future, openness is the best posture to adapt in this circumstance; you do not need to constantly watch your back or focus on the negatives.

•The earth is your canvas; what do you want to create?

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La symbolique de la Tempérance


• Tree : The fruit of knowledge; life and responsibility.

• Angel : A guardian or spirit watches over you, urging you to be open and make connections.

• Figures : Naked vulnerability and openness; truthfulness and fearlessness. Sexuality or sexual urges.

• Cloud : The cloud casts a shadow – being open can lead to unforeseen consequences.

• Sun : Go through the unknown or temporary turmoil (clouds/grayness) to reach an epiphany of togetherness (sun).

• Mountain : The highs and lows of love, eroticism, and collaborations.

• Snake : Temptation, lust, conniving and manipulation as well as charm and seduction.

The Lovers Card #6 represents achievement through collaboration, openness, receptivity, and action motivated by love.

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