Temperance — Tarot Card Meaning, Upright & Reversed
Temperance is one of the key cards in the Major Arcana — carrying deep symbolism for love, relationships, career, money, feelings and spiritual growth. On this page you'll find upright and reversed meanings, symbols, element and astrology for the Temperance, plus tips for reading it inside real spreads. You can also try a free tarot spread or connect this card to your Arcana Destiny Matrix to see how it echoes your long-term life themes.
Temperance is alchemy, patience, and harmony—blending extremes into a sustainable middle path that supports long-term healing and growth.
- Element: Fire
- Astrology: Sagittarius • Jupiter-ruled wisdom and expansion
- Numerology: 14 — integration and synthesis
- Temperance Yes or No: Yes
- Temperance Timing: Gradual progress; divine timing over quick fixes
Symbols on the Temperance tarot card
angel, two cups, path, sunrise, one foot in water
Temperance in mythology & story
Mythological story tie-in: Iris, the rainbow messenger of the gods. In Greek mythology, Iris traveled between heaven and earth, carrying divine messages across realms. The rainbow she embodied symbolized connection, harmony, and the blending of opposites—sky and earth, storm and light.
Temperance reflects this bridge-building energy. The angel on the card pours water between two cups, symbolizing sacred integration. Like Iris, this figure moves fluidly between extremes, showing that balance is not static—it is dynamic and responsive.
Temperance can also be seen through the lens of alchemy, where opposing substances are slowly refined into gold. The mythic message is clear: healing and transformation happen not through force, but through patient synthesis. The middle path is not weakness—it is mastery.
Temperance Upright Meanings
Temperance Tarot Card Meaning (Upright)
Upright, Temperance represents healing, moderation, and the art of blending different elements of your life into a cohesive whole. It is the card of the patient alchemist who knows that true transformation happens through steady adjustment, not sudden extremes. This card invites you to integrate what you have learned—emotionally, spiritually, and practically—into your daily rhythm. Instead of swinging between all-or-nothing modes, you are encouraged to find a middle path that honors both your needs and your responsibilities. Temperance is also a reminder that some processes unfold on their own timeline. Trust that your efforts, when consistent and balanced, are leading somewhere meaningful even if results are not instant.
Temperance Love Meaning (Upright)
In love, Temperance upright suggests harmony, healing, and mutual willingness to meet in the middle. It can indicate a relationship where both people are learning to respect differences and find a pace that works for both. If you are single, this card encourages you to take your time, letting connections develop naturally instead of forcing intensity. Healthy love often grows from emotional regulation, self-awareness, and kind communication. If you are partnered, Temperance supports reconciliation after conflict, couples therapy, or a renewed commitment to patience and kindness. Rather than trying to ‘win’ arguments, the focus shifts to understanding and co-creating balance.
Temperance Career Meaning (Upright)
Career-wise, Temperance upright highlights cross-functional collaboration, long-term projects, and the steady refinement of your craft. This may involve integrating multiple skills, teams, or perspectives into one cohesive effort. You are being asked to avoid burnout-inducing overdrive and instead pace yourself strategically. Quality, consistency, and healthy boundaries will get you further than reckless hustle. This card is also favorable for work related to healing, wellness, coaching, teaching, and any field where balance and integration are key themes.
Temperance Money Meaning (Upright)
In finances, Temperance upright favors slow and steady growth through mindful budgeting, moderate risk-taking, and consistent saving. This is the energy of using money as a tool for stability and wellbeing, not as a source of chaos. You may be blending different strategies—saving, paying down debt, investing modestly—into a balanced plan that feels sustainable. The card encourages you to avoid impulsive splurges and harsh austerity alike. A calm middle path builds long-term security.
Temperance as Feelings (Upright)
As feelings, Temperance upright suggests even, hopeful, and grounded emotions. Someone may feel safe, at ease, and genuinely willing to put in the effort to maintain harmony with you. There is often a sense of emotional maturity—no dramatic highs and lows, but a quiet appreciation and desire to keep building something healthy.
Temperance as Advice / Action (Upright)
As action advice, Temperance asks you to slow down, breathe, and adjust instead of overcorrecting. Mix, test, and refine your approach until it feels balanced. This might mean adjusting your schedule, your communication style, your habits, or your expectations. Small, repeatable steps that honor both your body and your goals are the true magic here.
Temperance Reversed Meanings
Temperance Tarot Card Meaning (Reversed)
Reversed, Temperance points to imbalance, excess, or avoidance. You may be overdoing something—work, escapism, conflict, self-criticism—or swinging between extremes that leave you depleted. It can also highlight situations where you are trying to blend with environments or people that are fundamentally not compatible, creating ongoing inner tension.
Temperance Love Meaning (Reversed)
In love, Temperance reversed can indicate overgiving, stonewalling, or difficulty finding common ground. One person may be doing most of the emotional labor while the other withdraws or reacts. There may be impatience—wanting instant resolution or dramatic reassurance instead of allowing trust to rebuild gradually. This card suggests returning to the middle ground: honest, consistent effort from both sides, or acknowledging if the dynamic is too imbalanced to be sustainable.
Temperance Career Meaning (Reversed)
For career, Temperance reversed often shows up as imbalance in workload, scope, or expectations. You might be stretched too thin, juggling conflicting priorities, or sacrificing your wellbeing to keep everything going. Alternatively, there may be a mismatch between departments, teammates, or directions that creates friction and misalignment. The guidance is to reallocate responsibilities, clarify scope, and build healthier boundaries around your energy. Collaboration should feel synergistic, not draining.
Temperance Money Meaning (Reversed)
Financially, Temperance reversed can highlight spikes and dips—periods of strict saving followed by binge spending, or inconsistent money habits that create stress. You may be using money to regulate emotions instead of addressing root causes, or resisting any structure at all because it feels restrictive. Automating key habits—bills, savings, debt payments—can help create stability while you work on healing your relationship with money.
Temperance as Feelings (Reversed)
As feelings, Temperance reversed suggests emotional overstimulation or flatness. Someone may feel overwhelmed, burned out, or unable to find their emotional center in the connection. They might swing between wanting closeness and needing distance, struggling to regulate their responses.
Temperance as Advice / Action (Reversed)
As advice, Temperance reversed asks you to step away from extremes and choose small, repeatable habits that heal instead of harm. Cut back gently on what is too much—stimulation, substances, drama—and reintroduce what nourishes you. Balance will not appear all at once. Commit to modest, sustainable adjustments and let your system gradually recalibrate.
Go deeper with Temperance on Taroscoper
Knowing the standalone meaning of Temperance is powerful, but it becomes even more insightful when you see how it shows up in full tarot spreads and in your bigger soul map. Explore these tools to weave this card into your ongoing story.
See Temperance inside a tarot spread
Pull a daily or multi-card spread and notice where Temperance lands—past, present, future, or advice. Its position adds extra nuance to the upright and reversed meanings you just read.
Explore tarot spreads →Connect this card to your Destiny Arcana
In Taroscoper's Arcana Destiny Matrix 22, each Major Arcana connects to a life theme, core lesson and long-term trajectory. See how cards like Temperance echo your birth energies and current cycle.
Discover your Destiny Matrix →Temperance — Frequently Asked Questions
Is Temperance a yes or no card?
Temperance is generally a Yes, but with patience. It suggests success through balance, moderation, and steady effort rather than quick or extreme action.
What does Temperance represent in tarot?
Temperance represents harmony, integration, healing, and the blending of opposites. It encourages moderation and sustainable growth instead of dramatic swings.
What is the mythological meaning of Temperance?
Temperance is often linked to Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, who bridged heaven and earth. The card symbolizes balance between realms and the alchemical blending of opposing forces into harmony.
What does Temperance mean in love readings?
In love, Temperance indicates patience, emotional maturity, and willingness to meet in the middle. It suggests a connection that grows through understanding rather than intensity.
What does Temperance mean as advice?
As advice, Temperance encourages moderation, steady adjustments, and long-term thinking. Small consistent actions are more powerful than extreme reactions.