Temperance from the Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck

Arcana	Major · XIV
Suit	—
Element	Fire
Attribution	Sagittarius

Major Arcana · XIV

Temperance

In shortFind the right mix. Adjust slowly.

Upright

balanceblendingmoderationpatiencethe middle way

The skill here is proportion. Temperance is about blending two things into something neither could be alone — work and rest, boldness and care, two people, two ideas. It recommends the unglamorous middle path and a longer timescale than you would like. The answer is not one or the other but the right ratio, and you find that by adjusting as you go rather than deciding upfront.

Reversed

excessimpatiencethings not mixingextremes

Something has gone to an extreme. That could be overdoing it or over-restricting it, a schedule with no give in it, a partnership where the balance is off, or impatience that keeps interrupting a process that only works slowly. It can also mean two things that do not mix and should be kept apart rather than forced together.

In the pictureThe angel pours between two cups with one foot on land and one in water — grounded and fluid at once. The path behind leads to a crown of light between mountains. Irises grow at the water's edge, for Iris the messenger; the square and triangle on the robe are matter and spirit combined.

The turn

Adjust the ratio rather than the plan. Small correction, repeated, beats a dramatic reset.