The Temperance Tarot Card: Why We Feel the Way We Do

When you think of Temperance card of tarot, the idea that a variety of elements are combing together to create a single effect may come to mind. The question then becomes, how exactly did any particular combination of elements come to together to create any particular outcome?

Consider for example how you feel during any given time period. Feeling good? Feeling great? Feeling sad? Maybe you are just not quite feeling right. You just feel off somehow and are trying to figure out why. There are a number of factors that may be contributing to this. The weather, for one. If it is sunny and nice, you might feel one way. However, if it is damp and rainy you might feel another. Another is, how did you sleep last night? If you slept well, you will feel one way. If you slept poorly, you will feel another way. Another factor is, what have you eaten lately? Something nourishing that uplifts you, or something junky that brings you down? What emotional or physical concerns are at play? Any combination of these factors can have an impact on how you are feeling, and the change of one can have an impact on you overall.

Our feelings can at times be easy to articulate. Good news or bad news can have a measurable impact. A change in circumstances can as well. However, during those times when we simply cannot articulate our feelings, it can be worthwhile to consider how Temperance is at play and examine the various factors have combined to create the whole of how we are at that moment. — Jim Larsen