Understanding Temperance Reversed
The reversed Temperance indicates imbalance, extremes, or the inability to find harmony between different aspects of your life. You may be swinging between opposite behaviors, lacking moderation, or struggling to integrate conflicting elements in your experience. This card can represent impatience, wanting quick results instead of allowing natural processes to unfold, or the tendency to choose extreme solutions rather than finding middle ground. The reversed Temperance may also indicate conflicts that resist resolution, inability to compromise, or situations where different aspects of your life are pulling in opposite directions without successful integration. When reversed, the The Healer energy turns inward or becomes blocked, often manifesting as the shadow side of this archetype.
Understanding Temperance Reversed
The reversed Temperance indicates imbalance, extremes, or the inability to find harmony between different aspects of your life. You may be swinging between opposite behaviors, lacking moderation, or struggling to integrate conflicting elements in your experience. This card can represent impatience, wanting quick results instead of allowing natural processes to unfold, or the tendency to choose extreme solutions rather than finding middle ground. The reversed Temperance may also indicate conflicts that resist resolution, inability to compromise, or situations where different aspects of your life are pulling in opposite directions without successful integration. When reversed, the card's symbols take on different meanings: The angel with wings, which normally represents divine guidance and spiritual protection during integration, now suggests this energy is blocked, hidden, or working against you. The pouring water between cups, which normally represents the flow of consciousness and life force between different states, now suggests this energy is blocked, hidden, or working against you. The one foot on land, one in water, which normally represents balance between conscious and unconscious, material and spiritual, now suggests this energy is blocked, hidden, or working against you.
Shadow Aspects
The shadow side of The Healer emerges when Temperance appears reversed. Instead of trust the card's message, you may find yourself blocked, resistant, or expressing this energy in unhealthy ways. Key shadow themes include: imbalance, extremes, impatience, lack of harmony. Passion becomes anger, motivation turns to burnout, creativity is stifled.
Working With This Energy
Temperance reversed is not a "bad" card - it's an invitation to look inward and address what's blocked. Ask yourself: Where in my life do I need to find better balance? Consider what aspects of balance you may be resisting or avoiding. The card's guidance, when reversed, suggests examining where you're not following this wisdom: Practice moderation and seek balance in all areas of life. Be patient with processes that require time to unfold naturally.
Life Areas Affected
In love: Relationship imbalances, love extremes, or inability to blend differences. In career: Work-life imbalance, professional extremes, or career conflicts. In finances: Financial imbalances, money extremes, or inability to moderate spending. In health: Health imbalances, extreme wellness approaches, or impatience with healing. In spirituality: Spiritual imbalances, extreme practices, or inability to integrate spiritual paths.
Reversed Meanings by Life Area
Love Reversed
In love, reversed Temperance warns of relationship imbalances, extreme behaviors, or the inability to successfully blend differences with your partner. You may be swinging between being overly accommodating and completely uncompromising, or experiencing relationships that lack the steady, patient love needed for long-term success. This card can indicate impatience with relationship growth, wanting instant intimacy or commitment, or the inability to find middle ground during conflicts. The reversed Temperance may also represent addictive relationship patterns, codependency, or love relationships that bring out extreme behaviors rather than balanced growth.
Career Reversed
Professionally, reversed Temperance indicates work-life imbalance, extreme approaches to career, or the inability to successfully integrate different aspects of your professional life. You may be experiencing conflicts between different career paths, extreme workaholic patterns followed by complete burnout, or difficulty finding balance between professional demands and personal needs. This card can represent impatience with career progress, wanting immediate success rather than building slowly, or workplace conflicts that resist resolution. The reversed Temperance may also indicate difficulty collaborating or finding common ground with colleagues.
Finances Reversed
The reversed Temperance in financial matters indicates money imbalances, extreme spending or saving patterns, or the inability to find moderate approaches to finances. You may be swinging between periods of excessive spending and extreme frugality, or experiencing conflicts between different financial priorities that resist integration. This card can represent impatience with wealth building, wanting quick financial results rather than steady growth, or difficulty balancing immediate needs with long-term financial goals. The reversed Temperance may also indicate financial conflicts with partners or family members about money management approaches.
Health Reversed
The reversed Temperance in health matters indicates imbalances in wellness approaches, extreme health measures, or impatience with natural healing processes. You may be swinging between neglecting your health completely and obsessing over every symptom, or trying extreme diets, exercise routines, or treatments rather than finding balanced approaches. This card can represent impatience with recovery, wanting instant healing rather than allowing your body time to restore itself, or conflicts between different treatment approaches that prevent integrated healing. The reversed Temperance may also indicate addictive behaviors or substance abuse issues that resist moderation.
Esoteric Correspondences
Understanding Temperance's deeper symbolism enriches your reversed interpretation.
Golden Dawn Title
La Tempérance
La Temperanza
Element
fire
Planet
Jupiter
Zodiac Sign
Sagittarius
Dates
November 22 - December 21
Hebrew Letter
ס (Samekh)
Prop, support, foundation
Tree of Life
Path 25
Tiphareth to Yesod (Beauty to Foundation)
Explore Temperance in Other Contexts
Temperance Reversed FAQs
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