Temperance
Temperance represents moderation, balance, and the deliberate scaling back of excess in all forms. It calls you to identify imbalances in your life and restore equilibrium by reducing extremes such as anger, impatience, spending, speed, or greed. The card highlights that unchecked excess fuels larger problems—social conflict, climate strain, and overcrowding—and that tempering these tendencies is a moral and practical necessity. The Weasley twins are used as an example: though they appear excessive, they often create or exploit imbalance only to redress it, offering antidotes and practical remedies.
Keywords
Correspondences
Sagittarius
Keywords
Alchemy, the golden mean, proportion and harmony, the leveling-out of imbalance, the opposite in everything, transformation from the flawed to the perfect, artistic imagination
Meaning
Temperance is an undervalued virtue these days, though we could all do with a dose of it when we live in a world where people thrive on excess: excess consumption, excess expectations, excess conviction (whether religious, political or otherwise), excess pride and sense of entitlement. All of our excess is currently boiling this planet alive — in conflicts, climatic change and overcrowding. Temperance tries to scale back, to even things out, to redress imbalance, and that is exactly the meaning and measure of this card. When drawn you are called to assess the imbalances and excesses in your life and restore equilibrium. Can you do with less of something: less anger, less impatience, less spending, less speed, less greed?
Exploring the Card
The Weasley twins seem like an odd choice for this card, as apparently they thrive on excess, but this is misleading as actually time and again they interfere to even the score.
Examples
Angry Harry on another rant? They tell him not to bottle up his emotions, to let it all out, and their sarcasm shames him and calms him down. Umbridge at the height and might of her power at Hogwarts? They create a swamp, cause total mayhem and set Peeves on her. Harry confined to the castle, because of Uncle Vernon's spiteful refusal to sign the permission slip to go to Hogsmeade? They give him the Marauder's Map. Molly in full smothering information lockdown for Harry's safety? Extendable ears! Everyone hiding under the bed because of "You Know Who"? They invent U-No-Poo - to show people what's really important in life - a good digestion!
Conclusion
In the end their whole sweets business was founded on the idea that you can create an imbalance, and then even it out again — every puking pastille and ton-tongue-toffee has its antidote.
Visual Description
At the top of the card the Roman numeral XIV is visible and the title Temperance appears at the bottom. Two nearly identical young men in school sweaters and ties stand side by side in a framed rectangular image; one holds an open box of small parcels while the other grips a travel case stamped "WEASLEY & WEASLEY." Decorative swirling ribbon-like motifs weave around the figures and along the borders. The scene is rendered in detailed monochrome pencil shading, showing faces, hands, clothing folds and the printed labels on the boxes.
Harry Potter tarot
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