What lies beneath

 All kinds of actions lie beneath the veneer we present to the world. Chaos, wonderment, anxiety, joy, fear, love, envy, all that and more. Much of who and what we are, are unknown to others and somewhat to ourselves. Like a river, our surface looks the same on most days, but the eddies and currents, the debris and deadwood that travels beneath are turbulent troubles. We work with what we have, but that can change with the video clips from our mind.

Why are the dwarves beards and hair not afire?  What magic keeps the sparking forges from casting flames to burn them?

The Enchanted Forest

Middle way Indeed!

 

I am lost between a decision made and the motivation to get the task(s) completed. In as such, a feeling of being a disappointment unto myself is starting to take hold. And that is not a good thing. If I am not on my side who is? In asking that question, I realize a good many years I was not on my side. Now I have to come to know that I am the most important person to me. Life doesn't come packaged in a neat little box and those trials and tribulations are part and parcel of everyday living. Coming to terms with not getting things done lickety-split doesn't mean failure, just means I need to 'temper' my expectations and proceed at pace that allows me to get things done and just not give up when I don't get them done 'right-now.'

The Fountain Tarot

Core beliefs

 

The other day I was going through a forgiveness meditation; reflecting on all the mistakes, big and small that I have made during my 64 years. Many of which I am sure to have forgotten. The biggies, they kind of stick with you.  Can we forgive ourselves?  Is there really anything to forgive? We are born human and that in itself can assure us of making mistakes. We are as the saying goes "Only Human".  Mistakes are part and parcel of living. We learn by them. Those experiences are part of our make-up. If I had not experienced them, I would not be who I am today, they make up some of my core beliefs of myself. Lean into acceptance and let go of the 'good' or 'bad' labels and release them. 

The Tarot of Durer

Moderation

 

"We learn to live for a lifetime"  ~ The caption at the bottom of card. Temperance, one of those cards that is more challenging for me to read or that I am comfortable with. Temperance falls between Death and the Devil, both of which are challenging cards for us all. Today through this depiction Temperance reminds me of Venus, the Planet that rules Taurus the Bull, in astrology. Taurus is somewhat about pleasures and personal tastes and the things we highly value. Exactly right - between Death and the Devil. Death reminds of us the time that we will lose those personal pleasures and The Devil tempts us with those same pleasures.  So I am guessing Temperance then is about blending those treasures into our lives while we can without being overly tempted by them; definitely a lesson for our lifetime.

Tarot of Durer

Short Supply

 

Where is the rush? Why the rush? We are all headed in the same direction, eventually. I admit I ran fast and hard a lot of my younger years, these days, slower and more mindful are the precept of my actions. I want to enjoy more of the day, each day, instead of asking myself, where did the time go?  

"Take time to make time, make time to be there"  Lady by Little River Band.

The Good Tarot

Hmmmm

Hmmm.  Nothing. I am in a wait and see position.  What will Temperance reveal to me today?  What will come together that needs to be known?
I keep thinking why is Temperance between Death and the Devil in Tarot? Endings and Temptation.
Mostly questions it seems.




The Linestrider's Tarot

Recipe

Temperance never makes much sense to me.  Must be something to it, but don't feel like working it out.  For today I think I will try a new recipe.  Little of this and a little of that.  I am going to notch it up a bit, something spicy and maybe that will help with my congestion issues.









Marco Polo Tarot ~ Lo Scarabeo

Problematic

Temperance is one of those cards that most of the time I just don't get.  This depiction goes nowhere in explaining it better.  I keep seeing 'cube over square' or something like that.  Geometry or Algebra or mathematics equation. If it's about meditating on a problem for a solution, there are better ways to meditate than in this position. 
Just now I thought about Sam Wise telling Frodo "you can't go walking around Mordor in naught but your skin" or skivies or something like that.
If presented with a problematic situation today I will wait till I am alone to meditate on the difficult problem, but I will keep my clothes on.



The Fountain Tarot

Revisitation

Drew the gal on her pony again this morning followed by Temperance.  The three living beings, are all facing left and the etheral angel looking straight out at me. I don't think I am stuck in yesterdays but...last Thursday there were high winds and tornado warnings and so many asked me how I managed.  Their good intentions leave me bleeding and regretful thinking about what happened and what has been lost along the way.  I guess Temperance suggests I pour the wounding in a vessel and think about what has been gained along the way.

Fairy Tarot - Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine

Resilient

Resilient, I have heard that word used several times the last few days, and recognized that it was being repeated.  Why?  What am I supposed to hear or acknowledge with being reminded of resilient.  I wrote the word down this morning when I heard the word being used again.  The first thing I saw was 'silent' held within Resilient.  Fascinating when a word within a word jumps out at me. Resilient had two main basic meaning, Endurance and Flexibility. 
i-re-silent, i return to the silence.






The Good Tarot

Disassociate

Can there be a middle ground if you have detached from the situation?

Temperance.  I don't really understand Temperance; the depictions are too abstract for me.  I like a little more direct. To temper, to blend, to find a middle ground.  What?  I look at cards on either side of a card to help decipher or understand what message the card may bring to me.  I have to go back to the Major Arcana to help me understand Temperance.  With the Hanged Man and Death one side of Temperance and The Devil and The Tower on the other side, that's enough to give me pause with Temperance. I guess Temperance is the middle ground between all the turmoil of those cards or situations.  Still, can one be detached amongst that turbulence?



The Linestrider's Journey

Moderation

Easy does it.

I have allowed myself to become stressed and the stress has manifested into a full blown cold. Usually when the sniffles hit I can ward them off; this time, not.  Temperance advises 'easy does it.'  Maybe the blending is a suggestion for a hot toddy, except there is no whiskey in the house, and really those toddys don't offer a cure.  I started to focus on the 'path to enlightenment' but maybe the path of understanding takes us right back to the water's edge, not the other way.  Right back to my emotional take on things and that is what my stress reaction is all about.
Maybe a nice cup of hot tea blended with a dollop of honey. 

Middle Way

Temperance just about always has me scratching my head.  Blending, merging, middle of the road.  Might as well stay home for the day if you are not going to get much if anything accomplished.

I took a few minutes of contemplation and pulled out a few of my books on tarot to re-read what some had to say about Temperance. In several instances The Serenity Prayer was quoted, so for me that will be my advice from the my card draw for the day.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Different advice really than just taking the middle road or blending.  Do if can and don't if can't and be okay with myself either way.

The Gaian Tarot - Joanna Powell Colbert

p, q, i, t's

I drew the Nine of Cups again this morning.  I placed back in the deck and reshuffled and then searched and found again and the card following it for a deeper understanding about what the Nine had to relay to me.

August is a big month with lots of cosmic activity.  Not only do we have the Solar Eclipse on August 21, there is a Lunar Eclipse this Sunday that coincides with the Full Moon. The lunar eclipse will not be visible on this side of the Planet, still it's influence is bound to be felt.  Also Mercury goes retrograde on August 12th. With all that, August is considered the Hungry Ghost month in Chinese Astrology; potential threats and criminal activity are highlighted, especially in the evening hours and my guess would be during the Solar Eclipse when parts of North America will be shrouded  in darkness.  So back to my cards, August is supposed to be a fairly auspicious month for me and Temperance advises me not to get to involved with all the fray and maybe a few prayers will help too.  p-q-i-t is my take on mind my pints and quarts and dot my i's and cross my t's.

The CHINESE Tarot - Jui Guoliang

To moderate

Temperance-economy, moderation, frugality, management, accommodation. Reversed: things connected to churches, religions, sects, the priesthood, also unfortunate combinations, disunion, competing interests. (lwb)

I read somewhere along the line that Arthur Edward Waite directed everything and every part of the design of each of the Major Cards as Pamela Colman Smith drew and painted them and then he instructed her to envision and draw the Minors according to her interpretations.  And in those interpretations of the Major card, every nuance, line, and color had some meaning.   Where would one begin, say with this card when there are so many lines and bits of this and that to look at.  Can there really be any meaning to all the lines in Temperance's robe beside the the written name of God beneath the collar.  Why only two irises when irises almost always grow out of control?  The path to Sun up the hillside is fairly prominent as is the path in the Moon card towards the Moon shouldn't there be some creature emerging from the water here as well? 
I guess my message today is moderation with my thoughts and everything may not be as it appears.



Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Arthur Edward Waite/Pamela Colman Smith

I think I can choose for myself, thank you.

I wonder why the lion portrayed in Strength has wandered in to the garden of  Temperance?  This card is titled Balance, but I think balance is more of a Justice consideration.  Temperance is more of blending, but I don't see that here.  Why the red of blood or iron ore?  I don't think there is a blending quality to this card otherwise the chalice would be full of a swirl of red and white.

The caption on the bottom of the card suggests that I take everyone's input into consideration.  Why?  I have come far enough in life that I know my own mind.  I am who I am.  That fairy is so pale that I think she has given her own lifeblood to a situation and still being asked to consider others viewpoints.
The new year is just around the corner and as cast my gaze on what lies ahead, do I really have to consider what others want or think I should do? NOT. 
It is clear to me as I write this why Temperance is located between Death and the Devil in the traditional cards of the Tarot.

"Stop  letting people who do so little for you  control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions."  - Will Smith



FAIRY Tarot Cards