Tempering the Extreme Within ~ Tarot for Tuesday, 25 October 2016

We’re reluctant to temper the extreme within at times. Some of us live there, enjoying the exhilaration felt, reluctant to achieve the very balance we so desperately need. Temperance, the 5 of Cups, and the 8 of Wands comprise today’s three-card reading from my Morgan-Greer deck. Fire and Water are present in the reading and the numerology reduces to nine, or completion.

An angel stands before a pond, one foot on land, the other beneath the water, pouring water from one cup to the other, a symbol for Fire on her chest. Temperance, a card from the Major Arcana, expresses moderation by quenching Fire with Water. It speaks to our self-control, of adaptation, and purification. And it’s interesting that Temperance begins a reading containing Fire and Water cards.

Moving to the 5 of Cups, the next card in the spread, a man looks down, despondent at his apparent loss. He’s so focused on the empty cups before him that he seems unaware of the two remaining cups behind him. The castle on the cliff overlooking the ocean in the distance indicates prosperity in his life, yet he’s not happy.

The 8 of Wands illustrates swift movement in alignment and synchronicity. Explosive in nature, the wands move in both a unified and unrestrained manner, projecting confidence and strength. Sudden action is the theme of this card.

This reading asks us to temper or balance our emotions with our creativity. Considering the man on the 5 of Cups, it’s easy to see how we can become caught up in our emotional reactions and fail to acknowledge the positive aspects of our lives. At either extreme, our creative process is hindered by overreaction or overreach. We may fail to act when we should, or vice versa. Either way, our alignment is no longer active, affecting any progress or outcome we might achieve.

It’s not that going to the extreme isn’t useful from time to time, but that living there prevents us from seeing all options before us. And it tends to result in the sort of negative self-talk that prevents us from succeeding at all. Alignment, on the other hand, allows us to feel the exhilaration of moving through life in nonresistance. We’re in control when aligned and in that state we can accomplish anything.

Blessed Be.