Temperance

Tricia Newell has painted Temperance as the enchanting winged goddess Iris encircled in a rainbow. Homer said that Iris does not appear to be the goddess of the rainbow, but the rainbow itself. She is the messenger of the gods that appears or disappears quickly. She appears most frequently in times of need. The rainbow is often associated with sunlight, but can be visible in the the night.

The rainbow is an optical illusion that is always opposite the direction of the light. This phenomena occurs when there is right amount of moisture in the air and the light is reflected off the moisture. A rainbow can frequently be seen around waterfalls. This card illustrated Iris continuously pours water to add the moisture to the Sky. She keeps the delicate balance of pouring the water from the river Styx back and forth between two cups. The water from the river Styx has the power to make the gods lose their voice or became immortal. Iris is married to Zephyrus whose breath gently blows the moisture into the air maintaining the rainbow effect. In ancient legend Zephyrus blows the wings of Iris and she circles keeping the Harpies from crossing the river Styx. The beauty created by the gentle balance between these two suggests the potential for harmony in relationships.

The Iris also represents the contrasting colored part of the eye. The eye must maintain a delicate balance of moisture in order for us to see. Iris identification systems are being developed because no two people share the exact same color spectrum of the Iris. Iris recognition systems are also finding unexpected applications. The best know example involved using iris recognition to confirm the identification. Perhaps eyes are really the mirror of the soul.

Nancy Garen in "The Tarot Made Easy" writes that this card indicates the the ability to turn an negative situation into a positive one by redirecting your energies. (Spin Spider, spin!) This card indicates the need to find a balance with all the areas in your life. When your are spinng too hard you loose your balance and fall. Sometimes when we stir our energies we need to ward of the negative emotions that surface from the past. Do not allow your Harpies to drink from the river Styx for you do not want this negative energy for eternity, nor do you want to keep from speaking your peace.

Keeping the balance between the inner and outer wold, this is a good time to examine your spiritual "inheritance" and received the encouragement to look beyond your limitations. Your spiritual "inheritance" will allow you to neutralize and transform situations in a colorful way.

On learntarot.com we discover that this card is about finding the golden mean and feeling centered and secure. This is a time for synthesis and healing as we allow the water from the river Styx to flow.