XIV. Temperance

From The Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite:

XIV. Temperance - Economy, moderation, frugality, management, accommodation.

Reversed: Things connected with churches, religions, sects, the priesthood, also unfortunate combinations, disunion, competing interests.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RWS_Tarot_14_Temperance.jpg

Temperance depicts the process of continuous transmutation that sustains the Earth and all its life. The representation of the transformation of coarse matter into fine matter is shown through colors ranging from black for coarse, white for the process of purification and transmutation (gold), and red for refined materials. In the card, the Earth is green with life, but the dense matter of the Earth fueling the reaction we see is the black soil underneath and mana drawn from the water.

The angel Temperance conducts the alchemic transmutation process with divine intention within their body, this represented by the white dress that carries the triangle as symbol of divine femininity and the tetragrammaton JHVH (Jehovah). The alchemic process results in the red wings growing from the angel's back and in the radiant energy released from the angel's crown. Conversion of coarse material into fine results in an energetic imbalance that must be released through the crown. Both sides of the alchemic process must balance, equaling out to zero.

To obtain just one of the angelic feathers produced in the reaction is to obtain the philosopher's stone.

One can relate the angelic alchemic process on display to the human energetic body. The energy points in the feet and lower legs are black from the energy they pull in from the Earth, and this energy is processed into the root's red life giving energy seated at the base of the spine.

Each and every one of us carries within ourselves a life sustaining philosopher's stone more often referred to as the root chakra. The journey of our lives towards enlightenment begins and is continuously supplied from the transmutation process performed by Temperance at the beginning of life's path.

For us, Temperance was the seventh card pulled, representing the inner self. The process of transmutation is an inner process. The card flipped reverse, and relating back to the Imperial reading Temperance in reverse depicts the modern societal transmutation process currently practiced and overseen by the Emperor.

Rather than forming the life giving root energy needed to reproduce society by working the energies of the Earth, transmuting coarse material into fine, the Emperor though his organ the State Church pulls down the divine energy necessary to densify the fine matter of the higher energies, combine them with the finer material within the body to fuel the philosopher's stone, to produce the root fuel giving life. Pulling down the divine through the Church is necessary to operate in this way, remember, both sides of the alchemical equation must balance out to zero.

Whereas every living being stands upon the Earth, granting all equal access to the materials necessary to sustain life, the Emperor can meter out the divine materials for the reverse method as he sees fit. One must bow to Imperial authority to be fed from the Emperor's hand. I will note it is the Emperor at the head of the cult of personality, not the High Priestess or the Hierophant.

It is incumbent on each and every one of us to realign ourselves to feed ourselves and the heavens we wish for from the bountiful Earth. The heavens will return our gifts of energy to the Earth by raining it down upon the mountains. The mountains then distribute the mana enriched waters from heaven via gravity back onto the plains full of life. The soil of the Earth is enriched from above as we pull that enrichment out through our alchemic labor below, and the entire process balances itself to zero once again.

The symbol of the advanced spiritual master sitting atop a mountain comes from this, the mountain top is where the mana of heaven rains down in its purest form. The human who begins their life in the waters at Temperance's feet will journey through many lives to the top of the mountain, gathering and carrying the knowledge and experience of the journey to give it to heaven, and in return acting as a conduit for the mana to return to the Earth.

Cycles within cycles all balancing out to zero. Allness derived from nothingness. Oneness derived from naughtness.