Temperance Tarot Card Meaning
Major Arcana card XIV · Balance, patience, and the middle path
Temperance: 14
Meaning
You are good at mixing things that seem different and finding the middle way. You are patient and calm, and you are not a person of extremes.
Guidance
Look at your week and see what is out of balance: work, rest, people or money. Change one thing a little, not everything at once.
Shadow
Avoiding strong choices just to keep the peace. Too much balance can look like never taking a side.
In Love
In love, you aim for calm, balance and give and take. You are good at blending two different lives, and you do not like extremes.
In Work and Career
At work, you mix people and ideas well, and you stay even-tempered. Steady, long-term work and teamwork can fit you.
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About Temperance
Temperance is card XIV of the 22 Major Arcana. Its main ideas are balance, patience, and the middle path. In tarot, the Major Arcana show the big themes of life, and Temperance is one of them.
If this is your birth card, it is a symbol to think about, not a rule or a prediction. Read the meaning, the guidance and the shadow side, and see which parts feel true for you.
How To Get Temperance As Your Birth Card
Your birth card comes from the digits of your birth date. Add every digit of the date (year, month and day). Here is how that leads to Temperance, for birth dates from 1900 to 2099.
- Tarot Birth Card method: you get Temperance when your digits add up to 14.
- Digital Root method: this method only ends on 1 to 9, 11 or 22, so it does not give Temperance as a main card.
Do not want to do the math? Our free Arcana Calculator does it in a second and shows every step.
Quick Facts
| Card | Temperance |
| Number | XIV (14) |
| Group | Major Arcana |
| Main ideas | Balance, patience, and the middle path |
| Element | Fire |
| Planet | Jupiter |
| Sign | Sagittarius |
These links follow the Rider-Waite-Smith order, where Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The card picture is a scan of the original 1909 deck, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith.
More Cards
Read about the other Major Arcana cards:
Temperance FAQs
What does Temperance mean as a birth card?
You are good at mixing things that seem different and finding the middle way. You are patient and calm, and you are not a person of extremes.
What number is Temperance in the Major Arcana?
Temperance is card XIV (14) in the Rider-Waite-Smith order of the 22 Major Arcana cards.
Which element and planet go with Temperance?
Temperance goes with the element Fire and the planet Jupiter, and with the sign Sagittarius. These links come from the tarot and astrology tradition and are symbolic.
How do I find out if Temperance is my birth card?
Use the free Arcana Calculator on our home page. Enter your birth date and it adds the digits for you, shows every step, and tells you which Major Arcana card is yours.