14 | Temperance
Model, Adriana Lentrichia
“Alchemy is known as the divine chemistry. The process of creation through opposing forces. With the poison that provokes the journey also being the medicine, if we learn how to embrace it.”
-Sarah Elkhaldy
Temperance is card number 14 in the Tarot’s Major Arcana. The number 14 in numerology represents a union of opposites, symbolizing a journey towards balance and stability through lessons in self-control. Encouraging the embrace of change to find an inner equilibrium of harmony. The number 14 can also be reduced further, 1 + 4 = 5. When broken down to the number 5, we see it connected to the frequency of balance between the material and spiritual aspects of life, as explored in The Hierophant’s card.
Temperance comes up to show us the need for balance, by way of blending and creating perfect harmony. Signifying that transformation is afoot, with a divine, higher intelligence lending a hand, transmuting heavy, lead-like energy into gold nuggets of wisdom through the work of spiritual alchemy. Inviting us into the mythic to work with the esoteric, as we stand with one foot in the material and the other in divine consciousness to learn, heal, and grow into the best versions of ourselves. With the past and future becoming a fluid state during this time of transfiguration, we must surrender and trust the process of integration we’re put into that aligns us with our authentic selves.
General Meaning- Transformation, spiritual alchemy, manifestation, mysticism, harmony, balance, & peace.
When out of Alignment - Imbalance, excess, extremes, reckless, & hasty.
Navigating Temperance’s archetypal energy-
Alchemy can be thought of as divine chemistry: a connection of consciousness and the material with a transformation occurring between the two. Helping us realize things aren’t always as solid as they may seem, and asking us to, instead, see things more fluidly. When we become aware of this pattern of thinking, we start to see the sacred in the mundane and view the symbols communicating with us, letting us in on the work and creative processes. Secrecy and alchemy go hand in hand, making for the symbolic nature of how the great work communicates with us, unique to our individual experience. There are many great alchemy transformations we can think of in nature: the creation of the pearl in the oyster shell, the lotus in the mud, and the pressure needed to form a diamond as just a few examples of the process.
The Seven Stages of Spiritual Alchemy
Calcination- Heating and decomposing raw matter by breaking down parts of ourselves that aren't serving us. The stage where we just begin to break down our egos around self-doubt, stubbornness, self-sabotaging behavior, pride, and arrogance to see what lies underneath.
Dissolution- Peeling back the illusory self. Once free of the ego's grip, we can take a step back and really see what's going on under the hood, both positive and negative. In this stage, we become aware of how our behavior affects others by being able to see it in a clearer light. This is the beginning of the spiritual awakening process, and the stage of transformation is typically brought about by a Tower moment in life.
Separation- The introspective and emotional isolation stage, where we become aware of our authentic feelings towards ourselves and the world around us. We must allow all feelings and thoughts within us to surface. This stage is associated with shadow work as we become aware of our darker side, as we get to really know what was hidden from us previously.
Conjunction- After the purification and clarification of the first three stages, it's now time to integrate and combine the remaining elements within us. This step provides the inner space and simmering required to truly and honestly accept all parts of our authentic self. During this stage, many of our long-forgotten or suppressed unconscious thoughts and feelings bubble up to the surface and into the light of conscious awareness. During this stage of integration, journaling, meditation, and meditative movement are helpful.
Fermentation- The beginning of our process of rebirth, comparable to the death of a grape, which then becomes the birth of wine. While the previous stages involved the workings of our old personality, in this stage, we begin to connect to our more refined self. Fermentation occurs in two parts: Putrefaction & Spiritization. Putrefaction is the decomposition of our former selves, the process of inner death by which our conscious and unconscious minds are allowed to rot and decompose (known as The Dark Night of the Soul), and can feel depressing. While the Spiritization is when we see the world in a new light and, with it, let go of all the aspects of ourselves in our lives that don't serve us. By doing so, we connect to great inner peace and stillness.
Distillation- Once we begin our Spiritization, we must continue to integrate all of these spiritual realizations into our lives in order for them to become permanent. Distillation is the level of further purification. With enough practice of constantly dying and being reborn in the present moment and leaving behind patterns, habits, and cycles of the mind, we experience a strong and profound transformation, also known as self-realization or spiritual enlightenment. Mindfulness practices like meditation and self-inquiry are useful in this stage to help push through to the next stage.
Coagulation- The moment when we've broken open the head or have freed the mind and consciousness, uniting the soul with the spirit, also known as Materia Prima. It's at this point that we've found the Elixir of Life, also known as The Philosopher's Stone. This non-dualistic meeting point between two opposites, the spiritual self and human self, ego and soul, inner and outer worlds. It represents the culmination of the spiritual journey and spiritual freedom of enlightenment.
In this card, we see Temperance as an angel dressed in white pouring an ethereal watery alixir between two chalices. In the waters, we can see the alchemy symbols for each of the elements: earth, fire, water, air, and spirit. Water is the most important element in this card, with the mixture flowing between the cups as well as the water in the background, symbolizing fluidity and water’s symbolism of emotion, intuition, and creativity. We see mountains in the background, reflecting the journey of this card’s lesson, being both beautiful and challenging. We can also see the crown of light of energy around the angel’s head, highlighting the concentration of divine, intuitive, and enlightened energy she possesses to do this great transformative work.
Next up, dealing with addiction, escapism, and personal demons with The Devil. Stay tuned for the next card release in The Green Mountain Major Arcana’s journey next Friday, 8/1!
With love,
Megan Gonzalez
