Temperance

The 14th Key

Colour: Blue
Sound: G Sharp
Sign: Sagittarius (Mutable Fire)
SIMPLE LETTER: Anger

This Path connects the Foundation with Beauty. The Personality to the Higher Self.

It is a Path of trial and temptation. Related to the dark night of the soul. A dark tunnel one would only enter under the believe that Light will be found on the other end. The Light on this Path can be likened to the knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.

The depicts how the experience of the Personality beginning to become aware of the Higher Self is brought about. Through an exchange and rebalance of opposites within the body as directed by the will. Symbolised by a stream poured back and forth from one vase to another. This is the Living Waters of consciousness vivified by being merged with the Fiery Spirit. By bringing the Spirit into the body it tempers the consciousness and is itself tempered by the consciousness. This process forms something new, something which is more than the sum of its parts.

The process is ongoing. The body is tested to see how much it can bear and when it can handle the stress of the energy interchange sumbolised on the card, the arrow of the Archer is released. The Angel ensures that we do not take on more than we can handle, giving an admonishing jolt when required for our protection.

The Path is Sagittarius, the Archer, who is associated with Dianna the huntress Goddess of the Moon. Her function is to govern the tides of the Earth and the fluctuations of the Astral current. She is the framework for the waxing and waning energies of existence. Thus, she is the prop. The control. It can therefore be concluded that all the energy in the Universe is controlled and manipulated within specific restrictions, and she represents those restrictions. To illustrate, consciousness (water) is acted upon by the kundalini (sexual fire) which produce the images (air) of the astral that form in our minds (earth). The principle is one of producing a consciously controlled vision that is limited by the will.

On the card the Angel is depicted as having one foot on the ground and one foot in the water. These represent solid matter and fluid consciousness, the opposites we seek to manipulate through the conscious use of the Solar Fire. The process involves an inner manipulation of sexual energies, the mental control thereof, its conscious manipulation.

Attributed to this card is anger. Two meanings of anger can be likened to this Path. One is Diving Rage, a passion so overwhelming that its force draws the bow and releases the arrow of Sagittarius on the upward middle pillar as discussed above. The other is a very real hostility often felt by the student toward the Path itself as he works day after day and seems to go nowhere. This hostility is itself a test.

Upon mastery of this Path one can change the rate of vibration of their inner energy and raise or lower their level consciousness to move chakra to chakra or path to path. Until this is accomplished, the Higher Self will not be known to the Personality.

To even approach Temperance a person must have begun to Temper the water of the Moon, the fire of Judgement and ground the interchange on the path of the World. The lower Self must be balanced.