Sagittarius-Jupiter-Temperance card

This week I am writing about the 9^th sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius, briefly about its ruler planet Jupiter as I have written in detail in the Pisces blog and the Tarot card associate with Sagittarius, Temperance card.

It took me more time than normal to write this blog. However, until the other day, I was still thinking about the connection between Sagittarius and Temperance. Normally, I write about the card looking into the depiction or the meaning or both and then I make the connection with the sign. This time it was a bit challenging. Thanks to the sources that I have investigated, I managed to get information, so that I can explain the relationship between two.

Sagittarius, the archer, the centaur ready to target with the bow and arrow in the hands…It is a fire sign like Aries and it is a mutable one like Virgo, Gemini and Pisces.

So, in astrological terms what kind of traits are we talking about? On the positive side, Sagittarius Sun people may seem very flexible, try to be really fair in the sense that they may try to please everyone and also they may be freedom-loving, adventurous. On the flip side, flexibility and sense of justice may get them under too much responsibility that they may not be able to carry all this burden. Also, they may be too direct to the point of being ‘blunt’ sometimes. And mostly, due to the fire energy, they may be impatient, too. (As I always say, these are general traits, does not mean that every person with Sun sign as Sagittarius should reflect these characteristics 100% as our natal charts are like a puzzle, and different placements may change the picture that we may get out of this puzzle.)

In terms of astronomy, “Sagittarius is one of the largest southern constellations. It is easy to find because it lies on the Milky Way and its brightest stars form an asterism known as the Teapot.” https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/sagittarius-constellation/

Having said that, why is Jupiter the ruler of Sagittarius? Before explaining the connection, let me quote a small part about Jupiter from the previous blog “Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and in mythology he was “the supreme god. He was Jupiter Elicius – one who brings forth. In terms of astrology, Jupiter is about expansion, growth, sometimes luck or ‘generosity’ in a natal chart.” For more information on Jupiter, you may have a look at my website https://amethystastrotarot.com/?p=845.

It is true that Jupiter’s visionary, explorative, expansionist and also its exaggerated scale traits are well expressed in Sagittarius that may search the meaning of the world via the travels, adventures or not thinking about the end results before starting a job/work which can be a result of risk taking quality of Jupiter. (both planets and signs, they may have quite a large number of qualities associated with them, so hard to indicate all of them within the limits of a blog) 

As for the Temperance card, it may tell us to be able to get a balance of our emotions and try not to be on the extreme sides to keep a harmonious level. It is important a quote from A.E. Waite (p.286 in the Library of Esoterica Tarot – original source is the Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Waite): “…It is called Temperance fantastically, because when the rule of it obtains in our consciousness, it tempers, combines and harmonizes the psychic and material natures…

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I searched about this card in a few sources. One of them being ‘The library of Esoterica Tarot’ and the other one is ‘The Tarot History, Symbolism and Divination’ by Robert M. Place. The information in the latter is quite interesting, it turns out that in the older version of cards “there is a rainbow arching across the sky behind the angel”. And in Hebrew, archer and rainbow/bow seem to be coming from the same root and in ancient Hebrew this word for rainbow was associated with the sign Sagittarius. Having said that, also there are Iris flowers on the card and the Goddess Iris “in Greek mythology is the personification of the rainbow and a messenger of the Gods.”https://www.britannica.com/topic/Iris-Greek-mythology

And the triangle “is called tetractys and the Pythagoreans considered it sacred” so Place is saying (p.205) that “triangle in square is a symbol of spirit contained in matter.”

So, I think the symbolism on the card has a lot to do with Sagittarius but thinking of the Sagittarius described by Gillett in ‘The Secret Language of Astrology’ “Like the archer, Sagittarius must hold back and concentrate before firing; determine first which judgement or action will bring about the most change for good. By focusing upon the ultimate goal, all other aspirations will fall into place and energy can be used most effectively.”

In a way, a more patient and concentrated Sagittarius who seems to be already ‘just’ with its approach to people and whose fulfilment especially in terms of its search for the meaning of the “world’s ills”(Gillett) may be achieved with a combination of philosophical and physical journeys, is the total of what Waite and Place describe about Temperance card.

I hope that you all enjoyed this week’s blog and have lots of colours in your week and in the month of July like in my ‘rainbow’ photo. Next week, I may cover Leo, Sun and The Strength card.

If any questions, please do not hesitate to drop an e-mail to tpastrotarot@gmail.com or please pay a visit to my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tpastrotarot.

Stay well and keep safe until next week,

Teri