Sagittarius Tarot: Temperance
The completionist in me has always been irked by the fact that only three of the four classic Cardinal Virtues appear on Tarot cards. We saw Fortitude (or Strength) in August when we looked at Leo, the lion in the illustration helping to sell the point. Justice showed up two months later, in connection with Libra – again, the imagery of the scales is especially relevant. And the current sign, Sagittarius, corresponds to Major Arcana #14 Temperance. Some commentators suggest a link between Prudence and #2 The High Priestess… but if the other three are named explicitly, why not the fourth? The omission seems intentional to me, but to what purpose? Just another mystery of Divination, I suppose.
As it happens, the Tarot card Temperance seemingly has very little to do with the virtue of temperance. I would almost prefer to call the card by its secondary name: The Angel. That’s certainly the focus of Pamela Colman Smith’s illustration in the Traditional Waite deck: “A winged angel… neither male nor female… pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice.” But Arthur Edward Waite is less clear on the meanings behind the card in his Pictorial Key to the Tarot, explaining rather vaguely: “Under that rule [of Temperance] we know in our rational part something of whence we came and whither we are going.”
Focusing on the Angel also creates a clearer connection with the next card in the Tarot (which also corresponds to the next sign) The Devil - but we’ll get to that next month. The figure of the Angel also better corresponds to the Baseball Tarot version of this card: The Hero. This card isn’t necessarily about the best all-around players, but rather those who can make the right plays at the right time. It speaks to the concept formerly known as clutch, if there were such a thing. Actually clutch, in terms of how often certain players happen to make the key plays, is a thing that can be measured. What’s in question is whether certain players have a natural propensity to make those plays.
Since this card has more to do with situational performance than raw talent, Mark Lerner and Laura Philips make a point that “every player can experience being a Hero from time to time. … [T]he weakest hitter, fielder, or pitcher can rise to the heights and for one magical moment shine at the center of a team’s celebration.” In real-world terms that can be more widely applied to a reading, this card focuses on optimism, making smart adjustments, and having a good attitude. These are ideals that would seem to come easily to a mutable fire sign like Sagittarius. Although again, I’m not exactly sure how well they connect to the traditional card of Temperance.
Next time, I’ll return to my in-depth looks at all 2021 FABL signs with Aquarius. If you’re surprised to see this perennially bottom-feeding sign show up so high in the standings, you’re not alone.