‘One
day when I was twenty-three or twenty-four this sentence seemed to form
in my head, without my willing it, much as sentences form when we are
half-asleep, ‘Hammer your thoughts
into unity’
.
For days I could think of nothing else and for years I tested all I did
by that sentence [...]” William Butler Yeats (cited in Frank Tuohy, Yeats,
1976, p.51 )
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TEMPERANCE:To moderate oneself in thought, action, and emotions. One of the seven virtues. Before Gregory the Great introduced three more virtues, there were mainly four virtues that were celebrated: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice. It was the school of Socrates that made the above mentioned virtues popular. Later on Gregory the great introduced Faith, Hope, and Love or Charity. /www.mp3joseph.com/temperance.jpg
A typical Renaissance illustration of the virtue is Peter Flotner’s plaquette of 1540, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
www.metmuseum.org
In the Tarot Card system card no. 14 stands for
• TEMPERANCE
• BALANCE
• HEALTH
• COMBINATION
being temperate
finding the middle ground
showing moderation
avoiding excess
mitigating a harsh position
looking for the golden mean
reaching a compromise
offsetting an extreme
maintaining balance
experiencing harmony
achieving equilibrium
bringing together opposites
recognizing all sides
fostering cooperation
feeling centered and secure
experiencing health
renewing energy and vigor
healing
enjoying well-being
recovering
flourishing
combining forces
gathering together what is needed
joining with others
consolidating
finding the right mix
creating synthesis
getting it all together
www.learntarot.com/
