XIV Moderation

Ahhh, Moderation - formerly known as Temperance - it used to be my absolute least favorite card when I was young, now that I understand it, it ranks among my favorites. Of course, I'm older now and it
s not only easier to grasp the concept, it makes sense to.

In my teens, I'd pull XIV, see that darned angel pouring out water - some on the land, some in the sea - and I'd think, "Temperance? Who are you to tell me how I should behave...and what fun is temperance anyway?" By the time I was in my thirties it began to dawn on me both that drinking so much that I woke up with a headache was not something I really wanted to do and that perhaps Temperance wasn't telling me not to drink at all, just not to drink so much that it made me sick. That's when XIV and I got to be on speaking terms. I didn't love the card, but I didn't hate it either.

Then, as I entered my fifties and I began to see the Really Big Picture, everything changed. The Interconnectedness of Being hooked up with the Yin and Yang of everything and the concept of Balance took on a whole new meaning as I sought to find it in the subtle workings of my own life. So when, in 2005, some part of my higher being visited me with this concept of bringing tarot into the 21st century by updating the deck to reflect reality and the whole world, I was ready to look at XIV in a way that would be more accessible and, having found that balance in my life, I actually knew what it felt like, hence the simplicity of one chair waiting for one person to sit down, calm down and just be, connecting to the inherent balance in being.

Everything, so the saying goes, in moderation. Strict adherence to almost any path carries the danger of stagnation, fanaticism or just plain boredom. Many medicines - especially the ones from Mother Nature herself - are dangerous and even deadly when taken in excess...but in moderation they are a welcome and effective cure. There are exceptions to this 'rule' of course...and that is both logical and moderate. There are times to go overboard and there are certainly things one should never do...under ordinary circumstances. Situational ethics has its place, after all.

XIV turns out to be a complex card and one that, when it shows up in a reading, is a reminder to ask yourself questions about appropriateness, common sense and, of course, balance.

Moderation...it's a beautiful thing.