I see you in The In Between

My January Epiphany and the Temperance Card in Tarot

Thank you so much for your excitement and participation about the sacred nights of dreaming and the liminal times between the years. I hope you spend wonderful days with your family, had chaotic holy days or peaceful nights, a wondrous time after winter solstice, no matter what you call it, yule days, Celtic nights, Rauhnächte, Rauchnächte… I believe they all root back to the same roots, and we get to further incorporate them this month.

Over the centuries calendars changed and therefore any counting you will do is always subject to some variation. Hence why you don´t have to strictly follow a 12 night plan, more importantly I find is to make space for observation, presence and love. And celebration, life affirmation, divination.

And so today I send you a message of gratitude and remembrance. May these words bring you temperance, retreat, patience.

I will end this sacred time and my daily mails with a wise poem that speaks not only of this time but the inner season of harnessing patience and trust. Which brings me to share my very honest and practical (love me a solution based writing) perspective on January and how the temperance card in tarot helps our subconscious to be in the same boat.

I hope this little letter finds you well and you might even take the time to reply. I always love hearing from you.

The In Between

Pretty soon the maple sap will flow,
the ice will melt,
and the delicate spring buds will emerge.
Until then we exist in the in between,
almost ready,
but not quite.
All in its own perfect timing.
Life is like that.
The stillness is a part of the expansion.
Pregnant with anticipation.
We get a taste
of the light and the warmth,
but if the sap runs too early,
it could freeze.
If the buds emerge too soon,
they could be destroyed.
You too could be left bare of the medicine
they are meant to offer
if you push too soon.
This is the in between
A liminal delicate time,
To gather the energy of the world,
Readying ourselves to emerge.

(Brittany Gill, 2022)

Todays walk led us to a lake in the Black Forest, known for its nymphs that bring compassion and love to the world once they emerge from the deep waters. It was a misty, cold day in my childhood area that was like homecoming for my soul.

By now most of you have probably stumbled across wintery images which beautifully illustrate how nature is now baring itself only to be covered in a layer of snow. The invitation to retreat underground is loudly proclaimed as an important time to pause, reflect, nourish yourself and your seeds deep within the earth so that they can blossom with renewed energy and fresh inspiration in spring.

However, it is easier said than done.

In a world that values doing so much more than being, that takes functioning for granted and in which endless productivity does not allow for breaks or - if you "have" to take one - leads directly to the fear of falling behind or makes you believe that you are no longer enough or that others will do it instead and achieve much more and are therefore somehow "better".

PHEW.

It's quite exhausting and pretty much the exact opposite of the peaceful winter pictures on Christmas postcards or in your Instagram feed.

Exactly, who can "afford" it? The break that stops the hamster wheel? Because if it stopped, we might tumble out and lose our position in the tour de stress!

Or - maybe even scarier - gain insights into our emotional world and realise that we have long since let our dreams gather dust in order to be ordinary.

Brrr shudder.

Because even though we all think we long for an extraordinary life, we are secretly afraid of breaking out of the ordinary.

I could write a whole essay about the power of the comfort zone and the transformation that happens when you leave it, and I certainly have in my cacao and priestess related work, but for now it's back to midwinter and the start of a new year count - and after all, one is connected to the other, because:

In our hectic society, it can be quite unpleasant to retreat into hibernation.

You might think that resting is nice and not unpleasant - and sure, if you really need to rest, it is - but who gets to do that these days? After 5 minutes of putting your feet up, you have to wrap the presents, bake the cookies or get the job done, or you don't even dare to take a break for fear of not being able to keep up.

Sounds a lot like Momo¹ to me. Except that the grey men don´t need to steal our time anymore, as we started doing it ourselves.

A wonderful invitation to move from fear to love. But let me tell you, it is not a switch. Most of the time you have to endure the fear first, do what you're afraid of, persevere when fear stays and then actively choose to trust. But you can be in love throughout the whole process by allowing yourself to feel everything and also allowing failure. Because if we want to love ourselves and others unconditionally, then we also have to make mistakes and possible “wrong” decisions - which often turn out to be wondrous lessons.

So my practical magic tip for January is: be present instead of playing the producer.

Curiously explore the triggers that want to make you believe that you have to set New Year goals, immediately start implementing a NY Resolution and doubling your income, all the while the holidays are over and work load keeps stacking up behind you.

Do you really have to write a post, create an advertisement or do something else to meet your standards (which are mostly those of others) instead of making yourself cosy and rest like Mama Bear in her earthy cave?

Midwinter can make deeply rooted issues tangible in the darkness, which can hurt at first. But this is the only way we can be honest and in integrity with ourselves and, rest assured, the light will return. However, instead of trying to force it to return, snuggle up in the winter nights and use this time for introspection. Because when we have faced our fears and actually make space for the break in the dark, our dreams can sparkle.

Instead of negating this dark, wishing it away, escaping the cold or filling days with activities and keeping up productive summer mode, try to see the potential of winter now.

Because only when we ourselves start to break out of the hamster wheel can we see that there is a life outside of it.

Now, let´s move on from conscious practicality to subconscious alignment

Why the temperance card in Tarot it is THE card to meditate on and vibe with in JANUARY (in my humble opintion).

Temperance from the Magic Soul Tarot by my dear friend Julia Aurelia. Check out her YouTube (german here | english here), you wont regret it.

On the Temperance card, there is an angel with wings, whose gender is not immediately obvious, which suggests that there is a balance between the sexes. In the traditional Rider Waite Tarot, the angel´s right foot is in water, to represent the subconscious, while the other foot is on dry land, a representation of the material world. The angel is usually depicted holding two cups in a manner from which a liquid flows between them, suggesting union and infinity.

MODERATION - BALANCE - PATIENCE
Everything about this card represents balance, the perfect harmony that comes from the union of dualities. Her advice is to test any new waters, before jumping into the deep end.

In moments where there is anxiety or great stress, Temperance suggests to remain calm throughout and master the art of not letting things get to you. The Temperance card implies that you have a clear vision and know what you want to achieve. It reflects that you have found peace with what you are doing and everything is unfolding as it ought to.

Temperance may also indicate a time to evaluate and re-examine the priorities you have chosen. This will help you create a balance between your outer and inner self. At the end of it all, you will find greater purpose and meaning in your actions, for her message is that we cannot live fully in either. 

Source: https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/temperance-meaning-major-arcana-tarot-card-meanings

Dear

Jenna Newell Hiott

from

Witchcraft and Metaphysics with Jenna Newell Hiott

gives us another important aspect of the Temperance, one that reminds us of the context of the card, following death.

Like January follows December, midwinter and the Winter Solstice - not yet spring, still immersed in winter slumber, yet days are growing longer and we start to actively envision our year to come, instead of only dreaming and processing about what has gone.

Although all the tarot cards are part of a whole story, Temperance is one whose context I think is particularly important. In the major arcana, Temperance follows Death.

Here’s what this means to me: Death is a time of transformation when the opposing poles of duality die and fall away. What we’re left with, then, is the middle ground, aka Temperance.

Up and down have fallen away and what we’re left with is the space between (a place where water can flow sideways).

When we shift our focus from only seeing the ends of a spectrum to also seeing the relationship between, we begin to see connections and patterns everywhere. We have the capacity to hold paradox. We don’t have to be one way or another, but can understand that we are nuanced and complex enough to be all the things.

As part of this, and as the angel demonstrates by standing on both earth and water, we can learn to be very grounded here. This is a reminder to not slip off into reactivity, but to be still in the gooey mix of the middle.

Archetype and The Tarot: The Storyteller and Temperance

Yet, again we find ourselves in The In Between.

I will leave you here for now and wish you get to find bliss in the Becoming of it all whilst the hardship of the past slowly melts from your shoulders.

1. Momo is a childrens book by Michael Ende, that truly is for adults, too. There also is a sweet movie based on the book. I highly recommend reading it in various stages of your life.