Greater Arcana Study Group—Temperance

Abrac

A winged angel, with the sign of the sun upon his forehead and on his breast the square and triangle of the septenary. I speak of him in the masculine sense, but the figure is neither male nor female. It is held to be pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice. It has one foot upon the earth and one upon waters, thus illustrating the nature of the essences. A direct path goes up to certain heights on the verge of the horizon, and above there is a great light, through which a crown is seen vaguely. Hereof is some part of the Secret of Eternal Life, as it is possible to man in his incarnation. All the conventional emblems are renounced herein.

So also are the conventional meanings, which refer to changes in the seasons, perpetual movement of life, and even the combination of ideas. It is, moreover, untrue to say that the figure symbolizes the genius of the sun, though it is the analogy of solar light, realized in the third part of our human triplicity. 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. Under that rule we know in our rational part something of whence we came and whither we are going.
 

Abrac

The first sentence is practically verbatim from Lévi.

Lévi:

“. . .an angel with the sign of the sun upon her forehead, and on the breast the square and triangle of the septenary. . .”​

Waite:

“A winged angel, with the sign of the sun upon his forehead and on his breast the square and triangle of the septenary.”​

It seems to me Waite drew most directly from the Golden Dawn version. Katz & Goodwin seem to think the GD version was influenced by Lévi’s "Hermetic Magic.” In Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot they write:

“The image also draws from Éliphas Lévi, whose illustration of hermetic magic in The History of Magic (1860) was used for the Golden Dawn tarot design—one of two versions. In that image, a crowned female figure pours forth water from a jug in her right hand, and holds a reversed torch in her left. In front of her is a bowl from which steam rises, on either side of which is a lion and another creature, possibly a dog. The two creatures are attached to the woman by a rope to her belt. Lévi says this is a reproduction from an ‘ancient manuscript.’ ”​

They don’t say anything else about the image’s influence on the GD version so one has to assume they’re privy to inside information. It says there are two GD versions, one of which was influenced by Lévi. The Regardie version doesn’t look like a very good candidate so maybe it’s the other one.

I found an image in Waite’s The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry that may hold clues to the square and triangle.

Seal of Hermes

In the Tree of Life Waite was using at the time, Temperance occupies the 25th path from Yesod to Tiphareth; from this, certain assumptions might be drawn. Being on the central pillar, Temperance balances and harmonizes the other two pillars. And being the Portal to Tiphareth, it brings together Tiphareth with the four sephiroth below it.

By “human triplicity” I believe Waite means body, soul and spirit, or however one might want to express it; terrestrial, celestial, super-celestial as an example. Waite gives another clue when he says “. . .it tempers, combines and harmonizes the psychic and material natures.” One of the “natures” is psychic (emotional) and the other is material. This refers to water and earth on which the angel is standing. The “. . .solar light, realized in the third part of our human triplicity” refers to the awakening of the Divine spirit within, in my opinion; it seems very likely also it refers to Tiphareth. Now the emblems on the angel's breast become a little more focused. The Tetragram YHVH refers to the Divine and the triangle & square represent the material and psychic natures. Notice in the Seal of Hermes image posted above that the triangle is designated “Water.” This symbolism is played out on another level by the sun on the angel's forehead and the two chalices.

The "crown" on the horizon is Kether in all likelihood. The "direct path" refers to the middle pillar as it is the direct route between the Worlds.

One thing that really puzzles me is where Waite says, “It is called Temperance, fantastically. . .” :confused:
 

Abrac

I recalled a quote from Waite that I've run across several times in his various writings:

"The mercury of the sages is that which must be fixed and volatilized—naturally it is fluidic and wandering. . ."​

I was a little baffled by the triangle labeled "water." Normally an upright triangle is Fire. This statement of Waite's made me think maybe it represents the "fluidic" in a "fixed and volitilized" state. The triangle on the angel's breast is orange, that could be a clue.

These statements from Waite also seem a little clearer looked at from this perspective:

"Hereof is some part of the Secret of Eternal Life, as it is possible to man in his incarnation."​

and

"Under that rule we know in our rational part something of whence we came and whither we are going."​

The card seems to represent a process in spiritual alchemy. I've always looked at it as a picture of an ongoing process, but now I'm starting to see it as a process that's near completion or already completed.
 

Richard

Temperance represents the Magnum Opus of Alchemy, the production of the Philosopher's Stone, which results from the synthesis of opposites, such as fire and water, consciousness and unconsciousness, spirit and soul. This is consonant with its being the path joining Tiphareth and Yesod, viewed as the Mysterium Conjunctionis: the alchemical marriage of Sun and Moon. The Angel, being androgynous ("neither male nor female," which is sort of misleading), is analogous to the Rebis (both make and female) of Crowley's Art card. It represents the consummation of the Magnum Opus. So in a sense, Temperance represents both the process (blending the contents of the vessels) and its result (the Angel).
 

Aeon418

.... that may hold clues to the square and triangle.
The Triangle is the Divine Triad. The Square is the quaternary of man. It's a variation of the Golden Dawn symbol of the Cross and Triangle.
In the Tree of Life Waite was using at the time, Temperance occupies the 25th path from Yesod to Tiphareth; ..... And being the Portal to Tiphareth, it brings together Tiphareth with the four sephiroth below it.
Yes! Quaternary = Tau(400). Triad = Shin(300). Total = 700.

700 = PRKTh, Paroketh - The Veil between the Outer and Inner Order.
 

Abrac

I think Waite must use “fantastically” here in the sense of “brilliantly” or “splendidly.” 99.9% of the time he uses the term in the sense of “fantasy” or “delusion”; this time he throws a curve ball. :)
 

Richard

I think Waite must use “fantastically” here in the sense of “brilliantly” or “splendidly.” 99.9% of the time he uses the term in the sense of “fantasy” or “delusion”; this time he throws a curve ball. :)
I agree. Also, he may be expressing an element of surprise that the traditional title fits so well. Temperance is commonly understood to indicate merely the avoidance of excess, the golden mean as it applies, for example, to the appetites: careful with the booze, don't pig out, etc. It is often characterized as a particularly "boring" card, whereas it is nothing of the sort.
 

Abrac

Tree Illustration

The illustration shows Temperance as it appears on the Golden Dawn Tree of Life and on the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross Tree. In the GD it’s Yesod-Tiphareth and in the FRC it’s Hod-Netzach.

First, a couple of quotes from Waite:

“Mercury is referred to this Grade [Hod], in the sense of Philosophical Mercury, or desire in a state of fixation on the end in God. It is that which is sought by the Wise. In the spiritual mystery of the elements, the Grade of Practicus is in correspondence with Water, symbolising the psychic nature, the emotions and desires of man. It is these that we seek to establish under the Law of Paradise.”—Practicus 3 = 8 Initiation Ritual

and

“As regards Mercury, it is affirmed that we know it now as it exists imprisoned in a body, but a day will come when it shall be liberated from present limitations and manifested as a pure, fixed, intelligible, constant fire. It is a fluidic and volatile substance, to fix which is the work of Wisdom.”—Adeptus Minor 6 =5 Initiation Ritual

In both the GD and FRC, Mercury and Water are referred to the 3 = 8 grade, Hod. In the first quote, Waite makes it clear what Mercury and the psychic nature are. In the second quote, it’s very interesting that he describes the fixed state of Mercury as a “constant fire.”

The illustration shows a triangle in Hod and a square in Netzach. I’ve inferred this from everything else. A triangle for 3 (3 = 8, Water) and square for 4 (4 = 7, Salt, Fire). Recall in the Seal of Hermes illustration above, the square is identified as Philosophical Salt. This gives a clue as to how the Square, Netzach and Fire all correspond. This quote from Waite also gives a clue:

"Imperator (Communicating in the Bread and Salt): Partake with me therefore, I pray you, of this Bread ensavoured with Salt, as emblems of Earth and its Spirit. Remember our Part of Earth and the Salt of Regeneration which ensavours it."—Neophyte 0 = 0 Initiation Ritual

On one level the material Earth on which the angel stands refers to Earth, but looking beyond that, the square points to the fire of Spirit within the material. Throughout the references I found regarding Salt, Waite refers consistently to Salt as "Salt of Wisdom." Recall above he says the art of fixing Mercury is a "work of Wisdom."

Waite makes another interesting statement:

“The symbol that lies uppermost on the Altar is that of the 27th path [Temperance]. It represents Shekinah as the Lady of Reconciliation and lady of the Pillar of Benignity, intermingling and reconciling the influences of Chesed and Geburah, regarded as cleansing water and saving fire.”— Philosophus 4 = 7 Initiation Ritual

Some of the things in this quote don’t work if you try to apply them to the Waite-Smith Temperance. For example, he calls Temperance “she” but in the Waite-Smith he says the angel has no sex. Of the Waite-Trinick image he says, “. . .intermingling and reconciling the influences of Chesed and Geburah,”; but in the Waite-Smith, Temperance seems more likely to be reconciling Hod and Netzach. What I do find relevant is his reference to water (Hod) and fire (Netzach); and in the FRC Tree—despite Waite’s reference to Chesed and Geburah—Temperance is the direct path between Hod and Netzach.

The Waite-Trinick image shows two vessels, one fire and one water.

Waite-Trinick Temperance
 

Richard

.....Some of the things in this quote don’t work if you try to apply them to the Waite-Smith Temperance. For example, he calls Temperance “she” but in the Waite-Smith he says the angel has no sex......
I think that's immaterial. In PKT he refers to it as "he." If the angel were strictly neuter, the symbolism would be wrong. It would imply impotence and infertility, whereas Temperance is the synthesis of opposites (such as male and female) to produce the alchemical hermaphrodite. This is by no means a destruction of sexuality. I think Waite's comment about it being neither male nor female can be misleading, perhaps on purpose.
 

Abrac

Symbol Reference

I found the above reference in Dictionary of Symbols by Carl G. Liungman.

And from the Penguin Dictionary of Symbols:

"The different aspect of the symbolism of salt arise from the fact that it is produced by the evaporation of sea-water, being, as de Saint-Martin says, 'fire, born of water, both its quintessence and its opposite.' "​

Saint-Martin was a huge influence on Waite, he wrote two books about him: The Life of Louis Claude de Saint-Martin, the Unknown Philosopher, 1901; and Saint-Martin—The French Mystic and the Story of Modern Martinism, 1922.