from death to temperance

hello, friends. scorpio season is always intense, but this one has been especially transformational and challenging, which is why i’m making today’s post on the changing of the seasons available to all subscribers. i hope that you’re finding ways to take care of yourself as we move through these individual and collective shifts, building in routines of awareness and recovery. try to be gentle with yourself, to carve out space for rest and reflection, and make time to pay attention to all that you’re moving through. 2020 isn’t quite finished with us yet.

after seeking balance with justice, after preparing for a coming shift with the hanged one, after loss and release with death, in a few days we will come to temperance: an archetype of moderation, harmony, and magical alchemy that tends to feel a little opaque, a little confusing. in addition to digging into the mystery and beauty of this transition, i also want to take a moment to explore this archetype more fully, and to help clarify how the curious, independent energy of sagittarius is expressed through temperance.

take a deep breath, friends. it’s time for us to pass through fire.

scorpio to sagittarius

in a few days the sun will move from dark, powerful scorpio into brilliant, fiery sagittarius, helping us definitively leave things behind and embark on new journeys, new adventures, new explorations. moving from water to fire seasons can be jarring, but this particular shift often feels beautifully freeing, as we step out of the depths of the sea and begin dancing towards the flames, illuminating all of our possible paths forward.

sagittarius is the archer, the philosopher, the curious seeker who craves knowledge and understanding, longs to analyze the new and excavate the familiar. rarely content to let something stay unexamined, sagittarius takes the intensity and curiosity of scorpio and begins to turn it outward, embracing both breadth and depth, finding fire around every hidden corner. and after leaving something behind with scorpio and death, sagittarius offers an opportunity to begin recognizing potential, to grab hold of opportunities and start creating sparks in unexpected places. this is a sign that is able to adapt to changing circumstances, that loves to flex and shift, that asks questions and explores new avenues in their endless pursuit of truth.

this is one of my favorite seasonal transitions of the year. i adore the power of intentional release, of saying goodbye to something that once mattered; the feeling of freedom and possibility that emerges as we move out of the darkness and into the firelight. it feels like the natural next step, to honor the space that we have made with this recent ending and celebrate all of the beautiful potential beginnings that are now revealing themselves. sometimes we have to put something down and shake our arms and stretch and rest before we can pick something new up, and the magic of this transition is in the breathing, the awareness, the recognition of what may grow.

this moment feels like hope.

temperance & the idea of sacred alchemy

following death, the archetype of temperance is usually first associated with harmony, balance, moderation, serenity, self-control, duality. it’s a moment to regroup, to breathe, to take stock of our current moment and make a calm choice about where we are and where we’re going. yet all of this quiet thoughtful stillness might not feel completely connected to the fiery, exploratory energy of sagittarius. where’s the independence? where’s the movement? why are these two entities connected?

digging deeper, temperance often features imagery of fire and water blending, of an angel on earth, of disparate elements and pieces coming together in ways that shouldn’t work, but somehow do. fire and water should result in steam, or a lukewarm puddle, not dazzling, brilliant magic - and yet within the tarot we see these two elements come together to create passion, power, expansion, a merging of heart and soul in a way that speaks to and fulfills the needs of both. where do these pieces of us overlap? how do we pursue the burning cravings within us, while also honoring the more emotional needs that we carry? temperance holds space for everything that we are, and everything that we can be, dancing between present and future in a way that effortlessly creates room for everyday magic, for the unexplainable. in embracing our contradictions, in celebrating our paradoxes, in finding freedom through grief, we can step into a fuller version of ourselves, can give ourselves permission to explore and make mistakes, to get messy, to take up space.

this sacred alchemy we so often speak of is the internal blending of elements and characteristics, of honoring all of the parts of ourselves, of recognizing our pain and our triumph, our passion and our quiet, our needs and our desires. we all have cravings and impulses that we rarely let out, that we may not celebrate - yet temperance asks us to set those parts of ourselves free, to see their value and their worth instead of hiding them or feeling shame over them. what desires have shaped you? how have you evolved and adapted over time? what are you learning about, and where are you curious? how are you ready to expand, and what does your first step look like?

at its core, sagittarius is about discovering truth, both internally and externally. and while its easy to focus on the adventure and the fire, the passion and the movement, the outward expansion, there’s a deep need for knowledge and understanding that drives this sign forward, that guides their actions. what has the fool endured to get to this point, and how does that original excitement and desire for change manifest in temperance and sagittarius? what are you seeking? what desire lies beneath your efforts, impacts your choices? even if you think it doesn’t align with who you are, with where you are in your life or your career or your legacy, dig a little deeper. temperance serves as a reminder that even interests or ambitions that don’t seem like they go together all have a point of overlap, a place of connection. finding it can take a lifetime, but this is a journey worth going on. what is your north star?

make sure you’re following me on instagram for updates on my next round of tarotscopes, as well as my latest spreads and articles, and thank you so much for reading. wishing you a beautiful sagittarius season.

images from this post feature cards from the fountain tarot. all photographs by meg jones wall.