Temperance as Love Advice (Upright & Reversed) Tarot Card Meaning

Temperance is the card of moderation, balance, harmony, and patience. An angel stands, with one foot in the water and the other foot firmly planted on land. The angel pours water between two cups, symbolizing the flow and alchemy of life. 

Temperance reminds us that we must avoid going to extremes. We are often best-served by taking a moderate, patient, and balanced view towards life. Temperance reminds us that caution, prudence, and thoughtfulness have their place. They can often bring more reward in the long-term than a passionate outburst based only on a whim. To maintain harmonious relationships, working together to find compromise is often necessary. 

Upright Temperance as Love Advice

If you are asking about love advice, and you draw Temperance, that means that you are advised to be patient and do things in moderation. This is a card of balance, so when it appears in a reading, it tells you to avoid going to extremes. If you are ardently pursuing something or someone to the point that other areas of your life suffer, it means you need to step back and ask yourself: “What do I need to do to establish equilibrium?” The Temperance card calls for the combination of two dualities to create a perfect outcome. A relationship is the union of two different individuals, each accepting the shortcomings and imperfections of the other while bringing out the best in each other.  

For love, Temperance as advice means that you should cultivate emotional intelligence. Make sure to keep an eye on what’s truly important and avoid making hasty decisions. Listen to your intuition; when something is off, don’t rush in. This card urges you to trust your own voice and surrender to the process. Seek inner guidance in deciding what is best for you when it comes to relationships. 

For singles, Temperance as love advice means finding true love requires patience. Are you in the habit of falling in love quickly and then rushing headlong into a relationship? Now is the time to approach dating and relationships with careful deliberation of the pros and cons. This card showing up in your reading in the advice position means avoid making restless decisions. Get to know the other person well before getting into a full-pledged relationship. 

For new and potential relationships, Temperance as love advice means everything happens as it’s meant to, so let things progress at their own pace. Recognize that they may have a different love language than you, so you need to get those lines of communication wide open. Many don’t know how to communicate their needs, expecting the other person to just get it. This card is asking you to find a way to overcome your differences. 

For existing relationships, Temperance as advice means that they see you as someone who needs to practice moderation. Perhaps you’re someone who does not do things by halves, you’re either flaming hot or freezing cold. Prone to extremes, you may put in a lot of effort and enthusiasm one moment, then have zero interest the next. This inconsistent behavior makes people unsure of where you really stand. The Temperance card urges you to have emotional balance. 

If you are asking about reconciliation with an ex, Temperance as love advice shows that the relationship is not a lost cause. There is a high possibility that you two would reconcile. There is a longing to bring this relationship into balance, to compromise so both parties can meet halfway. This card is urging both of you to heal and practice self awareness. Most likely, the breakup made you realize that you two are stronger together than apart. 

Reversed Temperance as Love Advice

If you are asking about love advice, and you draw Temperance reversed, that means that you are advised to curb your impatience and impulsivity. Your emotional imbalance is creating havoc in your relationships with people. Your presence tends to make people nervous and defensive because they don’t know exactly what to expect from you. Getting this card means you need to be more tolerant of views that are different from your own. You may have a tendency to get into chaotic and toxic relationships. 

For love, Temperance reversed as advice means that you should examine your life to see if there’s anything that you’re doing in excess and address it. Do you party and drink with abandon? Do you give too much of yourself in your relationship? At its worse, Temperance reversed may hint at the possibility of having a mental illness. Chemical imbalance in the brain may cause someone to exhibit symptoms of bipolar disorder, so medication and psychological counseling may be required. 

For singles, Temperance reversed as love advice means you may be looking for love in the wrong places; hence, you attract the wrong kind of people. Your intensity may be off-putting to prospective lovers. You pursue love with such fervor that you get impatient if it eludes you. Getting this card in the advice position means taking a step back to reflect on what love really means to you. Finding a romantic partner is not the end-all and be-all, it doesn’t have to be all-consuming. 

For new and potential relationships, Temperance reversed as love advice means this relationship is on shaky ground. There may be an apparent lack of compatibility, or at least a lack of interest in seeing what truly binds you as a couple. This relationship may require a lot of work, mainly because you got together for all the wrong reasons. There may be a lack of give and take here, so one person feels used. There is a need to establish strong boundaries to bring the relationship into equilibrium. 

For existing relationships, Temperance reversed as advice means that they see you as quite emotionally unstable. You may be impatient and make hasty decisions. Getting this card may mean you are too needy or insecure. You may have excessive obsessions or excessive consumption of something that causes erratic behavior. The Temperance card reversed urges you to bring balance and harmony into your life. 

If you are asking about reconciliation with an ex, Temperance reversed as love advice shows that something about your dynamics is off-kilter and, unless it’s addressed, you can’t bring this relationship into balance. Perhaps one of you is too pushy while the other is a doormat. Both of you need to compromise. If you get back together without fixing what broke the relationship in the first place, you’ll only end up in a vicious cycle. The Temperance card urges you to be clear about your needs and boundaries within the relationship. 

Conclusion

For relationships and feelings, Temperance reveals the power of patience, compassion, and understanding. When we try to force relationships and people to go the way we want, it can often implode in our face. Temperance urges us to embrace patience, moderation, compromise, diplomacy, and the middle path. When we lean into these qualities, we build trust. Over time, trust solidifies into a rock-solid foundation for a great relationship. 

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your relationship matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on love & relationships, as a neutral and objective third party.