What is Temperance:
Temperance is a human quality that consists of acting or speaking in a cautious and fair manner, with sobriety, with moderation or continence to avoid harm, difficulties and inconveniences.
Temperance is a virtue that allows the individual to control passions, vices and impulses against the seductions of desires, pleasures or instincts. Temperance requires good judgment, prudence, discernment, caution and wisdom.
It’s a worth which allows the individual to have dominion and control over their actions, managing to maintain balance through the enjoyment of good things, without falling into excess, since it can become harmful. For example: alcohol, food or sex, which can be dangerous if temperance is left aside.
Temperance is moderation, it is measure, consideration, it is care and prudence. The word temperance comes from Latin temperantiawhich means moderation.
Biblical meaning of Temperance
Temperance is one of the four cardinal virtues of the Catholic Church along with prudence, fortitude and justice. This virtue maintains balance and control over the individual’s will, which manages to moderate instincts, sublimate passions, and control impulses and desires.
The Bible, in the Old and New Testaments, refers to temperance under other connotations or contexts:
For this reason, put all your efforts into uniting an honest life with your faith; to the honest life, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, patience; to patience, sincere religiosity; to sincere religiosity, fraternal appreciation; and to fraternal appreciation, love. For if you possess all these things, you will not remain inactive or barren in order to know our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1, 5-7)
See also:
Temperance in philosophy
For the philosopher Plato, the soul has several parts that correspond to a type of virtue. In this case, the concupiscible part of it is related to temperance to confront excessive desires. Combined with courage and wisdom, temperance leads human beings to justice.
Aristotle in his book The great morality indicates that temperance is the midpoint between the two opposite extremes. Likewise, it clarifies that temperance is expressed if the individual acts with moderation and prudence in the face of pleasures, since if he distances himself or abstains from what causes temptation, temperance is not exercised.
Temperance in the tarot
In the tarot, temperance is one of the major arcana, a card represented by an angel with wings who is passing water from one jar to another. The angel represents virtue and the passage of water from one jar to another means balance and present.
Temperance, in the zodiac, is represented by the sign Aquarius and Sagittarius, and on the esoteric level it is associated with the sign Virgo.
The presence of this card means harmony, balance, moderation, well-being, transcendence. Otherwise, that is, its absence indicates the need for the individual to lead a more balanced life in relation to reason and emotion.