Temperance Reversed and the King of Swords
Another day, another swords card graces my presence. This is my sixth pull, and so far, each of my pulls had a card from the Swords suit. Doing some back-of-the-envelope math, there is a 0.5% chance of this happening randomly. “I am thinking too much?” he said to himself after calculating the odds of this happening.
Temperance (from the Flux Arcana Tarot) is a hell of a card. The image has several metaphors about balance. The card also suggests viewing situations in shades of grey instead of black and white. To me, especially paired with the King of Swords, Temperance is defined by its spot in the Fool’s journey—it’s right after Death. Death is itself a metaphor for change or transition—I wonder if Death gets sold as a lighter change than it represents. In my mind, a true Death card is a substantial disruption and change in your life. You are not the same when you come out the other end and meet Temperance.
Temperance looks at the systems we develop and use in our lives. Death invariably knocks those systems down, and Temperance is the place where you rebuild them. Have you ever moved? There is this moment where the walls are painted, all the boxes are moved in, but you haven’t unpacked your kitchen. Thus, you order takeout. Temperance is the unpacking of those boxes, setting everything straight, buying groceries, remembering the strainer’s location, and learning to cook in your new kitchen.
Temperance is physical therapy for Death’s twisted ankle.
The same applies to your mental heuristics, which are shortcuts and systems in your mind (and perception of reality). Temperance is there to set them up after your experience with Death. You can’t process everything all the time, so you gotta make those connections.
This temperance reversed is almost a Death card in itself. Systems aren’t working. Perhaps you're ignoring your end of the bargain by failing to engage with the systems you set up, or simply your coping mechanisms or heuristics are no longer working. As the systems that keep you balanced fail, you will tend toward imbalance.
The King of Swords (from AceLion) includes themes of social responsibility, truth, knowledge, and attention. We give power to those objects we pay attention to, whether it's our writing practices, our life systems, or our smartphones. The King implores you to build your attention so that you can later discover and hold to the truth. It pushes you, kicking and screaming, toward a broader truth.
All together, these cards indicate that one’s life systems are out of whack, and you are leaning toward imbalance. The cards implore you to bring your attention to this matter and see what truth it holds, and frame this draw on a societal level.
