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THE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE AND ARCHETYPE
OF
INTEGRATION, SYNTHESIS AND SYNERGY
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"The
point is …. to unify and harmonize the opposites, both
positive and negative, by discovering a ground which
transcends and encompasses them both."
- Ken Wilbur (No
Boundary) |
Art/Temperance is the
Universal Archetype and Worldly Principle of
Integration,
Synthesis and
Synergy. In order to come
into our full artistry, our
full cosmic potential, it is
important to balance our
paradoxes,
oppositions and
polarities within our
Beautiful Nature.
Art is
card number fourteen and each symbol on the card
represents the union of opposition, creating something
new. This process is called
synergy. You temper
the flows of opposites by
modifying the flavour, adding
new components and bringing opposing parties together.
It is this process of combining and
re-combination that
brings about the healing
magic of Creation.
Fire
and Water merge to create
steam. This metaphor is
pictured with
Leo the lion
drinking from the cauldron
with
Scorpio, the
eagle/phoenix, which is a
water sign.
They drink from the cauldron which contains
air, the
Life Force of the Universe. This produces
good health in
all aspects; physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual.
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"Without
water, fire rages utterly unchecked and
all-consuming, burning itself out eventually in
a terrible conflagration. And without fire, the
waters are lightless and drowning, flooding
until there is only a still, silent mirror of
nothing. By defining each other’s limits, they
both become imbued with life and become
life-giving, tempered to co-exist in just the
right balance, for too much of one, and the
other will be smothered."
- Stephanie
Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moore
(Shadowscapes
Companion) |
On the
cauldron is another
union of polarity symbolized by the
bird and
skull (the
union of Life and Death) which is a prevalent experience
for ourselves as Life and
Death are one in the same,
two
opposites of the same coin of Life.
The great Sun disk unifies
together with the crescent moons, from which the
spinning stars are created. This is the
promise of
vitality and well-being.
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"Earth
and sky, fire and water, male and female,
summer’s warmth and lush growth and winter’s
chill winds bearing down: these opposites flow
one into the other in the cyclical and endless
push of yin and yang. They are perfectly
balanced against one another; in fact, they are
given purpose and definition by the existence of
diametric opposites."
- Stephanie
Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moore
(Shadowscapes
Companion) |
There is another
significant message and that is of
Sagittarius which is
represented by the arrow shooting up the central axis of
the figure of humankind.
Sagittarius reminds us
that through our Life visions and
dreams we fully
express our unique artistry, while
resolving any
conflicts within ourselves.
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"Sagittarius
means ‘the archer’; the traditional image of
this card is that of Diana the Huntress. We see
echoes of this original theme in the two bows
near the top of the card and the tiny
upward-pointing arrow rising in the rainbow
fumes of the cauldron. Sagittarius means ‘the
archer’; the traditional image of this card is
that of Diana the Huntress. We see echoes of
this original theme in the two bows near the top
of the card and the tiny upward-pointing arrow
rising in the rainbow fumes of the cauldron."
- The Book
of Thoth (Aleister Crowley) |
The light and
dark aspects
of our Nature need to be
balanced and
incorporated
before we can fully express who we are, and come to
terms with our own magical Breath. Flexibility and
understanding are needed to perceive the world in all
the exhilarating Bounty and
Beauty.
This is a time to come
into quiet composure and maintain a
calm air of
deliberation, finding the energy of moderation and
self-restraint. Climbing to the
middle ground is
important as this is the place where the
calming air lives,
the peace and
tranquillity in the
eye of the hurricane
where the Beholder of the Journey finds the important
balance of Self.
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"She
gathers herself, reaches within for the calm
centre, that place of balance. From her centre,
she feels the dragon and phoenix stirring. They
twine about one another. They embrace in a
sinuous twisting of scale and feather until it
seems that one melts into the other. They coil
around each other in a timeless battle for
supremacy, choreographed in an elegant waltz of
give and take, push and pull. They swirl about
her in a maelstrom that assaults the senses.
Like a maestro, she watches over and reins in
one or the other when she senses any imbalance
so that harmony is maintained."
- Stephanie
Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moore
(Shadowscapes
Companion) |
The ruling planets of
Art
are
Jupiter and
Neptune and the season associated with
Art/Temperance is
Winter.
In the picturesque
Animals
Divine Tarot we see the resplendent
Xochiquetzal whose
energy beams with the processes of achieving
balance, of
going within and the
synthesis of moderation.
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"Xochiquetzal’s
flowing hair and robes represent the channelling
of dynamic energy. Creativity can now flow more
freely between the waters of the unconsciousness
and consciousness. The butterflies help to
direct creative energies from a dormant
primordial stasis to higher cognitive
recognition. The wren and doves are keepers of
the spirit and vehicles to transcendent
thinking. The flowers in the water represent
fertile ideas yet to be utilized. The frog is
associated with the nourishing waters and the
need to resurrect after a period of stagnation.
The cattails help to bridge the water and air
elements, helping to emphasize the importance of
integrating emotion and thought. The feathers
help to alleviate burdens of an overwhelming
ego. The ego has dissolved somewhat, thus
allowing the mind to absorb new creative energy.
The circular design reinforces the ultimate goal
toward the full integration of all the aspects
of self in order to achieve a sense of
wholeness."
- Animals
Divine (Lisa Hunt) |
Xochiquetzal is the
flower
and butterfly goddess (flower feather). She parallels
the Roman Goddess
Venus because of her
luminescent
beauty and matters pertaining to
Love. She is the
liberating Goddess of
sexuality,
marriage and
childbirth
and the Patroness of Creativity and the
Arts.
Xochiquetzal survived an
apocalyptic flood by fleeing on a boat with a
mortal.
She repopulated the Earth with her companion. A
dove
descended upon her children and gave them the
gift of
language.
Xochiquetzal reminds that
after death, there is a
rebirth into
new energy. Her
butterflies represent
transformation and
new beginnings.
They flutter their harmonious dance with the
Earth by
transferring pollen and allowing the
process of renewal
to proliferate.
It is important to allow a
higher force to
cleanse us after times of great
change.
At times we need to examine ourselves in a more
objective manner. By reaching within our most
sacred
place of Being, we create balance between
external
forces and internal desires. It is time to move
beyond
the ego, to new planes of
self-awareness.
In The Book of Thoth,
Art
also goes by the names “The Daughter of the Reconcilers”
and “The Bringer Forth of Life”.
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"This
card represents the Consummation of the Royal
Marriage which took place in Atu VI. The black
and white personages are now united in a single
androgyne figure. Even the Bees and the Serpents
on their robes have made an alliance. The Red
Lion has become white, and increased in size and
importance, while the White Eagle, similarly
expanded, has become red. He has exchanged his
red blood for her white gluten.
The equilibrium and counter-change are carried
out completely in the figure itself; the white
woman has now a black head; the black king, a
white one. She wears the golden crown with a
silver band, he, the silver crown with a golden
fillet; but the white head on the right is
extended in action by a white arm on the left
which holds the cup of the white gluten, while
the black head on the left has the black arm on
the right, holding the lance which has become a
torch and pours forth its burning blood. The
fire burns up the water; the water extinguishes
the fire.
The robe of the figure is green, which
symbolizes vegetable growth; this is an
alchemical allegory. In the symbolism of the
fathers of science, all “actual” objects were
regarded as dead; the difficulty of transmuting
metals was that the metals, as they occur in
nature, were in the nature of excrements,
because they did not grow. The first problem of
alchemy was to raise mineral to vegetable life;
the adepts thought that the proper way to do
this was to imitate the process of nature.
Distillation, for instance, was not an operation
to be performed by heating something in a retort
over a flame; it had to take place naturally,
even if months were required to consummate the
Work."
- The Book
of Thoth (Aleister Crowley) |
Behind the
figure, its
edges tinged with the rainbow, which has now arisen from
the twin rainbows forming the cape of the figure, is a
glory bearing an inscription VISITA
INTERIORA
TERRAE
RECTIFICANDO
INVENIES
OCCULTUM
LAPIDEM. This statement
translates as “Visit the interior parts of the earth: by
rectification thou shalt find the hidden stone”. The
initials make V.I.T.R.I.O.L. the
Universal Solvent.
POSITIVE PATH
-
Being Temperate
-
finding the middle ground
showing moderation
mitigating a harsh position
looking for the golden mean
reaching a compromise
offsetting an extreme
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- Maintaining Balance -
experiencing harmony
achieving equilibrium
bringing together opposites
recognizing all sides
fostering co-operation
feeling centred and secure
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- Experiencing Health -
renewing energy and vigour
healing the self
avoiding excess
enjoying well-being
recovering
flourishing the spirit
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- Combining Forces -
gathering together what is needed
joining with others
consolidating
finding the right mix
creating synthesis
getting it all together
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WORLD AND
OCCUPATION
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- Streaming Passions unto the World -
Enthusiasm, Courage, Blending, Etiquette,
Advancement, Self-confidence, Being sociable,
Favourable opportunity, Codes of conduct,
Harmonization of divergent parts, Prosperity,
Expansion, Unification of opposites, Enlargement,
Success, Development, Inspiration, Good luck,
Happiness, Growth, Optimism, Luxury, Moderation,
Independence, Openness, Promotion, Integration,
Plenty, Individuality, Rightness, Passion, Progress,
Wealth, Zest, Lucidity, Belief, Grace, Established
conventions, Synthesis, Tradition, Social pursuits
and endeavours, Human rights, Honesty, Integrity,
Decorum, Sophistication, Truth, Virtue
Conviction, Compassion, Composure, Justice,
Rectitude, Tolerance, Benevolence, Respect, Finesse,
Civic action, Philanthropy, Faith, Culture, Mores,
Generosity, Ease, Social work, Veneration,
Authoring, Ethics, Advanced education, Publishing,
Faith, Charity, Higher learning, Broadcasting,
Philosophy, Idealism, Advertisement, Media,
Metaphysics, Artistic ventures, Promotion, Theology,
Journalism, Voyages, Writing, High courts, Judges,
Dignitaries, Visits, Reportage, Clever innovations,
Executives, Long distance travel, Vacation,
Priorities, Paralegals, Transnational enterprises,
relations and deals, Corporations and conglomerates,
Magnates, Foreign places and persons, Large business
affairs, Law enforcement officers, State
representatives, Major legal dealings, Energy cycle
closure, Lawyers, Spiritual lessons, Challenges,
Understanding |
NEGATIVE
PATH
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- Abandoning the Flow of Love -
Haste, Extravagance, Competitiveness, Machismo,
Rapid expansion followed by challenges and
obstacles, Overestimation of capacity and
appeal, Refusal to see the dark side,
Over-embellishment, Inflated self-importance,
Excessive optimism, Fanaticism, Religious mania,
Bravado, Mania, Excessive extroversion,
Over-indulgence, Altruism, Mood swings,
Exaggeration, Impatience, Excessive moralizing,
Aggression, False hope, Waste, Excess,
Inflation, Hubris, Selflessness |
REVERSED
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- Re-balancing the Sacred
Temple -
Bad luck, Misplaced trust, Selfishness,
Loss, Failure, Sorrow, Advancement blocked,
Pessimism, Hostility, Sabotage, Adverse
judgments, Poverty, Unfavourable fortune,
Minimal successes, Accusation, Hard times,
Lack of experience, Lack of integrity, Lost
opportunity, No sense of achievement,
Shattered expectations, Loss of composure,
Dishonesty, Loss of initiative, Spiritual
crisis, Social incongruence, Violated trust,
Parsimony, Misplaced allegiance,
Inappropriate causes, Miserliness, Lack of
sophistication, Evil, Roughness, Blame,
Immorality, Shoddy work, Ideals shattered,
Wasted effort, Loss of faith, Promotion
denied, Depression, Low morals, Lack of
understanding, Narrow-mindedness, Lack of
Intelligence, Intolerance, Crudeness,
Lessons unlearned, Spiritual Emptiness,
Atheism |
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"The reversal asks to strengthen the positive and
release the negative. Any path will always lead
to both being fulfilled."
- Michael
Tsarion |
BIO-ENERGETIC
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- Drawing Your Own Divine
Breath -
Liver, Large Organs, Appetite, Body weight,
Fat,
Over-indulgence and Recuperative ability |
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Art as
a Life-Time Personality Symbol
For those whose birthday adds up to the
number fourteen, Art/Temperance
symbolizes your life-time personality symbol.
Your inherent nature is about bringing
together polarities and oppositions
to create the greater whole. This is your
gift to the world.
You are a visionary and together with
your skills you will find that you hold
within yourself great artistry that can
be expressed in many ways and when fused
together create symmetry and
balance. You can see possibilities
that others would not imagine. You point of
view in these matters is unique and
extraordinary. You have a natural
ability to temper situations.
Sagittarius people in your Life (November
21st
to December 21st) function as mirrors
for your own dreams and visions to
be applied in the world. It is also a
meaning that the months of Sagittarius
are inspirational and integrative
times for you.
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Art as a
Growth Symbol
When your birthday and the current
year add up to fourteen, this is the
year that Art/Temperance can be
harnessed most effectively. This is the year
that is best to temper and integrate
seeming polarities and paradoxes
in your Life. Things start to “fall into
place” and you get the feeling that “things
are finally coming together”.
Art/Temperance years are times when you
find yourself expressing yourself
artistically in ways you have not thought of
before. It is a time where balance,
Beauty, negotiation, networking
are important qualities that need to be
expressed more fully in your Life.
It is also a great time to integrate more
with Sagittarius people and to resolve
issues with Sagittarians. Also the
months of Sagittarius are powerful
kaleidoscopes for implementing new dreams
and visions. |
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Art as an
Outer Mirror
When you find yourself drawn towards the
Art/Temperance symbol, it symbolizes that in
the next fourteen days, weeks and
months would be an excellent time to
bring together two or more artistic
talents together to synthesize a
new energy within your own Magnificent
Nature. It is a time to integrate
those polarities and oppositions
that you are experiencing both in your
professional and personal Life.
Your Life dreams and visions start
to come together during this all important and
powerful time, and you will have great
desire and intention in realizing
your Life path.
The months of Sagittarius are
important times as are Sagittarius
people in your Life. Work to resolve
any conflicts during this time. |
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Art as a
Visual Affirmation
and Meditative Symbol
If you need to integrate two or more
important issues, the Art/Temperance
archetype is the most important aspect for
balancing the polar opposites within
your own Beautiful Nature.
It is through the meditation on this
powerful symbol that you can begin the
journey of experiencing Life as an Art
form, sacred and full of meaning,
both tempered and balanced.
Sample Affirmations
I am a creative, well-integrated
individual.
I am as strong in my magnetic nature
as I am in my dynamic nature.
I express the artistry of who I
am in states of balance and
integration.
I experience temperance when I equally value the light and dark
within my own Nature.
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Symbols
that are facets of Art
Art/Temperance is the external expression
of the Hierophant. Art is card
fourteen which numerologically adds up to
five.
Five of Swords (Defeat) symbolizes the
fear and memory of Defeat.
This is negative thinking that opens an
old wound, the energy of constriction
and distortion of one's own
thinking. This represents the fear that
history may repeat itself and the fear
that one will be hurt again.
Five of Cups (Disappointment) represents
the energy of emotional disappointment
which makes you feel fragile,
breakable and vulnerable. This energy
takes us off balance, however can also be
transformative.
Five of Wands (Strife) symbolizes
the state of strife, anxiety and
frustration. This is having abundant
energy but not knowing what to do with that
energy. This is holding back, energy that
is being contained.
Five of Disks (Worry) symbolizes
physical concern, worry and
rumination. This is worry about external
matters such as health, finances,
work, creativity and
relationships.
The Hierophant (X) symbolizes the
Universal principle of Learning and
Teaching that is experienced within our
families and in Life challenges. It
is about trusting our Faith in our own
wonderful Being.
The capacity to integrate and to
balance varied parts of ourselves and our
lives is a result of listening to our
inner teacher and instinctive faith
which merges from deep within ourselves.
It
is through learning and teaching
that we experience what needs to be tempered
and balanced both within ourselves
and our family.
We are tempered and we discover
the artistry of who we are when we face
and move through fear of defeat (Five
of Swords), disappointment (Five
of Cups), anxiety/strife (Five of
Wands) and worry (Five of Disks).
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- Gifts &
Challenges of Art -
Gifts
Hierophant (Spiritual
faith)
Art/Temperance (Integration/Synthesis)
Challenges
Five of
Swords (Fear of Defeat)
Five of Cups (Disappointment)
Five of Wands (Anxiety/Strife)
Five of Disks (Worry) |
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Opposing Cards: some possibilities -
The Tower
extremes, exploding apart
Five of Wands
disagreement, competition, imbalance
Seven of Cups
excess, overindulgence
Five of Swords
discord, lack of harmony
Five of Disks
ill health
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Reinforcing Cards: some possibilities -
The World
integration, synthesis, combination
Two of Cups
connection, working together
Three of Cups
joining forces, working together
Two of Disks
balance, finding the right mix
Three of Disks
teamwork, combining
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- Research sources -
Taroscopes
by
Michael Tsarion
Röhrig
Tarot by
Carl-W. Röhrig
Arcus Arcanum Tarot by
Hager Gunter
The Tarot Handbook by
Angeles Arrien
The Book of Thoth by
Aleister Crowley
Animals Divine Companion
by Lisa Hunt
Fantastical Creatures
by Lisa Hunt
&
D.J. Conway
Thoth
Tarot by
Aleister Crowley &
Lady Frieda Harris
Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot by
Pamela Colman Smith
Shadowscapes
by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
& Barbara Moore
Understanding Crowley’s Thoth Tarot
by Lon Milo DuQuette
Robin Wood Tarot
by Robin Wood
& Michael Short
Kleopatra Tarot
by Etta Stoico
& Silvana Alasia
Connolly Tarot
by Eileen
& Peter Paul
Connolly
Learning the Tarot
by Joan Bunning
Haindl Tarot by
Hermann Haindl
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