Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate: The Fives Part 2

This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate. As throughout this series, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional eikōn of the card, its historical context, and the practical significations I have found useful through divinatory practice. The interpretations presented here reflect my own experience of working with the Tarot de Marseille and should be understood as a working method rather than a definitive authority.

The Fives: The Pope and Temperance

Trump XIV, Tempérance, is a card whose meaning is often taken for granted. Is it simply a card of moderation? Does it advocate abstinence and self-denial? Why have some occult authors referred to it as the Angel of Time? Whilst these interpretations touch upon aspects of the card, they often overlook its central principle. Temperance is concerned not with abstaining from life, but with measuring it correctly.

The traditional eikōn of Temperance is remarkably consistent. We see a winged celestial being pouring liquid from one vessel into another. The action appears simple, yet it requires care, precision, and judgement. Too much or too little would spoil the operation. The angel therefore embodies the principle of measured action, continually adjusting and correcting to achieve the desired result.

The essence of Temperance is measurement; its function is to measure. This distinction is important. Contrary to popular belief, Temperance has little to do with abstinence and cannot be reduced to the simple maxim that everything is good in moderation. True temperance is the exercise of reason and faith to regulate desire. It is the ability to determine not merely whether something should be done, but how much, how often, and under what circumstances.

Human beings rarely achieve such balance naturally. In our fallen state, our appetites, passions, and desires frequently exceed what is good for us, whilst fear, indifference, or weakness may lead us to do too little. Earlier generations understood this imbalance through the theory of the humours, whereby an excess of choler, phlegm, melancholy, or sanguinity could distort not only bodily health but temperament itself. A person dominated by choler becomes rash, aggressive, and impatient, and feverish; one overwhelmed by phlegm passive, inert, and unwilling to act and easily becomes overweight. In either case, reason ceases to govern properly and the individual falls out of balance.

Temperance therefore seeks neither suppression nor indulgence, but right order. It is the virtue by which competing impulses are brought into proper proportion and directed towards the good. The challenge is that the correct measure is never universal. What is appropriate for one person may be excessive for another. What is suitable today may be unsuitable tomorrow. Temperance is therefore not static but dynamic. The angel does not simply divide the contents of the vessels equally; she transfers precisely the amount required.

When Temperance appears in a reading, it frequently indicates that a situation must be reassessed before progress can be made. The querent may need to balance enthusiasm with caution, emotion with reason, or ambition with practicality. Success will not be achieved through force, impulse, or wishful thinking, but through the correct application of effort, resources, and restraint. Vitality and passion must be married to intelligence and good judgement. The desired outcome is attained through the proper balance of skill, timing, and perseverance.

Some esoteric traditions have referred to this trump as the Angel of Time¹, a title which at first appears curious. For many years I struggled to see its relevance to the Marseille tradition. Yet time itself is a form of measurement. Days, months, seasons, and years are all ordered according to measure. In this sense, the association is entirely appropriate. Temperance often poses a simple but important question: is this the right time? The answer may not always accord with our wishes. Sometimes the card advises action; at others, patience. In either case, its lesson remains the same: the desired outcome is achieved not by forcing events, but by finding the correct measure and acting accordingly.

General: The careful and correct application of resources, effort, and judgement. Progress comes through adaptability and recognising what circumstances require. Temperance signifies balance, co-operation, and the ability to adjust to changing conditions without losing sight of the desired outcome. The card also has a strong association with timing, particularly knowing when to act and when to wait.

Love: Relationships characterised by mutual respect, patience, and a willingness to accommodate differences. Each partner recognises the strengths and weaknesses of the other and works towards shared goals. Temperance is an excellent card for reconciliation, compromise, and restoring harmony following disagreements. For those seeking love, the card frequently points towards friendship developing gradually into something deeper. The emphasis is upon steady growth rather than passionate intensity.

Career: Temperance is associated with the hospitality industry, including food, drink, accommodation, tourism, and recreation. It may also signify professions concerned with balance, regulation, and quality control, such as food science, environmental health, and similar specialist fields. In career matters, the card generally indicates stability and security, though advancement may be gradual. Temperance advises patience, as lasting success is achieved through steady progress rather than sudden opportunity.

Finance: Temperance signifies a healthy balance between income and expenditure. Whilst significant financial gains are seldom indicated, the card provides reassurance that resources are being managed appropriately. Major purchases should be approached carefully and viewed as long-term commitments. The key question is not whether something can be afforded, but whether it is necessary, appropriate, and proportionate.

Health: Temperance is generally a favourable indicator of both physical and mental wellbeing. The card emphasises balance, moderation, and sensible lifestyle choices, particularly with regard to diet, exercise, rest, and stress management. It advocates neither deprivation nor excess. Anatomically, Temperance is associated with the circulatory system, legs and ankles and the body’s capacity to maintain equilibrium.

Essence: Measurement.
Function: Measure.
Polarity: Positive.
Astrological Association: Aquarius.
Timing: February.

See work of Levi and Lind ↩︎

5 August, 20262 August, 2026

The Case of Mercury and Venus and the Missing Cards

In November 2019, my principal Lenormand deck was nowhere to be found.

Ordinarily, once a reading has been completed, the cards are returned to their proper place. On opening the appropriate drawer in an old apothecary cabinet, however, I discovered that the deck was absent. Drawer after drawer was searched. Everything else was where it ought to have been, but the cards themselves had vanished.

The missing deck was the Carta Mundi Lenormand. Since first acquiring that edition, I had developed a particularly strong affinity with it. It was neither the first nor the last Lenormand deck to enter my life, yet it had very much become my Lenormand, both personally and professionally.

I was thoroughly dismayed. Where could they possibly have gone? I had last used them the previous day whilst performing a Grand Tableau.

Thus began an increasingly desperate search.

The process was not helped by my cats, who appeared deeply offended by the amount of attention being lavished upon a pack of cards. Their displeasure was unmistakable.

After more than forty minutes of fruitless searching, I concluded that the most sensible course of action was to employ a traditional where-is-it? horary. I noted the time, opened my laptop, and cast the figure.

Chart:

We find 6° Leo rising, with the chart cast in the hour of Jupiter. Jupiter is the nocturnal lord of the eastern (fire) triplicity. None of the usual considerations of judgement suggest that the chart should not be judged.

With Leo ascending, the Sun signifies the querent—that is, myself. The object sought is known in horary as the quesited.

Various authorities offer differing approaches to identifying the significator of a lost object. Al-Kindī advocates the Moon¹, the natural significator of lost possessions. As Dr Benjamin Dykes observes, the use of the Moon rather than the ruler of the second house acknowledges that the item is no longer in the owner’s possession. Should the Moon apply to the ascendant, it is often regarded as a strong indication that the object will be recovered.

Others favour the rulers of the second or fourth houses, particularly in questions concerning inanimate objects. In my own practice, the second house generally proves sufficient.

In this chart, Virgo occupies the second house and is ruled by Mercury. For a deck of divinatory cards, Mercury is an entirely appropriate significator. Accordingly, I took Mercury to represent the missing deck.

Where, then, was Mercury?

We find him at 3° Scorpio in the fourth house and conjunct Venus. The fourth house is one of the angles, and in charts concerning missing possessions an angular significator frequently indicates that the object is nearby. Mercury is also retrograde. As Lilly notes², a retrograde significator often signifies the return of a missing article.

Mercury’s angularity and retrogradation were simultaneously reassuring and perplexing. If the deck was nearby, surely I should have found it already? Moreover, Mercury’s proximity to the cusp appeared significant, though I was unable immediately to determine how.

Time was passing, and no cards had appeared.

I forced myself to begin again from first principles.

The fourth house is associated with cellars and underground places—neither of which was applicable here. It also pertains to the sitting room, family rooms, and places of domestic comfort. The last place I had used the cards was indeed the sitting room, which I had already searched repeatedly.

Mercury occupies the first five degrees of Scorpio and is separating from Venus. The closer a planet lies to a house cusp, the nearer the object is often found to a doorway or threshold³. The third house can indicate a study or office but may also describe passages, hallways, and corridors on the ground floor.

My thoughts turned briefly to an antique fall-front desk standing in one corner of the room. I searched it thoroughly, but again to no avail.

Scorpio, in domestic questions, often signifies bathrooms, cupboards, storage areas, and places where cleaning materials are kept. Venus likewise has associations with cleanliness, adornment, and clothing.

At that moment, the answer became obvious.

Immediately opposite the sitting-room door is a small cupboard beneath the staircase. It serves as a cloak cupboard, containing coats, umbrellas, scarves, and similar items.

Several garments were hanging there in readiness for collection by the dry cleaner the following day.

Among them was a coat that I had intended to wear on the previous afternoon. Owing to heavy rain, I had changed my mind at the last moment and selected a different jacket instead.

I removed the coat from its hanger and searched the pockets.

There were the cards.

Mercury—the missing deck—had been concealed within an item of clothing signified by Venus, awaiting cleaning in a Scorpionic place of storage, beneath the stairs and therefore appropriately described by the fourth house. Mercury’s retrograde motion in a fixed water sign neatly reflected my last-minute change of mind on account of the weather.

In retrospect, the symbolism was remarkably straightforward.

My error had been to focus almost exclusively upon Mercury’s retrogradation and angularity whilst largely ignoring Venus. Yet Venus was clearly integral to the testimony. She was not only conjunct Mercury but also in a partile square to the ascendant, making a direct connection with me and the circumstances of the loss.

Thankfully, my Lenormand deck was restored to its rightful place.

The cats seemed pleased as well.

At last, I was able to retire for the night.

Images:

Featured Image: Sebald Beham, Mercury, NGA 4358. National Gallery of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chart: Delphic Oracle.

References

Dykes, B., and al-Kindī. (2011). The Forty Chapters of al-Kindī. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Cazimi Press. ↩︎
Lilly, W. (1985). Christian Astrology. London: Regulus. ↩︎
Frawley, J. (2005). The Horary Textbook. London: Apprentice Books. ↩︎

4 August, 202623 July, 2026

Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate: The Fives Part 1

This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate. As throughout this series, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional eikōn of the card, its historical context, and the practical significations I have found useful through divinatory practice. The interpretations presented here reflect my own experience of working with the Tarot de Marseille and should be understood as a working method rather than a definitive authority.

The Fives: The Pope and Temperance

Trump V, Le Pape, or the Pope, is a card that is both misunderstood and misrepresented. Is he merely a conservative patriarch determined to preserve the status quo at all costs? Why do some interpret him as a symbol of bureaucracy, institutions, and red tape? Or does he challenge us to look beyond our assumptions and his imposing regalia to see something altogether deeper?

The traditional eikōn of the Pope is both familiar and remarkably consistent. We see an enthroned pontiff vested in a cassock and cappa magna or ferraiolo. One hand is raised in blessing, with two fingers and the thumb extended whilst the ring and little finger remain folded, signifying both the Trinity and the dual nature of Christ. In his other hand he bears a ferula and upon his head rests the Triregnum. At his feet kneel two tonsured figures, receiving his instruction and guidance.

The essence of the Pope is Wisdom; his function is to act as an intermediary. The distinction is important. The Pope does not represent knowledge alone, nor scholarship, intelligence, or learning for their own sake. Wisdom is something rather different. It is one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and concerns the ability to perceive reality as it truly is. Wisdom enables us to move beyond our prejudices, passions, and limited perspectives in order to discern Truth and align ourselves with the highest good. The Pope therefore stands not for information, but for understanding.

In modern Europe, where attitudes towards organised religion are often mixed and relativism reigns supreme, the card is frequently recast as a symbol of oppression, conservatism, or institutional authority. Yet this is a superficial reading. The Pope represents neither a particular denomination nor a rigid ideology. Rather, he embodies the principle of Wisdom itself. His role is not to dominate but to guide, not to command but to illuminate. The two acolytes at his feet remind us that wisdom is something transmitted, received, and cultivated through instruction, reflection, and experience.

For this reason, the Pope commonly manifests in readings as a mentor, teacher, elder, counsellor, doctor, or other trusted adviser. Such individuals often appear when guidance is needed and uncertainty prevails. Through a combination of Percipience and inspiration, they help us understand what is truly important and steer us towards the best possible outcome. The Pope reminds us that there is no shame in seeking advice from those who possess greater experience or insight.

The card also challenges us to examine our conscience. Whilst the Empress asks us to communicate and the Emperor to take responsibility, the Pope asks whether we are acting rightly. He encourages reflection upon our motives, our obligations, and the consequences of our choices. In doing so, he becomes an intermediary between the ordinary concerns of daily life and the higher principles by which those concerns ought to be judged.

When the Pope appears, he often signals that guidance, support, or wise counsel is available. More importantly, he asks us to become a source of such guidance ourselves. The card calls us to act with integrity, to place service before selfishness, and to pursue the highest good available within the circumstances before us. In this sense, the Pope is not simply a figure of authority. He is a reminder that true wisdom is expressed through love, understanding, and right action.

General: Wisdom gained through the union of experience, learning, and Percipience. The Pope encourages the querent to look beyond immediate concerns and consider the wider implications of a situation. In times of difficulty, the conscience becomes a reliable guide. The card frequently signifies support, guidance, wise counsel, or the intervention of a trusted intermediary acting on the querent’s behalf.

Love: For established couples, the Pope confirms that the relationship rests upon strong foundations of love, respect, and mutual understanding. Difficulties can be overcome through openness, forgiveness, and a willingness to listen. The card frequently appears in connection with marriage, civil partnerships, and other formal commitments. For those who are single, the Pope tends to promise friendship, guidance, and emotional support rather than the immediate arrival of a new romantic interest.

Career: The Pope is naturally associated with religious vocations of all traditions, including contemporary pagan and spiritual paths. Secular professions include teaching, medicine, counselling, social work, psychotherapy, coaching, divination, and any occupation centred upon guidance, instruction, or the welfare of others. More generally, the card indicates a mentor, adviser, or influential figure whose support can prove invaluable.

Finance: The Pope often indicates a stable and reliable source of income together with the wisdom to manage resources sensibly. Financial difficulties are seldom faced alone under this card. Assistance, advice, or practical support is frequently available through trusted professionals, institutions, family members, or benefactors. The Pope favours prudent decisions and seeking expert guidance before making significant commitments.

Health: More often than not, the Pope signifies a doctor, specialist, therapist, or other trusted healthcare professional. As such, he is generally regarded as a favourable sign in health matters and frequently indicates appropriate treatment, sound advice, and recovery. Anatomically, the card is associated with the muscular system, particularly the thighs, buttocks, and groin.

Essence: Wisdom.
Function: Mediator.
Polarity: Positive.
Astrological Association: Sagittarius.
Timing: December.

Tarot Cards: Jean Dodal Tarot via Wikipedia Commons. Public Domain.

Featured Image: Ancient Tarot Major Arcana © BP Grimaud/John Waddington Ltd, Leeds & London, Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Noblet, 1650 © Editions «letarot.com» (2001 [hand stencilled trumps]). Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Dodal, 1701 et 1715 © Editions «letarot.com» (2002 [hand stencilled trumps])