Temperance and The Devil together
Temperance and The Devil set moderation against compulsion. Where the two fall shows where the balance is being won or lost.
Temperance
balance, moderation, healing, integration
Temperance is the art of mixing opposites until they become one thing. The angel stands in two elements at once and pours between the cups without spilling, and the water flows the wrong way because this is not ordinary mixing.
Reversed: The cups spill or the water will not blend.
Yes or no: Yes upright, Not yet reversed
The Devil
bondage, attachment, shadow, addiction
The Devil is the thing you cannot stop doing and have stopped questioning. The couple are chained, but the chains hang loose; what holds them is the belief that this is where they belong.
Reversed: The chain is lifted.
Yes or no: No upright, Maybe reversed
When one follows the other
The order matters. Read as what is passing and what comes next, as in a past, present and future spread, the pair tells two different stories.
Temperance behind you, The Devil ahead
A period of healing and careful balance is receding. The water has been poured and the blend is made. What follows can be bolder than the mixing stage allowed.
A temptation or an attachment is coming, something that will offer comfort in exchange for freedom. Recognise the pedestal when you see it and remember the chains are loose.
The Devil behind you, Temperance ahead
A period of bondage, obsession or unhealthy attachment is receding. The chain has loosened. Do not reach for it out of habit.
A period of healing and integration is coming, when things that were at odds begin to work together. It will be gradual. Trust the slow pour.
Related pairs
Draw your own cards
If both of these turn up in your reading, the summary points the pair out.