Cards combination description
Low arcan Five of Wands and High arcan Temperance combinations:
- rivalry patience ;
- rivalry finding meaning ;
- conflict patience ;
- conflict finding meaning ;
Card 1 - Five of Wands
The Five of Wands depicts five guys all retaining their personal wands and brandishing them up within the air. Like with most fives inside the tarot, it's far about some type of disagreement that is dealing with the querent. This confrontation can either be taken to be as a sign of warfare between the men, or that all of them are in reality taking part in the adrenaline rush of this war, and that the opposition among them is of a good natured rivalry, no longer anger. The relaxed manner in which they appear to be keeping their wands gives a feel that this argument can be one of show in preference to a fierce one.
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Card 2 - Temperance
An androgynous angel is the first thing you see on the Rider-Waite Temperance card; the angel’s appearance suggests an equilibrium between the sexes. The angel’s robe is simple but in the centre of the cloth lies a bold orange triangle within a square; this shows the Earth’s connection to the holy trinity whilst the glow of the triangle feels welcoming yet instils a prospect of foreboding. The angel’s face is stoic and concentrated, completely focused on exchanging the waters of the two golden cups in their hands; the direction of the water is impossible to determine which symbolises the concept of infinity and union; it can also signify the flow of spiritual awareness we experience on a daily basis as we tune in and out with our higher self.
The angel stands above either a pond or river with one foot gently dipped in the water as the other stands on a patch of dry glass; this represents the duality between the subconscious and the conscious - between dreams and reality. Furthermore, the mountain range on the left contrasts with the meadow on the right symbolising universal experiences and individual tranquillity regardless of location or circumstance.
The illustration presents stability and balance, it brings a sense of serenity to the viewer; the composition of bright greens, yellows, whites and reds is uplifting and depicts the ideal union between opposites - the beauty and order that comes with duality. The background shows the dawn which resembles fresh beginnings and a pastel sky that further feeds into the atmosphere of concord. Everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be.
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