Hesiod (c.700 bc), “Observe due measure; moderation is best in all things.”
Plautus (c. 250–184 bc), “Moderation in all things is the best policy.”
And....
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), is attributed with saying BOTH “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” AND “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.”
Temperance, Arcanum XIV, is just like that: “BOTH, AND”. Integration of duality. Transcendence of the binary.
With the androgynous angel of Temperance, we are being reminded that the non-binary is the highest truth. That life is most often not “either/or” but “both/and”.
One foot stably planted on the ground (grounded), and one in the flow of the stream of consciousness, They remind us of the middle path.
Pema Chödrön (1936- ) said, “As human beings, not only do we seek resolution, but we also feel that we deserve resolution. However, not only do we not deserve resolution, we suffer from resolution. We don't deserve resolution; we deserve something better than that. We deserve our birthright, which is the middle way, an open state of mind that can relax with paradox and ambiguity.“
How do we seek balance over absolutes? What does holding space for paradox look like in actual practice? What is relaxing with ambiguity? What do you do to help you get grounded so you can stay fluid?
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