A Tale of Temperance

Reflections on the Cardinal Virtue as Saturn Stations Direct

“Here… get yourself what you want,” I said as I tossed my phone to my daughter.

It was one of those mornings. Thanks to the missing gym shoes, we were running late to school. Starbucks pre-order pick up sounded better than no breakfast at all.

“Hey, mom, it says if you get a pumpkin spiced latte, they’ll give you enough points for a free drink…”

“… oh sure… sounds good. Just order…”

(That’s the tone mom uses when she’s thinking about something totally different, in this case the email she’s supposed to write on Saturn stationing direct.)

Fast forward a few miles of morning traffic. Daughter jumps out of car and runs into Starbucks to pick up her breakfast. I take the proffered PSL and drop it in the cup holder.

Kid drop off carline navigated successfully. Classical music station on the radio. I can relax and have some coffee….

(Ewwww... gross… really?)

Apparently, a pumpkin spice latte is not coffee. Or, perhaps the version made for me forgot the coffee. Either way, it was cinnamon-y sugar water.

I put it back in the cup holder. After eyeing it for a moment, a plan popped in my head.

When I got home, I brewed a fresh pot of real coffee. Then poured in a little of the sugary spice concoction. Stirred. Sipped. Poured in a little more.

Viola! A civilized brew with a pleasant hint of cinnamon.

I carried it back to my desk. Sat down.

And then laughed.

Still up on my computer screen was the research I’d doing last night: images of Temperance in European art.

See, Temperance (Greek: sophrosyne) is the cardinal virtue associated with Saturn. She’s usually depicted pouring water into wine, or pouring water out onto the ground.

Tempering seeks to get the mixture “just right.”

And I had just taken on a modern Temperance manifestation myself:

Me pouring pumpkin spice latte into real coffee.

So, why exactly is temperance Saturn’s virtue?

Saturn’s mythos is intimately connected with the pattern that pulls our psychic, spiritual energy down into time-bound, three-dimensional manifestation.

Get the mixture right, and Saturn’s vibe enables us to be mindfully present in the moment. We cultivate the gifts maturity brings: self-discipline, steadfastness, and appreciation of solitude.

Get the mixture wrong, and we face the dark sides of Saturn…

Too much “matter” and we descend into isolation, sloth, apathy, and depression.

Too much “spirit” and we escape into brain fog, anxiety, temerity, and fear.

Knowing this, you can understand why Saturn’s key to conversations about self-undoing, as well as self-mastery.

Since ancient times, he’s the place to start to bring more magic and spirit into your life.

Saturn helps you slow down, be mindfully present, so you can better understand your world and how it works. And when you do, then the Magic can begin.

Once you’ve made friends with Saturn, he whispers:

“Here... Get yourself what you want.”

Happy Saturn Stationing Direct Day!

After his long retrograde, Saturn comes to a standstill to resume his regular motion tomorrow. As he pauses on is journey, it’s a good time to consider how you tap into Temperance in your own daily journey toward health and wholeness.

It’s also why I chose Sept. 18 to open the doors for my new Coven. If you’ve been looking for a magical community to help you bring out the magic in your own daily life, I’d love to have you join our adventure.