The Angel of Temperance encourages balance and moderation. They blend the elements of fire and water to achieve a settled state following the upheaval of change from the Death card that goes before. Our Fool will be comforted by this angel but also perhaps challenged to compromise and even things up. 

The blending of fire with water and a backdrop of colourful clouds really helps this angel stand out. The magical gravity-defying flow between the two cups is present and this manages not to look too like a 2 of cups minor, which can be a challenge for the Temperance card. She has such a compassionate expression, perhaps she understands that the middle ground can be difficult for some to walk. 

This little monster angel shows us that balance can be achieved by juggling and having fun. Again there's the beautiful blend of pink with the most vibrant blue skies giving us the intellectual and emotional elements. It's amazing how Joanna Nelson has managed to get such a serene expression on the face of a little monster. 

This whole deck is weird and wonderful but I think of the Temperance card as ugly beautiful. There's less contrast between the fire and water elements, the complementary tones and the earth element is very present in this deck. However, the flow of water from jug to cup manages to feel dynamic even in this 2D world. A calm colour scheme. 

Striking red against ivory white highlighting passion within peace. The contrasting colours show a more dynamic Angel of Temperance with the most beautifully soft feathered wings of any angel in tarot. The spot gloss above her head shows an imprint of the ying yang symbol, perfect for the message of this card.  

This is a deck in the Thoth system and as such, this card is renamed, Art. The theme is itself blends very nicely with its title showing an artist at work and has placed the traditional RWS Angel of Temperance within the modern day urban setting. There's the blend of fire and water with a grounding of earth as this setting feels enclosed, as expected within the urban landscape. Stunningly beautiful and clever. 

If the Fool is arguably the most important card in a deck, the Death card is undoubtedly the most feared. Of course, it does not predict death but change. Change affects all, hence the group of figures beneath the horse in the RWS. Something old must 'die away' in order for something new to come into being. 

The elegant True Black shows Death as the gatekeeper standing before a door to the "afterlife". The letters that can be seen on the door are from Tao Te Ching. Arthur Wang's excellent guidebook states he likens life to flexibility and death to rigidness. The ability to be flexible and change is therefore essential to being alive. 

I love how humorous this card is. It looks like Death is bored in his lonely graveyard and will only be cheered up by some new company. A great deck for the gothic horror lovers, the ornate gates depicted in the background give that nod to the transformative nature of change. Step this way and change our Grim Reaper's grimace to a grin. 

Here we have the tradition of the Death card having no name and only a number.  This might soothe some of your more nervous clients but the scull reflected in the butterflies wings retains that sinister quality. The process of change from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly has taken place in this card but the memory of what is lost is still there. Taken forward on those delicate wings. 

A beautiful, strong moon-gazing hare surrounded by transformative butterflies sitting in the dark forest. He is a symbol of good luck, in some traditions, reminding us that when a situation is tough, change is good news. No matter how difficult the process, represented by those spiky thorns, once change has taken place, the outcome will see you stronger. 

Now this is as much a surprise to me as it may be to you. An old-fashioned mass market deck, how can this be my favourite Death card? Well, multiple languages bordering the image aside, this Death card really tugs on the heart strings. What's happening here? Death is carrying her soul across the barren desert, step by step till he can gently lay her down to rest. The process of change, of transformation, of dying, can be soothing and tender. Death can be our friend supporting us and transporting us from the cold of the dark moon to the warmth of the sun.