14 – Temperance

Cassandra (Romanced)

Significance: Cassandra is knows to have a temper, but is able to show self-restraint and temperance when needed. (See what I did just there?)

14 - Temperance

You’ll notice that the Dragon Age: Inquisition Tarot card for Temperance is spelled with an “e” (Temperence); the Rider-Waite and Miniature Tarot cards have it spelled with an “a” (Temperance). The actual correct spelling is with an “a”. Perhaps it is a simple error, and too many decks have been printed, therefore they kept the spelling as such. However, you know me, I like to dig deep, so I did a bit of numerology digging.

The word Temperance with an “a” is a Numerology 1. Looking at the 1, there aren’t that many similarities in the personality traits that match with Cassandra’s personality. Spelled with an “e”, it gives the word Numerology 5. We know that 7 is the Seeker, but 5 also have Seeker in its key words. I studied what the 5 represents, especially romatically, since this Tarot card is depicted as Cassandra when romanced. Here is what I was able to extrapolate from Numerology 5 that could indicate to a deliberate change in the word’s spelling:

Adaptable, yearns to travel;
Difficulty settling down (it takes a long time to lock in that romance with Cassandra);
Mystics or seers, detectives, seeking the best path, and are unconventional;
They believe that change is inevitable;
Outgoing, adventurous, seeker, teacher, sensual;
Strong feminine side with masculine undertones;
An “in-your-face” type of person;
Non-committal, until they fall completely and truly in love, and when they fall in love, they fall hard.

The card itself represents: Prosperity, inspiration, growth, happiness, patience, temperance, progress, fusion, plenty, invigoration, reconciliation, blending ideas, diplomacy, a trust in one’s own intuition, self-confidence, truth, etc.

As a Seeker of Truth, Cassandra has plenty of invigorating ideas.

Reversed: Discord, hubris, imbalance, failure or loss, frustration, impatience, wasted efforts, a person who is uncompromising, crudeness, lacking in certain areas, competitiveness, selfishness, loss of composure, sorrow, loss of faith, etc.

Cassandra has a lot of faith and believes in the Maker, she is a devout Andrastean.

14-Temperance

Speckled with silver, her black dress stands out from the lighter toned background, a balance of light and shadow. She holds a chalice, blue water pouring from it; her other hand touches the giant eye of truth searching and truth finding, red blood dripping off it; it is the ever flowing ebb of emotions, ever moving life. The eye itself is the same blue as the water; behind her we find the same red as the eye. It is reminisce of Yin and Yang: a harmony between the action of red and the calm of blue, the masculine and the feminine, life and death, positive and negative; it is, she is, Temperance.

What I think this means for Cassandra: She is going to be a driving force in future games and very much present, and might bring on a certain balance of things. but of what? I am not sure.

What I think this means for DA: She’ll be there, Cassandra will be in the next game, either as a companion or adviser, but will be much involved in searching for the balance and compromise that may allow us to quell the feud with Solas. She will search for truth to help save Thedas.