#(also sorry for ranting about evangelical christianity unprompted but it is basically my brand at this point so 🤷‍♀️)

[betty-bourgeoisie]

You jest, but Alfred would make a decent candidate for Temperance if reversed (if you even use reversed card meanings; some don’t, I’m usually one of them).

Oh I think he would be great for Temperance reversed.

Actually I think Alfred really does represent a duality that would work well for temperance - The idea of temperance has heavily influenced American culture through various religious groups (Quakers, Shakers, Puritans - I won't list every itty bitty Protestant sect that hates fun, but there are/were a LOT of them in the U.S. The Temperance movement itself had religious roots too). Even the more generic flavors of American protestantism tend to emphasize not being too flashy or tacky.

And then on the other hand you have the conspicuous consumption, bigger is better attitude that is so heavily associated with American capitalism and the American entertainment industry.

These values are supposedly antithetical to each other, but they're both corner stones of the American over culture, and the tension between the two is ever present - in fashion, in foodways, in home decor, in language- the need to show off your wealth while still appearing humble and reserved (ie: godly) is always there.

As a personification of the United States I think Alfred's character could be uniquely positioned to represent both temperance and temperance reversed in a tarot deck for exactly this reason.