Strength
8
Rules: Leo
Exaltation: Neptune
Planetary Association: Sun
Color: Yellow
As a Yes or No question: Yes
Upright: Taming your temper, Having the guts to take action, Patience, Choosing Love over Force, Strength, Mind over Matter, Determination, Eliminating doubt, Controlling any wild tendencies or emotions, Determination to get what you want, Waiting for the right moment, Purity and Wisdom, Discipline, Mastering yourself, Influence, Compassion, Empathy
Reversed: Lust, Brute Force, Flaky, Unreliable, Unresolved Issues, Overly Emotional, Putting your Head in the Sand, Self Doubt, Low Energy, Spiraling out of Control, Fear
The Chariot Symbolism
The woman is wearing white and gray, which represents purity and wisdom. She looks larger than the land behind her and larger than the land she stands upon. She is larger than life. She is a powerful figure who can tame anyone with diplomacy. She is truly magnanimous. The sky is tinted yellow, which represents emotional intellect. She is wearing a wreath of roses around her hair and waist, which represent her feminine side. Red roses in tarot tend to represent the material world. An infinity sign is levitating above her head, which represents her mastery over her emotions. She has tamed hundreds of lions before the lion in the picture. The lion bows down before her while gently licking her arm with affection.
Lions represent carnal desire, material power, and brute force. The woman in Strength is using her spiritually divine nature to telepathically talk and subdue the beast.
Strength Upright Summary
Strength represents discipline and control, mastery of yourself and your immediate surroundings. Strength can represent having the inner resolve and self-discipline to conquer desire. You’ll need to use fortitude and strength of character. Use love instead of force. You can get more out of someone using sugar and honey than brute force. Sometimes I’ve heard people describe this as having the patience to tame the beast- which is taken in respect of “fixing” a partner. But you should never “fix” a partner, they aren’t broken- you’re just not compatible. That being said, sometimes we have beasts within that do need taming. We cannot change others, but we can change our own actions.
Although we cannot change others, we can take a moment to have empathy and compassion. Sometimes people act a certain way because they are going through something terrible. No- this isn’t an excuse or sympathizing of abusive behavior or language. Poor attitudes are never okay. However, remember we are all going through something. Chose to have empathy. We don’t have to forget, or even forgive, but we can choose to be patient and rise above.
Past
Strength in the Past position represents a time in the past when you have taken control of something and it has really paid off, it’s put you where you are now! You probably aced that exam or got that promotion, or even got that achievement/milestone you were working towards! Well done! It’s given you the boost you need!
Present
Strength in the present position represents the burgeoning mastery of your field. Things are getting better, just continue what you’re doing and everything will be okay. You’ve come out on top.
Future
Strength in the future position is a good sign. Anything that is bothering you now will seem like nothing in the near future. It happens all the constantly for every living person! Just think about your worries generally. How often do you think about things that happened 6 months, 1 year, 5 years ago, that used to affect you so much then, but now just have no impact? Time deals with all your problems. This too shall pass.
Reversed Summary
Strength can indicate lust, raw sexual energy, passion, and sexual slavery. Strength reversed can hint at a one-night stand. Upright, Strength is a card of how to balance power, but when reversed the card can indicate someone or a situation, which is overbearing. This can lead to others being intimidated by the person. A bully can even be indicated.
Strength in reverse reflects a lack of energy and willpower and drive that may be striking you right now. Remember, it’s normal to need to feel on top all the time. If you are feeling weak in any aspect of your life, look at what you can still accomplish. No matter your level of strength, you can still improve. Weightlifters will always start small. Sometimes, something in life can knock us back to square one, and we have to accept it. Life is not a linear progression from strength to strength, and the strongest among us have failed many times over.
On the worldly level, reversed Strength speaks of dictators or people who try to overpower others.
A Song for Strength
Cover Artwork by Prism + Fleur