Instantly recognisable, the Strength card is typically depicted with a lion, and in many interpretations, with a woman taming it. The meaning of the Strength tarot card is about finding the power within you to overcome obstacles, to act with love and compassion, to tame your raw emotions and animal instincts and channel that energy to peacefully navigate emotionally strenuous challenges. Sound tough? Let’s see how these tough lions and ladies look inwards to find their strength.
In Kerry Ward’s The Good Karma Tarot, Strength is represented entirely by the woman herself, the lion being a part of her in the form of her tattoo on her back. She does not hide her lion, instead she confidently wears a brightly coloured top with a low cut back to reveal the beast bearing its teeth. She gestures physical strength by flexing her biceps, but really her strength and courage comes from within, as symbolised by the rays in the background which radiate outwards from her chest. Her femininity is expressed in the colours of the card, her pure white hair tied back with a bow, and it is the feminine side of the person which is called upon to intuitively tame emotions with love and compassion, rather than with force. As Kerry Ward herself writes, “Tame your wild side to work for you - flex your emotional muscles - the only war is in your own head.”
Our next Lion, in the Elemental Power Tarot by Melinda Lee Holm, appears more like a kitten, rolling on his back amongst the wild flowers. He stares right at you from his vulnerable position, not needing to express his strength with force, for he is confident that his strength will be seen and felt despite his vulnerability. The wild flowers blooming in the dry landscape and the green plants in the foreground with their roots spreading outwards searching for stability, represent determination and growth from within. This lion challenges you to dig deep to connect with your inner strength to conquer life’s challenges.
One of my favourite Strength cards is from the Supernova Tarot deck by Federico Salis, this card is pure power and energy. This beautiful woman is persuasive, yet gentle as she wraps her arms around the lion, gripping its head and jaws. But the lion isn’t a separate being requiring force and violence to tame it, it is a part of the woman herself, her strong legs are also the legs of the lion. Her eyes are closed, her face is calm as she uses her mental, her inner strength to effortlessly control the lion. The angle at which she is portrayed makes her appear larger than life, the colours of the lion, her skin and the background are all a blend of fiery tones.
All of these lions and all of these strong women represent the ability to face life head on no matter what the challenges may be. By finding the strength within you, confronting your demons, showing love and compassion rather than violence and force, that is the way to calmly navigate your way through change and problematic times. We all face them, and we are all strong, if we choose to look within.
10 of Swords: Learn from and let go of the past
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