THE STRENGTH CARD
By Cal Garrison
In the Rider-Waite deck the Strength card portrays an image of a woman in white, standing over a lion. Garlands of flowers adorn her waist and head and an infinity symbol floats mysteriously above her Crown Chakra. The beatific smile on her face gives her expression a look of total serenity.
Bending forward slightly she uses her hands to close the lion's jaws. Despite the obvious danger inherent in the situation there is no trace of fear here. Somehow the woman has succeeded in taming the beast without resorting to force or violence. How do we know this? Because his tail is between his legs and his posture is submissive.
A yellow sky fills up most of the background. This color is associated with the Solar Plexus and the Third Chakra. Pamela Coleman-Smith chose yellow to symbolize the power of the human Will when it is controlled and directed in accordance with God's Will. The yellow alone would be enough to tell even a novice reader what this card is all about. I mention this because at times we get stuck remembering what a card means, and if you understand color and its relationship to the human chakra system that knowledge will jog your memory and support your interpretation.
With that in mind let's look at the lion. The artist painted the lion a reddish-orange color to show us that he represents the survival issues of the First Chakra, and the Second Chakra 'relationship' we all have with those issues. The animal instincts, the desire nature, and the power of the ego are all held within the lion's imagery. Aside from that he represents brute strength, physical prowess, and male energy. All of these things have a forceful connotation.
What saves the beast from being nothing but a poster child for our monster Will is his association with the sign Leo. Ruled by the Sun, Leo is a solar image and an emblem for the life force. The heart belongs to Leo too — so the heart, coupled with the life force turns the beast into an emblem for the Soul in flesh — and it is via the heart that we communicate with that aspect of ourselves and transmute all of that raw power into something more sublime.
If the green landscape and the blue mountains that make up the rest of the background are also related to the chakras, we can assume the Ms. Coleman-Smith understood that the right use of Will depends upon how well we operate from the heart space (green) and how well we are able to channel the higher truths that flow down from above and out through the Throat Chakra (blue).
Number eight in the series of 22 major Arcana symbols, the Strength card speaks to us of balance. Numerologically, eight is the balance we establish between the inner and outer worlds once we reach the point in our spiritual process where we understand that they mirror each other. This idea is confirmed by the lemniscate that floats above the woman's head. It tells us that she is connected to the infinite and thus embodies the perfect wisdom of the Higher Self. Her relationship to the lion is one of cooperation rather than conflict. His submission seems to indicate that the desire nature finds its proper place when it allows that which is spiritual in us to infuse it with love and truth.
When he designed the Thoth Deck, Aleister Crowley renamed this card 'Lust'. This was done in part to rattle Victorian sensibilities, because Crowley loved to shock people — but he had other, justifiable reasons for changing it. According to infamous Magician lust is defined as, 'the joy of strength exercised'. Seen in that light Strength's message becomes more about joy than it is about wantonness. When we have the inner strength to tame the power of the lower self and go into alignment with God's Will, it gives us joy to know that we are actualizing our rightful purpose. If joy is in fact, 'the attracting mechanism for everything in the universe', all things become ours when we are in that state — and it could be that our real strength and creative power are born out of joy.
The first thing that strikes me whenever I look at this card is the central figure's level of certainty. How clear would one have to be to assume her position? Who among us would be willing to trade places with her without any fear of being eaten alive? Ostensibly, the lion should have the upper hand here — but some other force is in control and it is the woman who commands it. She is able to do this without the use of force or violence, so whatever her power consists of, it brings no harm to the beast and may very well enlighten it.
If the woman is the personification of that power, she embodies it well enough to handle this particular situation with absolute certainty. It isn't necessarily her muscle, her convictions, or her knowledge that loan her that sense of security, but something else altogether. The lemniscate that floats above her head tells us that her strength comes from another plane. Tapped into her own mastery she is God in this situation and therefore able to do what would be impossible if she held even the slightest fear that she might be anything less. It is through love and the right use of Will that the lion is tamed and thus willing to become obedient to a power greater than his own.
When the Strength card shows up in a reading it takes much of its meaning from the nature of the question and from the meaning of the rest of the cards in the layout. In its upright position it tells the reader that the querent is connected to whatever is in their highest good and able to subdue the ego well enough to take the high road. Certain about what is required of them they are strengthened by the same force that empowers the woman and enlightens the beast. Because the Higher Self and the desire nature are in total alignment, the querent will succeed in meeting any form of challenge as long as they are able to maintain that balance and remain connected to things that vivify their inner being.
If the question concerns a relationship and the rest of the cards indicate that the object of the querent's affection is worthy of it, the Strength card will often show up to reinforce the idea and give them permission to pursue some form of courtship. It can also indicate that it would be beneficial to both parties to engage sexually. When the surrounding images suggest that the person in question is insincere or out of integrity, the Strength card will appear as a clear sign that the querent needs to be careful. If they can't control their passions and tame the need to get physically involved they run the risk of getting caught up in an affair that could lead to a lot of pain and suffering.
In questions that have to do with the state of someone's health, the Strength card tells the reader that whoever the question concerns will survive the challenges that the physical vehicle is putting them through. Even if the surrounding cards indicate that healing will involve some level of difficulty or delay, this card is a sign that the body is strong enough to regain its equilibrium at some point in the future. Restoring their vitality will inevitably involve connecting with the spiritual and psychological concerns that are feeding the illness. Health will return as soon as they understand that the physical problem came as a gift or an opportunity to look at the energetic elements that gave rise to it.
In its reversed position the Strength card carries the idea that the querent is out of alignment with their Higher Self. The ego, the passions, and the desire nature are in control and there is a danger of getting brought down by things that have little to do with what their Spirit needs. While it is possible to manifest a great many things from an egocentric place, it helps to remember that the ego is never satisfied. Ignoring the Higher Self and subjugating it to the desires of the personality takes us away from our Source, stunts our growth, and leads us into wanting more of whatever the ego is fixated upon. When the Strength card shows up in this position you may need to remind the querent to realign their intentions with whatever it is that God wants.
Sometimes the reversed card says quite simply that someone is being bossy and overbearing. If, as the reader you sense that this is the case all you need to say is, 'back off', or confirm for the querent that someone else is being invasive and controlling.
As far as relationship questions are concerned, Strength in its reversed aspect is a sign that passion reigns supreme and if it continues unchecked there will be a price to pay. Chances are the querent won't listen to you, but you have to say it anyway. If it isn't lust that has them mesmerized, the reversed card may be there to tell them that the power issues in the relationship are out of balance and both parties have to get clear about 'who's controlling who' before they can experience any level of harmony together.
The opposite of strength is weakness, so Strength reversed implies weakness. We all go through periods of time where we have no certainty about anything, and this generates feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability. Those feelings often seem to be real, until we realize that they exist to remind us that we are only temporarily out of touch with our inner strength. Reading for people who are in that place will involve letting them know that their core strength is always there — they just have to find ways to reconnect with it. The surrounding cards will tell them how to do this.
When the question concerns a health issue the reversed card says that the life force has been weakened by the illness. Restoring physical vitality will depend upon whether or not the person in question can turn to their Higher Power for help. Any hope of a cure will also rely on giving their body everything it needs. Vitamins and elixirs may bring some improvement, but in most cases rest is the sovereign cure — and the best advice you can give them is to stop exerting themselves and do nothing for a while.
One of the most interesting things about the Strength card is the fact that the central figure happens to be a female. Customarily, we associate the male principle with strength, but all of the decks I have seen so far portray this archetype as a woman. Whoever laid out the original template for the card must have understood that real strength lies in our ability to be receptive to what comes from the Source and to trust that information implicitly. Trust and receptivity are feminine attributes. The message seems to be that our true power has nothing to do with dominance and control — it has to do with our willingness to be a vehicle for what comes from above — '...thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven'.
Ultimately Strength is what it takes to take the High Road and develop the wisdom and faith and courage to act in accordance with God's Will — even when it is costly, inconvenient, and/or life threatening. As we move further into difficult and challenging times the Strength card may serve to remind us where our power really lies.
About Cal Garrison
Cal is a writer with four books to her credit. ‘The Old Girls’ Book of Spells’, ‘The Old Girls’ Book of Dreams’, and her latest book, ‘Witch On the Go’ were published by RedWheel/Weiser Press and are available in bookstores or on Amazon.com. In addition to her own work, she also writes for Slim Spurling. Her first book with Slim, ‘Slim Spurling’s Universe’ is being followed up by their second book together which, with any luck, will be out in 2008—2009.
A professional astrologer with 35 years experience Cal has cast over 6000 charts and is one of the best in her field. She is also an expert on the Tarot. When she’s not running the Spirit of Ma'at office, or working on her books, Cal spends her time doing in depth astrology and tarot readings for people all over the country.
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