Strength
Major Arcana
Strength
Inner strength and courage
Upright Meaning
In love and relationships, the Strength card signifies a period of deep emotional resilience, patience, and understanding. It suggests the ability to navigate challenges within a partnership with grace and compassion, rather than resorting to arguments or stubbornness. For singles, it indicates attracting a partner who respects your inner power and emotional depth. It encourages taming jealousy, possessiveness, or impulsive reactions, fostering a bond built on mutual respect and gentle persuasion. This card promotes a relationship where both partners bring their authentic selves, mastering any personal 'lions' with love and acceptance, leading to a strong, harmonious, and enduring connection.
Reversed Meaning
Professionally, Strength speaks to leading with confidence, compassion, and diplomacy. You are encouraged to tackle difficult projects or challenging colleagues with patience and inner resolve, rather than overt aggression. This card suggests mastering new skills, demonstrating resilience in the face of setbacks, and having the courage to pursue your career goals with quiet determination. It can indicate a role where you inspire others through your calm demeanor and strong moral compass, or a time when you successfully manage high-pressure situations by tapping into your inner reserves of strength and wisdom. It's about achieving success not through force, but through consistent, gentle effort and self-control.
Symbolism
The Strength card in the Tarot deck is a profound symbol of inner fortitude, courage, and the gentle mastery of primal instincts. It typically depicts a woman calmly and gently closing the mouth of a fierce lion. This is not a struggle of brute force, but a demonstration of control achieved through compassion, patience, and unwavering inner resolve. The woman wears a wreath of flowers and leaves, often a symbol of victory and achievement, similar to the infinity symbol (lemniscate) floating above her head. This infinity symbol, also seen with The Magician, signifies boundless potential, eternal wisdom, and the cyclical nature of mastery over oneself. The lion, a creature of raw instinct, passion, and animalistic desire, represents our lower self, our shadow side, or untamed impulses. The woman's serene expression and graceful posture illustrate that true power comes not from domination or external force, but from a deep understanding and integration of these primal energies. She isn't fighting the lion; she is harmonizing with it, suggesting that true strength lies in acknowledging and channeling our inner beasts with love and wisdom, rather than suppressing them. The yellow background signifies clarity, consciousness, and spiritual enlightenment, while distant mountains often hint at challenges that have been overcome or spiritual heights yet to be reached. This card teaches that resilience, moral courage, and the ability to face adversity with grace are the hallmarks of true inner strength.
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try daily readingDetailed Symbolism
The Strength card in the Tarot deck is a profound symbol of inner fortitude, courage, and the gentle mastery of primal instincts. It typically depicts a woman calmly and gently closing the mouth of a fierce lion. This is not a struggle of brute force, but a demonstration of control achieved through compassion, patience, and unwavering inner resolve. The woman wears a wreath of flowers and leaves, often a symbol of victory and achievement, similar to the infinity symbol (lemniscate) floating above her head. This infinity symbol, also seen with The Magician, signifies boundless potential, eternal wisdom, and the cyclical nature of mastery over oneself. The lion, a creature of raw instinct, passion, and animalistic desire, represents our lower self, our shadow side, or untamed impulses. The woman's serene expression and graceful posture illustrate that true power comes not from domination or external force, but from a deep understanding and integration of these primal energies. She isn't fighting the lion; she is harmonizing with it, suggesting that true strength lies in acknowledging and channeling our inner beasts with love and wisdom, rather than suppressing them. The yellow background signifies clarity, consciousness, and spiritual enlightenment, while distant mountains often hint at challenges that have been overcome or spiritual heights yet to be reached. This card teaches that resilience, moral courage, and the ability to face adversity with grace are the hallmarks of true inner strength.
💕 Love & Relationships
In love and relationships, the Strength card signifies a period of deep emotional resilience, patience, and understanding. It suggests the ability to navigate challenges within a partnership with grace and compassion, rather than resorting to arguments or stubbornness. For singles, it indicates attracting a partner who respects your inner power and emotional depth. It encourages taming jealousy, possessiveness, or impulsive reactions, fostering a bond built on mutual respect and gentle persuasion. This card promotes a relationship where both partners bring their authentic selves, mastering any personal 'lions' with love and acceptance, leading to a strong, harmonious, and enduring connection.
💼 Career & Work
Professionally, Strength speaks to leading with confidence, compassion, and diplomacy. You are encouraged to tackle difficult projects or challenging colleagues with patience and inner resolve, rather than overt aggression. This card suggests mastering new skills, demonstrating resilience in the face of setbacks, and having the courage to pursue your career goals with quiet determination. It can indicate a role where you inspire others through your calm demeanor and strong moral compass, or a time when you successfully manage high-pressure situations by tapping into your inner reserves of strength and wisdom. It's about achieving success not through force, but through consistent, gentle effort and self-control.
🌿 Health & Wellness
For health and wellness, Strength emphasizes the importance of a strong mind-body connection. It suggests that recovery from illness or the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle benefits greatly from mental fortitude, self-discipline, and a compassionate approach to your body's needs. This card encourages developing healthy habits with patience and persistence, rather than extreme measures. It can indicate overcoming chronic issues through inner resilience and a positive mindset. It also highlights the ability to manage stress effectively by maintaining inner calm and integrating physical and emotional well-being.
✨ Spiritual Growth
Spiritually, the Strength card is a powerful call to integrate all aspects of yourself – both the light and the shadow. It encourages you to face your inner demons, fears, and untamed instincts with compassion and understanding, rather than judgment. This is a journey of self-mastery, where you learn to channel your primal energies into spiritual growth and purpose. It signifies developing unwavering faith, inner peace, and the courage to live authentically according to your highest truth. It's about finding your spiritual core and drawing upon it to navigate life's challenges with grace and profound inner wisdom.
Common Questions
What does the Strength card mean in a 'yes' or 'no' reading?
The Strength card typically signifies a 'yes', especially for questions requiring courage, perseverance, or inner resolve. It encourages you to trust your inner power and tackle challenges head-on with patience and compassion.
How does the Strength card relate to managing emotions?
Strength is all about mastering your emotions and instincts, not suppressing them. It encourages you to acknowledge your feelings, understand their root, and then channel them constructively using inner calm, patience, and compassion, rather than letting them control you.
Is the Strength card about physical strength?
While physical endurance can be a component, the Strength card primarily symbolizes inner strength – courage, resilience, patience, and moral fortitude. It represents the power of the human spirit and the ability to overcome challenges through mental and emotional mastery, rather than brute physical force.
What kind of challenges does the Strength card help overcome?
The Strength card helps overcome challenges that require significant inner resolve, patience, and self-control. This includes personal fears, bad habits, emotional outbursts, difficult relationships, or long-term projects that test one's endurance and spirit.
How can I embody the energy of the Strength card in my daily life?
To embody Strength, practice patience, self-compassion, and gentle discipline. Face challenges with a calm and confident demeanor, trusting your inner wisdom. Cultivate emotional intelligence, manage your reactions consciously, and find ways to channel your passions and drives constructively, rather than letting them overwhelm you.