Strength

In most traditional decks, the card is numbered XI. Waite places it at number VIII, swapping it with Justice. We preferred to leave it at position XI, partly because the lesson of Strength, as presented in Tarot, is still very subtle and requires great spiritual maturity. Justice presents a more obvious lesson (although this does not mean a simpler one). This Arcana is considered positive, encapsulates a fairly large amount of energy, and calls for bravely and resolutely confronting the vicissitudes of fate. Strength heralds a test of endurance and speaks of the need for patience and courage.

Strength in a spread is evidence that until now the person has been on the right path, and now they are facing a test of their mindset, a trial.

This is a card of the inner strength needed to overcome obstacles on the path and to remain unwavering in the face of difficult circumstances. Usually, this need to be strong for the sake of others or oneself implies reigning in one's own feelings, whether it be passion, longing, or disappointment. The person is challenged, and cowardice and weak-willed behavior are out of place right now! What is to be experienced must be accepted calmly, patiently, and without losing self-confidence. Achieving emotional maturity is the most important task right now. Raging or feeling sorry for oneself will not solve it. Strength often appears when a person feels they have ended up in a rather dangerous situation, and they have to, figuratively speaking, enter the lion's den armed only with their convictions (biblical prophets and the lives of saints come to mind).

The traditional meaning of Strength is positive: overcoming obstacles (when fortitude is shown), victory over unforeseen circumstances. This is a card of willpower, energy, resilience, and triumph. Its function is to give the strength to tame an external or internal enemy (for example, to overcome weaknesses). In a spread, it indicates the possibility of achieving success and advises acting gently, unobtrusively, and yet fearlessly. If the spread is done for some crisis situation, Strength clearly indicates that the person has the power to do everything necessary and cope with it, and do so quite easily and confidently. The main thing is that they must not doubt their ability to do this for a single second!

In most cases, the card means success and luck, but with negative Arcana, it can also change its meaning.

The card clearly shows that true Strength is a power of the spirit rather than the body. We are talking about a victory won through righteousness, inner fortitude, and a firm belief in one's values, not through might. The lesson of this Arcana is that with true inner strength, the need to apply external force is minimal.

Through the power of conviction, a person can achieve control over the toughest situations, having no weapons other than willpower, moral superiority, fearlessness, and determination. For those who have watched "The Saboteur": the Eleventh Arcana is operation "Bare Hands". It is as if it repeats Chekh's words to the querent: "Millions of people are laden with weapons, they think themselves omnipotent, but they immediately lose all their combat skills when faced with an unarmed person, because the unarmed person has no choice. Think about it." Fortitude is the key to victory; show weakness, and you will suffer defeat. This is the card of one walking on water. The firmer your belief, the further you will go. If you do not doubt, do not allow weakness within yourself, and remain firm, you will be able to do what seems impossible.

Strength in Tarot is alien to bitterness and violence, and this is the most important thing to remember about it.

"A person in their prime."

Moral (and often physical!) strength, powerful energy, boldness, and courage bordering on heroism (especially when a person is challenged). Vitality and determination. Passion and fearlessness. Self-confidence, might, influence, great personal magnetism (charisma, the ability to influence others). Emotional stability. The ability to manage oneself (and others), but not through imperative pressure, but rather through firm concepts, great internal consistency, and bravery. Magnanimity, gentleness, tolerance, humanity.

A distinctive feature of Strength is great consistency, confidence in one's righteousness, and integrity of aspirations ("I know what I want").

Strength is also an indicator of unusual innate abilities (other cards will hint at what they are). The Strength card can describe both the state of a person leading a very rich life, and the state of a person quitting smoking or another bad habit. The state of consciousness described by the Arcana corresponds with the Nine of Wands – under no circumstances give in, do not yield to fear one iota, overcome the temptation to surrender. This is, in any case, a test of internal endurance and fidelity to one's higher knowledge, to the decision made. If the will is strong, you will win; if you give up, it is the end of your dreams. Fortitude is the key to victory. Strength says: you will lose only if you agree to surrender. If not, you will emerge victorious.

In any case, this is the image of a loner winning through resilience and determination. This card indicates a desire to persevere, even if it causes pain.

Another aspect of Strength is enthusiasm, the passionate enjoyment of life, the feeling of its fullness. This is the path of the joy of existence, hot blood, power, and energy. Among its traditional meanings are life-affirmation, pride, passion, the joys of life, and the love of carnal pleasures. A person is so captivated by their own emotions and thirst for pleasure that these qualities willy-nilly make them stand out from their environment, causing some to admire them and others to envy them. It is believed that of the court Arcana, the fiery Queen of Wands is closest to Strength.

This is a stage in spiritual development at which a person must find the inner strength to overcome external and internal obstacles, the skill, and determination to manage themselves and their own instincts.

Under Strength, there is a gentle, loving, and at the same time firm taming of fears, aggression, and attraction, seemingly without visible effort, solely by the inner fortitude of the spirit. The card essentially describes the very mechanism of self-control, of managing oneself and one's strong and reckless desires. The collaboration of the conscious and subconscious produces a person of immense power who knows how to walk almost without leaving footprints.

The wisdom of Strength is to act only with firmness of spirit, kindness, and faith, and not to kill, but to subdue. Most decks depict a young woman defeating a lion with her bare hands. One way or another, she makes the lion act according to her will, which logically seems impossible. But it is not for nothing that a lemniscate, the symbol of infinity and knowledge from above, is depicted above the woman's head. She wins thanks to this vibration, alone, without anyone's help. Her only weapon is a higher "assemblage point" of consciousness. The main thesis associated with the Arcana of Strength is - THE HIGHER ALWAYS DEFEATS THE LOWER. But only – the very highest. The main idea of the card is the superiority of higher vibrations over lower ones without any violence, simply by the essence of their nature. It is enough for them just to be. Thus medieval knights (by their nature very reminiscent of wild beasts) worshipped the Heavenly Lady. It is not rudeness that tames – the woman on the Arcana, her white attire, and the infinity sign above her head point to the nature of the necessary force. The lion, whose mouth the woman is closing, symbolizes her own passionate nature, subdued by the power of the Spirit, through Divine love. Characteristically, the astrological sign of Leo also symbolizes love and will. From Waite's point of view, Strength also describes all deeply religious people who conquer life's troubles and dangers through their reliance on God, meekness, humility, and love. Gentleness can create what brute force cannot achieve.

Many tarot readers write that if a person has habits that they have failed to change, no matter how hard they tried, it makes sense to focus their imagination on the imagery of Strength. Place one's own image in the position of the figure taming the lion. Having created a mental image of one's weakness, undesirable character trait, or bad habit, place it in the lion's stead. Feel your inner strength, determination, gentleness, and power over this problem (and not its denial). If you don't want to get rid of it at all, although you understand that you should, it's better to meditate on the XII Arcana. The beast symbolizes the external obstacles that stand in the way of spiritual development. It is a symbol of the beast within ourselves, a symbol of fears and passions that can turn out to be stronger than us and tear our lives to shreds. It would be a great mistake to enter into battle with this beast, but also to completely place oneself at its disposal. By dictatorially suppressing the deepest side of one's nature, one can cause a rebellion of unbridled impulses of the same nature, simply destroying the personality. The highest knowledge consists in the fact that this beast can and must be defeated by walking the path of spiritual self-improvement.

Under Strength comes the encounter with the shadow (that is, the acceptance of even one's least noble desires as natural manifestations of one's personality) and its loving taming, without tension and fear (rather than suppression and destruction) by an unflagging will softened by kindness. It must be integrated, not beaten down, and not by a fierce struggle, but by acknowledging its power – and the presence of an even higher and more powerful force. Pressure as such should be minimal. Yes, this "shadow", instincts, and passions seem to be a much more powerful opponent than the willpower a person has to confront them. Well, this Arcana asks the question – is there something in you that is higher in vibrations? And since there is, it means it is stronger. Victory is won not by aggression, but by internal righteousness. What is the most amazing thing about the Arcana besides the fearlessness of the woman? The transfiguration of the lion!

In Papus's treatise, the following statement corresponds to Strength: "Remember! In order to be able, you must believe yourself that you can. Go forward armed with faith - obstacles are but a phantom. To become strong, you must silence the weaknesses of the heart." This is mainly about internal enemies - walking the path of spiritual development, one must find the strength to pacify one's lower passions. It is time to learn how to gently, with love (and not harshly and without anesthesia), but inflexibly tame one's lower Self with one's higher Self.

Ideally, it is precisely in the image of this Arcana that human culture should master wild nature, interacting with the outside world not with brute force, but with the power of love and tenderness.

As for the permutations of the VIII and XI Arcana, here, of course, the point of view can be anything. One can indeed view Strength as the next step after the lesson of The Chariot. The Chariot works on external control, and Strength - on intrapersonal. Moreover, thanks to the symbol of the lemniscate, Strength seems to logically take its place in the second row of the Major Arcana under The Magician. Both of these cards show calmness and firmness of intention without aggression. Just like in it, the extraordinary power of this Arcana is based on deep inner harmony. If the might of The Magician is the result of the harmonious interaction of the conscious and subconscious, then the vitality, courage, and passion of this card are the expression of the balance that a civilized person finds with their animal nature. This is also reflected in myths, for example, about the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, who was initially his irreconcilable enemy. This card clearly shows that our goal is not to learn how to hide the sometimes archaic and somewhat frightening forces living within us, but to learn how to tame them with love, gentleness, and persistence. In this way, we will gain control not only over these wild natural forces, but also over those reserves of energy that we previously had to spend on suppressing these forces.

Strength can be seen as the feminine embodiment of The Magician.

Great zeal and diligence in business.

Energetic actions to achieve a result.

Bringing what was conceived to life.

Conducting business on a grand scale.

Bright talents, multifaceted creativity.

Strong self-motivation and a willingness to take risks. A person is ready to fully dedicate themselves to a certain task, to the development of some project. Colossal creative energy helps to destroy outdated structures and reach a new level. Work-related issues require the maximum concentration of forces.

Sometimes Strength advises to unite as quickly as possible, or at least to agree on joint actions with some large company.

Professions that in one way or another require physical strength and good physical fitness. Sports. The military. It promises successes and achievements (including in situations associated with a challenge and even significant danger). Moreover, the work can somehow be connected with an unsafe contingent of people and require a good understanding of the unconscious, instinctive sides of the psyche. This can be relevant in a wide variety of fields of activity, from the work of a sports coach to the oldest profession.

Achieving financial well-being through one's own labor and the development of one's natural inclinations.

This Arcana describes strong and viable relationships in which attraction plays a crucial role.

In love, Strength gives a gently taming and simultaneously conquering influence. Someone disables, neutralizes the influence of the Animus and reaches the defenseless Anima in the soul (regardless of gender). One partner with tenderness and affection gradually tames the other, and sometimes simply teaches them to cope with their own nature, including sexual, to accept and integrate the energy of passion and instincts. In this case, they act endlessly patiently, gently, and carefully, gradually conveying to the other pacification, the ability to handle their own body, and to fully enjoy love. The card usually describes a physically strong and very temperamental partner, but in which of these two roles they act, the educator of feelings or the educated one, is unknown.

Regarding Strength, there are dual accents in interpretation – "Waite's" and "Crowley's". Ever since Aleister Crowley transformed this Arcana, some authors carefully emphasize lust, instinctive manifestations, and the animalistic component of relationships. It is not that this meaning does not work – Strength indeed indicates a powerful energization of the sexual sphere, quite capable of surprising with its primitivity. The animalistic nature of sexual desire thus becomes obvious. But behind this, the meaning of deep tenderness, gentleness, and spiritual love, which was originally considered dominant in the Arcana of Strength, is somehow lost.

Strength certainly does not belong to the group of "platonic" Arcana. At the same time, it indicates an inequality between partners, a clear superiority of one of them in the level of development, wisdom, and feelings.

In Crowley's tradition, the woman descends to the beast, unleashing the animal principle within herself; in Waite's tradition, she "humanizes" it, elevates it to her level, alienating it from wild manifestations. So to speak, "the fire of passion educates the heart." This is a card of complete and conscious self-surrender in love, thanks to which the most diverse and contradictory aspects of the personality are fused together into a single whole in a single experience. You no longer need to suppress something, to fight something, because that very "the one" has arisen. The Unified. Under Strength, any interaction between partners becomes a tantra, consciousness is imbued with the fullness of every moment, accepts every emotional manifestation entirely, rejecting nothing; the art of feeling becomes the art of being.

Strength is a very encouraging card in the case of any conflicts and problems in a relationship. It symbolizes the victory of love over hate, of human manifestations over non-human ones.

This is a sign of the viability of the relationship about which the question was asked, and of great inner strength – the querent (or partner) is fighting to create or preserve the relationship, despite any obstacles like an intractable other half or spiteful relatives. If The Magician is also nearby – "no pasaran," the victory will be theirs, tireless efforts will pay off handsomely. However, sometimes strength is also required in order to free oneself from burdensome ties and put an end to it (as in any other interpretation, it is important to consider the context of the situation).

The card also gives sexual zeal, a great power of desire, serious diligence in bed, and vivid strong reactions up to extremes.

In general, Strength describes a relationship to which a person gives themselves with all passion, but which requires great wisdom from them. They bring pleasure, but at the same time they are a test of human maturity, otherwise the joy of arousal and union with the beloved degenerates into indulging hedonistic instincts, perhaps frantic, but empty. Under Strength, sexual transformation and initiation can also take place (with the corresponding Minor Arcana).

To women, Strength advises behaving smarter in relationships with a partner, answering everything: "Yes, dear, of course," and doing what needs to be done without getting into fruitless arguments about who thinks what is right and why. To men, Strength advises finding a woman who will help them become confident in themselves. In any case, it will be necessary to transform some of one's weaknesses (these can be aggressiveness, fears, and prejudices) over the course of these relationships.

A large reserve of vital energy. Good health, an obedient body, correct instincts, good physical shape. If a person is sick, Strength speaks of viability, vitality, recovery, and the restoration of strength.

To people who are too carried away with spiritual quests, asceticism, or simply armchair scientists, it recommends remembering their physical body, which needs to be exercised, fed, and pampered with other joys of life.

The moral of this card: a healthy mind in a healthy body. It emphasizes that only with a sufficiency of energy in the body is the mind active and bold enough to overcome doubts and solve problems. These things are closely interconnected; the body is not some kind of appendage to the mind, it must be cared for properly. The card gives the advice not to forget about its needs and to try to satisfy its healthy demands.

The reversed card speaks of physical and spiritual weakness. This is a bad indicator for health.

It goes without saying that reversed Strength is weakness. Or more precisely - powerlessness. The ancient meaning of reversed Strength sounds like "to suffer from superiors." So what can be done here? The card indicates dependence on the situation, says that outsiders often interfere in a person's fate.

Another meaning is the improper use of force. Despotism, tyranny (it seems to the person that being gentle means being weak; fear of losing control and the belief that it is maintained only by toughness), abuse of power, and inability to control oneself. Loss of self-control, internal discord, a situation where a person cannot cope with themselves (or rather, thinks they cannot).

A complex of meanings uniting both of these vectors - failure, disgrace, downfall.

Inability to resist temptation, weakness. Spinelessness, self-doubt, fear, anxiety. The person abandons plans, frightened by difficulties. A crisis of faith, apathy, defeatist moods, distrust of oneself and others.

The inability or failure to act gently, to find a way of harmonious coexistence with another person, hence – a high probability of failure of the conceived enterprise. Discord, lack of harmony.

Sometimes reversed Strength reminds people who are too carried away by the joys of life that the body is not eternal, and neither are its forces; it is time to take care of the spiritual as well.

Surrounded by negative Arcana it speaks of the improper application of force.

With The Fool – a person worries about the situation they are in, but obstacles and dangers will be successfully overcome.

With The Hierophant – a person has outgrown their mentors, it is difficult for them to find an authority for themselves.

With The Lovers – strong passion, irresistible attraction. But there can also be rivalry, clashes of different (almost opposite) value systems, and both of these meanings often trigger simultaneously.

With The Chariot – tight control.

With The Hanged Man – gaining time, patience, waiting.

With Death – the onset of a turning point in life, a radical change in thinking and lifestyle (and for the better).

With The Devil – clearly indicates the presence of some temptations, towards which determination and firm opposition are needed. One must not show weakness!

With Five of Wands – the search for reserves for victory.

With Nine of Wands – resilience and strength.

With Eight of Cups – fatigue, lack of strength; the card is considered to weaken the effect of the Arcana.

With Ten of Swords, The Hanged Man - readiness to give up, to renounce something dear in the name of the higher.

Reversed with Knight of Swords – to win a battle.

Goddesses who are depicted naked, riding a lion: Hebe, Ishtar; the Greek nymph Cyrene, taming lions without weapons.

Samson, shorn by Delilah

Archetypes of many of Dumas's favorite heroes, starting from Bussy and ending with Buckingham.

Partially, the image of Bella from the famous vampire saga "Twilight" corresponds to this Arcana.