Strength

Strength is regarded as the eighth card in the Major Arcana of Tarot Cards, which comprises of twenty-two cards in total.

The Story behind Strength

After taking The Chariot’s advice, The Fool has defeated his enemies but has become arrogant. He sees a woman trying to control a wild lion. He runs over to help but, before he can intervene, the woman has silenced the lion. The Fool is amazed by what he as just seen. He asks the woman how she did it. She tells him that she ‘asked’, and that we all of a higher energy that can be tapped into. This higher energy can be used to control even the wildest of beasts. Not only was the lion tamed, so was The Fool’s arrogance.

Meaning of The Strength Tarot Card

Looking at the story above it is clear to see that strength is not always physical, and mental strength is one of the most powerful things that one can possess. Therefore, this card is all about the mind and what is possible when one possesses a great deal of mental strength and has control over their emotions.

The Strength Tarot Card changes our thinking, instead of letting emotions control our strength we should use our strength to overcome our strong emotions. In this case, mental determination is more important than any emotion. The story of the woman and the lion embodies the battle between physical strength and mental strength. It shows us that great mental strength is more powerful than physical brute strength.

She waits for the lion to tire before making her move, which shows that physical strength is much more short-lived than mental strength. She is patient because she waits for the lion to use all of his initial strength before applying her mental strength. In short, we must learn to control the beast within.