MAJOR ARCANA
Strength Tarot Meanings
The Strength tarot card is one of the major arcana cards that does exactly as it says on the tin. Strength, when it appears in a tarot reading, represents our own strength. This could be physical strength or more commonly it refers to our inner and emotional strength.
Strength’s tarot meaning is one of my favourites because it has a very potent, supportive energy that lets you know that you can do what needs to be done. It reminds you that you have the inner strength to push through whatever is holding you back or causing you pain.
Strength Upright Meanings
In the upright position, the Strength Tarot meaning refers to our inner strength, our ability to love ourselves and others without fear or trepidation.
The easiest way to remember the meaning of this card is to really pay attention to what you see represented in the imagery. The lion will often be a symbol used when referring to the Strength card, so keep in mind all the properties that come to mind when you think of a lion.
Some of the basic meanings of the Strength Tarot card are:
Inner and physical strength
Courage
Conviction
Fearlessness
Mastering vices and desires
When Strength appears upright it can often mean that you either have a lot of this within you that you can tap into, or that you need to find a way to build this courage and confidence in order to tackle what it is you’re currently faced with.
You need to be the lion or tame the lion within, depending on the question you’re asking the cards.
Strength Reversed Meanings
When it’s reversed, a lot of the Strength Tarot meanings we mentioned before are turned on their head. The positives become too strong and evolve into vices and negative properties.
Sometimes, we can allow our strength to stem from a place of ego, rather than compassion and confidence, so we need to be able to identify when we’re starting to shift into those territories.
Some meanings of the Strength Tarot reversed are:
Weakness
Vulnerability
No self-discipline
Giving in to urges and desires
Arrogance
I find it helps to think of that lion we visualised in the upright position, in a state of out-of-control wildness.
The lion becomes dangerous and can actually cause a negative outcome if we allow it to run away from us. Self-control is key here and Strength reversed suggests that we have lost that control.
Reading Strength in a spread
When it comes to interpreting the Tarot’s Strength card, I like to take some time to think about what strength would mean to me, within the context of the question I’ve just asked.
For example, if I asked about whether I’d be able to level up my business, I might interpret the Strength card as a sign that I can if I practice patience and resilience. I might need to not take failures too personally or not let bad luck derail me.
If I was asking whether my relationship was going to last, the appearance of Strength could indicate a need to work at the relationship in order to make it sustainable long term.
This may require me to do some work on my own vices and take ownership of my flaws so that I can have open and healthy communication with my partner.
That’s the easiest way to start figuring out the messages of Tarot Strength, but here are a few other ways you could frame the card.
Strength as an Invitation
Strength is a really loving invitation to turn your attention inwards and analyse what it is you’re capable of.
It can also point you to what it is you need to attract more of, in order to overcome obstacles or reach goals.
It can be a confrontational card that asks you to take a hard look at yourself, your mindset and your actions and really dig out your vices so that you can work through them.
For Tarot Strength, this invitation could look like:
An invitation to see what areas you may need to conjure up more inner strength
An invitation to look back at your bravest moments and learn from them
An invitation to see if you could benefit from support from others
Strength as Sage Advice
Strength offering advice feels like going to a wise friend who only has your best interests at heart. It’s also not afraid to tell you what you need to hear.
Sometimes, if we aren’t present and grounded, our impulses can take over and we end up doing or saying things we don’t mean.
Tarot Strength sees this and suggests that we take a second to readjust and really take a look at ourselves, to see where we could be better. It may be that we need to nurture aspects of ourselves, focusing on areas like self-esteem, self-confidence or self-love.
Some advice Strength’s Tarot meanings may offer are:
Try and nurture more positive, encouraging thoughts by challenging the negative ones. This will help you shift your mindset to make it easier to tackle your current challenges.
Just because it feels difficult, doesn’t mean that it’s not meant for you. Fight for what you want and show the universe you mean business.
Check yourself in moments of high emotion to make sure you don’t let your impulses get the better of you.
What you’re currently facing will take courage to overcome, but it will be well worth it in the end.
Strength as a Lesson
The Strength Tarot card is the first step on the second level of The Fool’s Journey, the chapter where we start to flesh out how we want to move through the world.
With this in mind, Strength offers a big lesson which is ‘What am I capable of?’.
This is also a question that comes up many times throughout our lives as we are faced with new situations and circumstances.
Strength helps remind us that the hardest times offer some of the most nourishing lessons.
Some lessons that Strength may offer you are:
To learn how to temper your most fiery personality traits so that you can stay present and in the moment.
That you have the inner strength to do what needs to be done, even if you aren’t conscious of it yet.
That being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak and that you can let your guard down and still be powerful and feel safe.
Strength as a Redirection
As a redirection, Strength’s Tarot meanings may suggest that there is another way of handling a situation, or even a different mindset you can take towards it, that may help.
It tells us that we need some grounding so that we can see things with more clarity, and even come up with more creative solutions where necessary.
As a redirection, Strength could symbolise a need to:
Seek out support from others
Take responsibility for your own actions and the role you’ve played thus far
Look for the strength inside yourself instead of looking to others or other things to give you the strength you need
Stop running away from something that seems risky or painful and face it head-on with courage and conviction
The Number Eight
The number eight is the more advanced version of the stable number of four. Instead of just having those firm foundations in place, eight symbolises those foundations and more, withstanding the test of time.
Like you would imagine with long term stability, the number eight also brings with it a great deal of success, power, authority and discipline. It’s also recognised that turned on its side, the number eight resembles the lemniscate or infinity symbol, adding to its properties of infinite possibilities.
Astrological Leo
The Strength Tarot card is associated with the astrological sign of Leo, the lion of the zodiac. Leo is a fire sign that is both passionate, creative ambitious and protective, things the Strength card also possesses.
Like the Strength Tarot card, Leos also have a fierce determination to reach their goals. They have buckets of confidence, whether it be a show of confidence or a deeply rooted belief in their abilities and what they deserve. Leos firmly believe in the fake it till you make it ethos and they are pros at it.
The Strength Archetype
The Strength card’s archetype is a little tricker to place, but to me it feels more like a Magician than anything else. We can see this in the shared symbology of the infinity symbol which graces both The Magician Tarot card and the Strength card.
When you lay out all the Major Arcana in the template of The Fool’s Journey, you’ll notice how The Magician also sits right above Strength, feeding into the magic, power and illusionary personality that Strength can often represent in our readings.