The Strength card illustrates a significant evolution from the celebration of brute force to the exaltation of spiritual power. In the early Visconti-Sforza decks, the card was a straightforward depiction of the 'Fortitude' virtue, often illustrated as Hercules bludgeoning the Nemean Lion with a club (or sometimes Samson). This was a masculine, violent conquest of the wild beast, representing the dominance of man over nature through physical might.
By the time of the Tarot de Marseille, the gender and meaning had shifted. The card, titled *La Force*, depicted a woman standing over a lion, holding its jaws open (or closed) with her bare hands. She exerts no visible effort; her power is one of confidence and inner resolve. She often wears a hat with a wide, floppy brim that forms the shape of a lemniscate (infinity symbol), hinting at the infinite nature of her power. She represents the triumph of the higher soul over the lower animal passions, not by destroying them, but by taming and integrating them.
The most controversial change came with the Golden Dawn and Arthur Edward Waite. Traditionally, Strength was numbered XI (11) and Justice was VIII (8). However, the Golden Dawn assigned the Tarot trumps to the Hebrew alphabet and the Zodiac in a specific sequence. To make Strength correspond with Leo (the Lion) and Justice with Libra (the Scales), they had to swap the positions. Waite followed this in the RWS deck, making Strength number VIII. His image reinforces the theme of gentle control: the woman wears white (purity), is garlanded with flowers, and the lion licks her hand. The infinity symbol is now explicitly floating above her head, linking her to The Magician. She represents the power of love and spiritual courage.
Crowley’s Thoth card, retitled *Lust*, is a radical departure. He rejected the 'repressed' Victorian imagery of the RWS. Instead of taming the beast, his woman (Babalon) rides it in a state of ecstatic union. The beast is the seven-headed beast of Revelation. She holds aloft the Grail, filled with the energy of creation. For Crowley, the card represented 'Divine Frenzy' and the joy of strength exercised. It is not about controlling the animal nature, but fully inhabiting it and using its power for spiritual transcendence.
Strength Tarot Card Meaning
Strength represents inner strength, courage, persuasion, and patience. It is about controlling your raw emotions with compassion.
Core Meanings
Upright
Strength represents inner strength, courage, persuasion, and patience. It is about controlling your raw emotions with compassion.
Reversed
Self-doubt, weakness, insecurity, raw emotion.
StrengthCouragePersuasionInfluenceCompassion
Card Details
Element
Fire
Astrology
Leo
Number
8
Yes/No
Yes
Description
A woman gently strokes a lion, taming it not with force but with grace and understanding. An infinity symbol floats above her head.
Reading Positions
Past
You faced a difficult situation with grace, patience, and inner fortitude. You learned to tame your inner beasts not by force, but by acceptance and love. This inner resilience is your foundation.
Present
You are being called to be strong and patient. This is a test of endurance and character. Approach the situation with compassion and gentle control. You have the strength to handle this without resorting to aggression.
Future
You will overcome your challenges through soft power and persuasion. Your health and vitality will improve. You will reach a place of inner peace and confidence where you no longer need to prove yourself to anyone.
In Context
Celtic Cross
In the "Self" position, you have the inner resources to cope. In the "Advice" position, it tells you to be patient, kind, and forgiving.
Three Card Spread
Often appears when the querent is losing hope. It reminds them that true strength is quiet, enduring, and compassionate.
Yes / No
In Yes/No, it is a "Yes," but it requires patience and fortitude.
Love & Relationships
Compassionate love, patience with a partner, emotional strength.
As Feelings
Not specified
Career & Finance
Resilience, soft power, endurance, leadership.
Spiritual & Manifestation
Twin Flame
Not specified
Manifestation
Shadow Work
What parts of yourself are you afraid of? The shadow Strength is the beast unleashed—anger, lust, rage. Do you suppress these, or do you let them rule you? The work is to make friends with your inner lion, not to cage it.
Meditation
Visualize a large lion approaching you. Instead of running, you stand your ground with an open heart. You reach out and gently stroke its mane. The lion purrs and sits at your feet. Feel the integration of your animal instincts with your higher self.
Archetypal Journey
The Hero's Path
The hero learns that true power is not just external force (The Chariot), but internal resilience. Strength represents the taming of the beast within (instincts/passions) through love and patience rather than suppression. It is the higher self gently guiding the lower self.
Numerology
8 (Eight). The number of infinity, strength, and karma (as above, so below). It represents the eternal flow of energy and the balance between the spiritual and material worlds. It signifies endurance and infinite power.
Jungian Psychology: Strength
Archetype
The Hero (as Maiden) / Integration of the Shadow
Shadow Aspect
Strength depicts the woman taming the lion, symbolizing the ego's relationship with the Id (instinctual nature). The shadow aspect is Repression of the Beast. If the woman fears the lion, she may cage it (repression) or kill it (denial of instincts). This leads to a lifeless, anemic existence where passion and vitality are drained. Alternatively, the shadow is the 'Beast Unleashed'—uncontrolled rage, lust, or appetite that overwhelms the conscious mind. This happens when the instincts have been repressed for too long and explode. Another aspect is false strength—pride and stubbornness, the refusal to ask for help or show weakness, which is a brittle facade that eventually cracks.
Integration Advice
Integration is the process of 'befriending the Shadow.' You must approach your lower nature (anger, desire, fear) with compassion and acceptance, not judgment. The lion is not an enemy to be defeated, but a source of power to be channeled. Actionable advice: Engage in a dialogue with your 'inner beast.' When you feel anger or strong desire, don't suppress it. Ask it: 'What do you need? What are you trying to protect?' Find healthy outlets for raw energy—vigorous exercise, shouting (in a safe place), or expressive art. Practice gentleness with your own flaws.
Expert Insights & Specific Scenarios
strength tarot card health recovery
Strength is a beautiful card for health recovery. It doesn't promise an overnight miracle, but it promises resilience, vitality, and the power to overcome illness. It suggests that a gentle, holistic approach is better than aggressive treatments. Listen to your body and treat it with compassion. It often appears when someone is recovering from a long illness or surgery, reassuring them that their constitution is strong. You have the inner reserves to heal; just be patient with the process.
strength as feelings in separation
In separation, Strength as feelings suggests that this person is holding back. They have strong feelings for you (the lion), but they are keeping them under tight control (the maiden). They are trying to be 'strong' and not give in to the urge to contact you. They might be hurting, but they have the pride and endurance to suffer in silence. It can also mean they are trying to forgive you or work through their own lower instincts (anger, jealousy) before reaching out.
strength vs chariot comparison
The Chariot and Strength both represent power, but different kinds. The Chariot is 'Hard Power'—outer control, armor, willpower, and force. It conquers the world. Strength is 'Soft Power'—inner control, vulnerability, patience, and persuasion. It conquers the self. The Chariot forces the sphinxes to move; Strength gently tames the lion. If you are choosing between them, The Chariot wins the battle, but Strength wins the war. Use Chariot for short-term goals, Strength for long-term endurance.
Historical Evolution & Symbolism
Evolution Timeline
- 115th Century (Visconti-Sforza): Depicted as a male hero (Hercules) clubbing the Nemean Lion, representing physical strength and the triumph of force.
- 21650s (Tarot de Marseille): 'La Force' shifts to a female figure gently opening a lion's jaws, wearing a hat with an infinity-like brim, symbolizing spiritual fortitude over animal instincts.
- 31909 (RWS): Waite changes the card number from 11 to 8 (to fit the Golden Dawn's astrological correspondence to Leo) and depicts a woman gently taming the lion with flowers and the lemniscate above her head.
- 41944 (Thoth): Renamed 'Lust', Crowley depicts the woman (Babalon) riding the seven-headed Beast, holding the Holy Grail filled with the blood of saints, representing ecstasy and the union of opposites.
Academic Citations
- Waite, A. E. (1911). *The Pictorial Key to the Tarot*. 'The card... is connected with the Divine Mystery of Union... the confidence of those whose strength is God.'
- Crowley, A. (1944). *The Book of Thoth*. 'There is in this card a divine drunkenness or ecstasy... the primitive creative order.'
Notable Card Combinations
The ChariotWillpower and endurance combined. An unstoppable force of inner and outer strength.
The HermitInner strength found in solitude. Quiet resilience and self-reliance.
Nine of WandsResilience in battle. You are tired and wounded, but you will last. The final stand.
Five of SwordsThe need to respond to aggression with compassion, not more aggression. Winning through higher principles.
Queen of WandsCharismatic strength. Confidence, passion, and vitality radiating outward.