A woman in a white robe, flowers woven into her hair and the symbol of infinity above her head, gently closes the jaws of a lion. There is no struggle, no chain: the lion allows it. This is the energy of a strength that never needs to shout: quiet courage, patience and the ability to tame what is wild with tenderness rather than violence.
Symbolism
- The lion: instinct, passion, anger and desire; the animal side that is not eliminated but educated.
- The unarmed hands: mastery born of calm and trust, not of force.
- The lemniscate: the infinity sign above her head; a strength that renews itself because it flows instead of straining.
- The white robe and the flowers: purity of intention and a gentleness that is not weakness.
- Correspondences: sign Leo (element Fire); Hebrew letter Teth (Golden Dawn). In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck this card is numbered VIII; in the Marseille Tarot it is XI.
Upright meaning
Upright, Strength tells you that you already have what it takes to face what worries you. It speaks of serene courage, self-control, resilience and an influence exercised through patience and compassion. It points to the ability to handle a tense situation without losing your composure, to heal through acceptance and to trust your own steadiness. When it appears, the querent usually underestimates their own strength; the card comes to remind them of it.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, the lion takes over or the woman loses faith in herself. It can indicate insecurity, fear of confrontation, impulsive reactions, pent-up anger that finally erupts or, at the other extreme, a passivity that lets others decide for you. It also warns against overusing force, against hardness where patience was needed. It is a call to work on self-esteem and restore the balance between what you feel and how you express it.
In love
Upright, it describes relationships built on patience, respect and understanding; bonds that survive trials and come out stronger, and passion lived with maturity. It can point to the ability to heal wounds through compassion. Reversed, it speaks of jealousy, dependency, fights driven by pride or putting up with what should not be tolerated. Ask yourself whether your patience is strength or a fear of being alone.
In work and money
It favors perseverance, leadership that inspires rather than commands and the handling of difficult conflicts with a cool head. It announces that a professional obstacle will be overcome through steadiness rather than dramatic moves. With money, it speaks of the discipline to save and to resist impulse buys. Reversed, beware of hostile environments, of losing your temper with a boss or of giving up right before the effort pays off.
The card’s advice
Do not repress the lion and do not hand it the reins: look it in the eye and walk beside it. The strength this card proposes belongs to someone who knows themselves, breathes before reacting and holds what is hard with an open heart.
If Strength has appeared on your path, draw your cards with Goetia and discover which lion is yours to tame.
Related cards
- Previous card: The Chariot VII – Major Arcana
- Next card: The Hermit IX – Major Arcana
- All tarot cards
