Strength: Courage or Suppression?
Quick Answer: The Strength card symbolizes inner courage, compassion, and the power of gentle influence over brute force. It often appears when you need patience, self-control, or emotional resilience. The card's meaning depends on its position in your spread, your question, and surrounding cards.
What this guide does not do: This guide does not predict specific events or label cards as good or bad. Instead, it focuses on symbolic patterns and personal reflection to help you understand the guidance your reading offers.
Strength at a Glance (Summary)
- Core Meaning: Inner strength, courage, compassion, patience, gentle power
- Love: Compassion and patience strengthen bonds; emotional maturity heals conflicts
- Career: Quiet confidence and persistence overcome obstacles; leadership through empathy
- Yes or No: Maybe â Leans yes if you approach with patience and compassion
- Reversed: Self-doubt, harsh self-judgment, or misuse of power through force rather than understanding
Card at a Glance
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Arcana | Major Arcana |
| Number | 8 (or 11 in some traditions) - infinity, balance, mastery |
| Element | Fire |
| Astrology | Leo |
| Keywords (Upright) | Courage, compassion, patience, inner strength, gentle persuasion |
| Keywords (Reversed) | Self-doubt, insecurity, aggression, lack of control, harsh judgment |
| Yes/No | Maybe â Leans yes with patience and compassionate approach |
| Timing | July 23 - August 22 (Leo season), or when persistence is required |
Symbolism & Imagery
The Strength card depicts a woman gently closing or opening a lion's mouth, illustrating the triumph of compassion over aggression, and spiritual power over physical force.
Key Symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Woman | Represents calm inner strength, compassion, and emotional intelligence |
| Lion | Symbolizes raw passion, instinct, primal urges, and untamed energy |
| Infinity symbol (â) | Suggests unlimited spiritual power, eternal wisdom, and divine connection |
| White robe | Purity of intention, spiritual clarity, innocence |
| Flower garland | Beauty, natural harmony, and the peaceful union of human and animal nature |
Colors
| Color | Significance |
|---|---|
| White | Purity, spiritual clarity, peaceful intentions |
| Yellow/Gold | Consciousness, divine light, intellectual and spiritual strength |
| Green | Nature, growth, healing, gentle nurturing energy |
Background & Setting
The scene typically shows a peaceful landscape with mountains in the distance, suggesting that true strength requires perspective and elevation above immediate reactions. The woman stands calmly in nature, demonstrating that authentic power comes from being aligned with natural law rather than fighting against it.
Observation exercise: Before reading interpretations, spend 30 seconds looking at the card. Notice how the woman touches the lion. Is she forcing the mouth closed or gently guiding? Your instinctive focus often points to your reading's personal message.
How to Interpret Strength in Your Reading
Before reading further, answer these questions to narrow down your interpretation:
Step 1: What Was Your Question About?
| Topic | Strength speaks to... |
|---|---|
| Love/Relationships | Patience, compassion, and emotional maturity can heal conflicts; gentle influence strengthens bonds |
| Career/Work | Quiet confidence and persistent effort overcome challenges; leadership through understanding rather than force |
| Finances/Material | Disciplined patience with resources; gentle persistence yields long-term stability |
| Personal Growth | Mastering inner demons through self-compassion; building emotional resilience |
| Decision/Choice | Choose the path requiring courage and patience over the easy route; trust your inner wisdom |
Step 2: What Position Is This Card In?
| Position | Interpretation angle |
|---|---|
| Past | You developed inner strength through challenges requiring patience and self-control |
| Present | You're currently being called to respond with compassion rather than force; gentle persistence is needed |
| Future | Developing patience and self-compassion may lead to mastery over current challenges |
| Advice | Approach the situation with courage and kindness; your gentle influence will be more effective than aggression |
| Outcome | With patience and inner strength, you can achieve harmony and control |
Step 3: What Cards Surround It?
| Nearby Cards | Modified meaning |
|---|---|
| Many Major Arcana | Your situation requires significant spiritual or personal growth; inner strength is part of a larger life lesson |
| Same suit (Wands) | Passionate energy needs tempering; channel enthusiasm through patience |
| Court cards | A person in your life embodies or needs these qualities of compassion and strength |
| Opposing element (Water/Cups) | Balance emotional sensitivity with inner courage; compassion meets resilience |
Step 4: What's Your Gut Reaction?
| Initial feeling | Consider... |
|---|---|
| Immediate recognition | You already know you need patience or are being called to show compassion |
| Confusion | You might be trying to force a situation that requires a gentler approach |
| Resistance | You may be avoiding facing your fears or reluctant to show vulnerability |
| Relief | You're ready to embrace inner strength and stop fighting yourself or others |
Your combination of answers creates your unique interpretation. For example, Strength in the advice position + Cups cards + initial resistance might suggest you need to stop being harsh with yourself emotionally.
The general pattern: Strength appears when force won't work, but courage, patience, and compassion will. It signals that you have the inner resources neededâyou just need to trust them.
Strength Upright Meaning
The Strength card upright represents the triumph of spirit over matter, courage over fear, and compassion over aggression. Unlike the Chariot's external control, Strength speaks to mastery achieved through inner developmentâtaming your inner lion through understanding rather than domination.
General Interpretation
This card often appears when you're facing a situation that cannot be resolved through force, logic, or willpower alone. Instead, it requires patience, emotional intelligence, and the courage to remain calm in the face of challenge. The woman's gentle touch on the lion's jaw shows that true strength lies in knowing when to be soft, when to be firm, and having the wisdom to tell the difference.
Strength represents the integration of your primal self with your higher consciousness. The lion symbolizes your raw emotions, desires, fears, and instinctsânot something to be killed or suppressed, but something to be understood, accepted, and guided with compassion.
The deeper question: Where in your life are you trying to force something that actually needs patience and gentle persistence?
This interpretation strengthens if:
- You're facing a long-term challenge requiring sustained effort
- You're dealing with someone (including yourself) who responds poorly to pressure
- You're working on self-improvement or healing emotional wounds
Love & Relationships
In short: Strength in love suggests that compassion, patience, and emotional courage can heal wounds and deepen bonds.
In relationship readings, Strength often indicates that gentle, consistent love is more powerful than passionate intensity. This card may appear when you need to show patience with a partner's flaws, exercise self-control over reactive emotions, or demonstrate the courage to be vulnerable. The card suggests that relationships thrive not through dominance or submission, but through mutual respect and compassionate understanding.
Strength can also indicate a relationship that requires emotional maturityâperhaps one partner is healing from past wounds, or the relationship itself is going through a testing period. The message is clear: respond with kindness rather than criticism, patience rather than demands. Your gentle influence can create profound transformation.
Single: You're developing the self-love and inner confidence that will attract a healthy relationship. Focus on taming your fears and insecurities with compassion rather than harsh self-judgment.
In a relationship: Practice patience and compassion with your partner's (and your own) imperfections. Gentle persistence in addressing issues will be more effective than confrontation.
Seeking reconciliation: Approach with humility and compassion. If reconciliation is meant to happen, it will require patience, forgiveness, and the courage to be emotionally honest without being demanding.
Career & Work
In short: Strength in career contexts suggests that quiet confidence, persistence, and leadership through understanding will overcome current challenges.
In professional settings, Strength indicates that you have the inner resources to handle a difficult situation or challenging period. This might involve managing a difficult colleague through patient diplomacy, persisting through a project that tests your limits, or demonstrating leadership by understanding and motivating others rather than ordering them around.
This card can also suggest that you're developing expertise through sustained effort. Mastery doesn't come from quick wins but from patiently honing your skills and maintaining composure under pressure. If you're facing workplace conflict, Strength advises responding with calm assertiveness rather than aggression or passive avoidance.
Job seekers: Present yourself with quiet confidence. Persistence and gracious follow-up may be more effective than aggressive pursuit.
Employed: Handle challenges with patience and emotional intelligence. Your ability to remain calm and compassionate will earn respect and create progress.
Business owners: Lead through understanding your team's needs and motivations. Gentle guidance creates loyalty and better results than harsh demands.
Finances & Material
Strength in financial readings suggests disciplined patience with resources. This is not the time for aggressive investments or impulsive spending. Instead, the card encourages steady, controlled management of your finances. Have the courage to resist temptation and the patience to build wealth gradually. Self-control now may lead to significant stability later.
Health & Wellbeing
In health contexts, Strength often points to the connection between emotional and physical wellbeing. You may need patience with your body's healing process, or the courage to address health issues you've been avoiding. This card can also suggest that gentle, consistent practices (meditation, yoga, moderate exercise) may be more beneficial than extreme or forceful approaches. Mental health interpretations often focus on developing self-compassion and emotional resilience.
Spirituality
Spiritually, Strength represents the journey of integrating your shadow selfâthe parts of you that are wild, afraid, or ashamed. This card encourages you to face your inner demons not with violence but with compassion. True spiritual strength comes from accepting all parts of yourself and learning to guide them with wisdom rather than judgment. You might be developing practices that require discipline and patience, or learning to trust your inner guidance even when it's difficult.
Strength Reversed Meaning
When Strength appears reversed, it often indicates that you're either being too harsh with yourself or others, or you lack the confidence and self-control that the situation requires.
Understanding Reversal
Key distinction: Upright Strength shows compassionate mastery; reversed Strength suggests either harsh self-judgment or weakness in facing challenges.
Reversed cards can indicate:
- Blocked or internalized energy
- Delayed or weakened expression
- Need for introspection
- Shadow aspects requiring attention
General Interpretation
Reversed Strength typically manifests in two ways: either you're being too forceful (trying to control through aggression rather than understanding), or you're lacking in confidence and self-control (letting fear or doubt paralyze you). You might be judging yourself or others too harshly, expecting immediate results when patience is required, or avoiding a challenge because you don't believe in your own resilience.
This card reversed can also suggest that your inner critic has become too powerfulâyou're not taming the lion with compassion, you're beating it into submission, which only creates more internal conflict. Alternatively, you might be letting your impulses run wild without any gentle guidance.
The deeper question: Are you being harsh where you should be gentle, or avoiding situations that actually require courage?
This interpretation strengthens if:
- You're experiencing self-doubt or imposter syndrome
- You're being overly critical of yourself or others
- You're trying to force a result instead of allowing natural development
Love & Relationships (Reversed)
In relationship contexts, reversed Strength can indicate insecurity, jealousy, or controlling behavior. You or your partner might be trying to dominate the relationship through force rather than influence through understanding. Alternatively, it can suggest a lack of emotional courageâavoiding difficult conversations, being unable to set healthy boundaries, or letting fear control your actions. The remedy is the same as the upright card: approach with compassion, practice patience, and find the courage to be authentically vulnerable.
Career & Work (Reversed)
Professionally, this reversal might show up as imposter syndrome, aggressive management style, or inability to handle workplace pressure. You might be doubting your abilities when you actually have the skills needed, or you might be trying to force results through harsh demands rather than inspiring your team. Consider whether you need to develop more confidence in your capabilities or soften your approach to leadership and challenges.
Finances & Material (Reversed)
Reversed Strength in financial matters can indicate lack of self-control with spending, or being too restrictive and fearful with money. You might be letting anxiety drive financial decisions, or alternatively, letting impulses control your spending. The card calls for finding the balance between discipline and trust in your ability to manage resources wisely.
Strength Card Combinations
How Strength interacts with other cards:
With Major Arcana
| Combination | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Strength + The Fool | Courageous new beginning requiring trust in yourself; leap of faith supported by inner resilience |
| Strength + The Magician | Mastery through combining willpower with patience; you have both the skill and the inner strength needed |
| Strength + The Hermit | Inner strength developed through solitude and self-reflection; spiritual fortitude |
| Strength + The Devil | Struggling with temptation or addiction; need to tame unhealthy attachments with compassion rather than shame |
| Strength + The Tower | Courage needed to face sudden change; your inner strength will help you through disruption |
With Same Suit (Wands)
| Combination | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Strength + Ace of Wands | Passionate new venture requiring sustained courage and patience to develop |
| Strength + Knight of Wands | Tempering enthusiasm with patience; channel bold energy through disciplined effort |
Challenging Combinations
| Combination | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Strength + Five of Cups | Courage needed to forgive yourself and move past disappointment with compassion |
| Strength + Nine of Swords | Anxiety and self-doubt requiring gentle self-compassion rather than harsh judgment |
Supportive Combinations
| Combination | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Strength + The Star | Hope and healing supported by inner courage; you have the resilience to recover |
| Strength + Six of Pentacles | Generous spirit combined with the strength to maintain healthy boundaries |
Working with Strength
Reflection Questions
When this card appears, ask yourself:
- "Where am I trying to force something that actually needs patience and gentle persistence?"
- "Am I being too harsh with myself or others in this situation?"
- "What would it look like to respond with courage and compassion instead of fear or aggression?"
- "What part of myself am I trying to suppress instead of understanding and integrating?"
- "What is my intuition telling me about this?"
Meditation Exercise
Find a quiet space and visualize yourself standing before a lion. Notice how you feelâfear, excitement, respect? Now imagine approaching the lion not with weapons or force, but with calm confidence and gentle hands. Picture yourself placing your hand on the lion's mane, feeling its power, and understanding that this power doesn't need to be foughtâit needs to be acknowledged and guided with wisdom.
The lion might represent an aspect of yourself: your anger, your passion, your fear, your wild creativity. Spend time in this visualization understanding what your inner lion needs from you. Not domination, not abandonmentâbut compassionate guidance.
Journaling Prompts
- Where in my life do I confuse force with strength?
- What would change if I approached [current challenge] with patience instead of pressure?
- What parts of myself am I trying to suppress instead of integrate?
When This Card Keeps Appearing
If Strength appears repeatedly in your readings, it's a strong signal that you're in a period requiring sustained courage, patience, and self-compassion. You might be developing a new level of emotional maturity or being called to demonstrate leadership through understanding rather than authority. Pay attention to situations where your first instinct is to force, control, or judge harshlyâthese are your opportunities to practice the gentle power of Strength.
Common Misinterpretations
"Strength means I should suppress my emotions"
Reality: Strength is about understanding and guiding emotions with compassion, not suppressing or denying them. The woman doesn't kill the lionâshe works with it.
"This card means I need to be physically strong or forceful"
Reality: Strength represents inner courage and emotional resilience, not physical power or aggressive action. It's about influence through understanding, not domination through force.
"Strength guarantees I'll win this conflict"
Reality: Strength suggests that patient, compassionate approach may be more effective than confrontation, but it doesn't predict specific outcomes. It's guidance about method, not a promise of results.
"Reversed always means negative"
Reality: Reversed cards often indicate internalized energy, delays, or areas needing attentionânot inherently negative outcomes.
Strength Yes or No
Short answer: Maybe â Leans yes if you approach with patience, compassion, and courage rather than force.
Upright: Gentle yesâsuccess is likely if you can maintain patience, demonstrate courage, and approach the situation with compassion rather than aggression. The outcome depends on your ability to show inner strength.
Reversed: Uncertain to noâself-doubt, lack of patience, or trying to force results may block success. First, work on building confidence and approaching the situation more gently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Strength a good or bad card?
Strength is generally considered a positive card, but like all tarot cards, its meaning depends on context. It indicates that you have the inner resources needed to handle your situation, but it also requires you to act with patience and compassion rather than force. In challenging positions, it might indicate that a situation will test your limits, requiring significant emotional resilience.
What does Strength mean for love?
In love readings, Strength suggests that patience, compassion, and emotional courage can strengthen your relationship or attract a healthy partnership. It often indicates that gentle, consistent love is more powerful than intense passion, and that current challenges can be overcome through understanding rather than conflict.
What does Strength mean for career?
For career, Strength indicates that quiet confidence, persistence, and leadership through understanding will help you overcome professional challenges. It suggests developing mastery through sustained effort and handling difficult situations with calm assertiveness rather than aggression.
Does Strength mean yes or no?
Strength leans toward yes, but with the condition that you approach the situation with patience and compassion rather than force. Success depends on your ability to demonstrate inner strength and maintain composure.
What should I do if I keep drawing Strength?
Repeatedly drawing Strength suggests you're in a period requiring sustained courage, patience, and self-compassion. Pay attention to situations where your instinct is to force, control, or judge harshlyâthese are opportunities to practice gentle power. You may be developing emotional maturity or being called to lead through understanding.
Disclaimer: Tarot is a tool for self-reflection and personal insight. It does not predict the future or replace professional advice. For health, legal, or financial matters, please consult qualified professionals.
Related Cards
Similar Energy
- The Chariot - Both involve control and mastery, but Chariot uses external force while Strength uses inner wisdom
- Temperance - Both emphasize patience, balance, and gentle approach to challenges
Contrasting Energy
- The Tower - Sudden force versus sustained patience; disruption versus gentle persistence
- The Devil - Bondage to impulses versus mastery through compassion
Same Arcana (Major)
- The Emperor - Authority through structure versus influence through understanding