The Strength Card: Tarot Meanings

Welcome to 2024, in which we experience beauty + strength, with the universal tarot card of the year: major arcana card 8, the Strength card.

When we think of Strength, often we think of challenges and difficulties. But here’s why tarot Strength year is really LION year.

It’s powerful. Suffering not necessarily required. You have the chance to know and use all the hidden facets of the diamond that is you.

Go directly to the video below to learn all about the vibe for this year, and what you can do with it.

If you came here looking for in-depth information on the Strength card itself, you’ll find that when you scroll past the video.

Strength Card Tarot Advice

In tarot, the Strength card often represents inner strength, courage, and the ability to overcome challenges. The interpretation of the card can vary depending on whether it appears upright or reversed, and depending on which cards surround it in a reading.

I’m also a big believer the card meanings change depending on the images on the tarot deck you’re using.

This is why it’s so important to choose a deck that you feel deeply connected to.

If you watch the video above, you’ll see me interpret the Strength card based on three different tarot decks that I love. Each tarot deck has its own iconography, which changes the meaning and gives different nuances based on the way the artist has chosen to depict each card.

Following are some commonly recognized meanings for the Strength card, but experienced tarot readers who believe in divine downloads will always receive unique, individual messages from each card.

Upright Strength Card General Meanings
Inner strength, courage, and resilience. A confident and calm ability to meet any challenge without anxiety and panic. You have a core of confidence and are grounded in your ancestral line. You know that you are never alone.

With this way of being, people often consider you lucky, since even in the midst of difficulty, you walk through it with things falling into place and a clear path that feels right. You also have control of your emotions. You’re able to observe your reactions in real time and adjust. Like the lion, you know when it’s time to roar and when it’s time to be quiet and still.

Reversed Strength Card General Meanings
When the Strength card appears upside-down in a reading, this can signify many things, depending on where it shows up in the reading and which cards surround it.

It may mean that you are running away from an important situation you need to face, or that you have greater strength than you realize. It may be confirming that you feel overwhelmed, and need to find your own strength and resilience.

If you’re doubting your own abilities, the Strength card may be telling you that you are stronger than you think — and that you can do this.

When you see the Strength card in reverse, it’s a chance to take a look at what is holding you back. Check into negative beliefs about yourself that may not even be true. Find the lion within.

Whether you encounter the Strength card upright or reversed, cards can only be interpreted in the context of the entire reading and the specific circumstances of the individual seeking guidance. The meaning is influenced by surrounding cards and the overall energy of the spread.

Symbols on the Strength Card: What Do They Mean?

The Strength card in the tarot deck features symbols and imagery that go back to ancient times as well as to medieval and Renaissance traditions. Here are a some key symbols you may find on the Strength card:

Woman and Lion:
In most traditional tarot decks, the Strength card depicts a woman gently taming or soothing a lion. The lion is our inner nature, and sometimes our dark side that needs to be understood and respected (not overpowered or tamed).

Our lion nature is the seat of our own power. Once we can understand her, we can accomplish anything.

Infinity Symbol (∞)
You may notice an infinity symbol (∞) above the woman's head in some versions of the card. This represents the idea of infinite inspiration, infinite intelligence, and infinite chances in life. As long as we’re alive, we can still reach our heart’s desire.

Number 8
The Strength card is number 8 in the major arcana (the first 22 cards of the tarot deck), and it signifies accomplishment, success, and the always regenerating quality of life. It also symbolizes balance in all things.

Myrtle Crown
Some versions of the Strength card feature a crown of herbs on the woman’s head. My guess is that the crown is made of myrtle. In ancient Greece, myrtle was sacred to the goddess Aphrodite, associated with love, beauty, and pleasure.

The Greeks believed a myrtle garland signified peace, love, and prosperity. According to their mythology, myrtle was also sacred to Demeter – the goddess of grain, good harvest, growth, and nourishment.

Roses
Also sacred to Aphrodite, the central figure of the Strength card often wears a skirt of roses, or stands among flowers. Roses are strong and wild, and are native to every country on earth where plants can grow.

Their thorns are their self-protection. Roses can take care of themselves. But this doesn’t mean that they’re not beloved. Roses are the very symbol of beauty, love, and glamour magic. Rose petals and rose hips are healing. And the rich fragrance of roses are said to heal trauma and soothe stress.

Strength does not have to be forceful: Beauty can be the most powerful and enduring form of strength.

The garden represents the blessings and protection that always surround us. The magic of nature and plant spirits are always ready to help. All we have to do is ask.

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