The person who knows how to lower the temperature first leads the flow. The one who offers to make up first after a fight, the one who does not chew over their partner’s clumsy words in a bad light: that is who this card is about. If a bond is starting slowly, there is no need to fret. The love in this card grows stronger with time.
A touch that calms the lion
Strength: Card Meaning
Strength: Card Meaning
Reading It Upright and Reversed
Strength · Major Arcana No. VIII
Strength is the eighth card, showing a woman gently holding a wild lion’s jaw with her bare hands. Upright, it means a gentle courage and self-control that, rather than overpowering others, soothe and govern even the fierce feelings inside you.
The woman in white stands beside a large lion and softly cups its jaw with both hands. Above her head floats the sideways figure-eight symbol of infinity, and around her waist is a belt woven of flowers. The lion lifts its head meekly and looks at her.
The point of this card is that it is not a scene of force. There is no sword or chain, and not even a trace of strain on her face. The lion looks less subdued than won over. That is why this card, linked to Leo, speaks of mastery instead of muscle.
Does the Strength card just mean I should endure?
It is different from simply enduring. Enduring means pressing emotions down and piling them up inside, but the woman in this picture does not chase the lion away; she keeps it beside her and rests her hands on it. It is closer to accepting anger or fear as they are, rather than trying to erase them, and choosing what to say and do from a state where you are not swept away. The more you only suppress, the more this card leans toward its reversed meaning.
Strength: Love
Upright
Reversed
You end up testing them to check how they feel. Deliberately replying late or talking around your hurt feelings only grows the misunderstanding. On the other hand, being dragged along by their moods and swallowing what you want to say is the same problem. You need practice in expressing feelings as they are, but in a calm voice.
Strength: Money
Upright
A time when small habits, not bold decisions, build your savings. Putting in a set amount every month without fail, or a rule of waiting a day before buying something you want: these modest acts of restraint show up in your balance. If you need money you lent paid back, asking calmly works better than pushing hard.
Reversed
There is a pattern of soothing frustration with shopping. You click to pay on tiring days and regret it the next, and since each purchase is small you let them pass, only to be shocked at the total. Reading a month of card statements out loud shows you the holes right away.
Strength: Work
Upright
A time when you are recognized for your attitude more than your experience or title. Difficult clients or edgy colleagues are handed to you, and this card names you as the one who will get through that rough patch safely. Even if the results do not show in numbers right away, the reputation you earn now becomes solid strength in your next role.
Reversed
You let chances slip by rating your ability lower than it is. You do not raise your hand even for work you could easily do, or credit others for results you achieved. On the other hand, driven by impatience you may grab work you are not ready for. Both come from misjudging the size of your own capacity.
| Card | Strength — Major Arcana No. VIII |
|---|---|
| Astrology · Element | Leo |
| Major Arcana | It is number VIII of the 22 cards, from 0 The Fool to 21 The World. Major cards point to the big currents you are going through these days rather than small day-to-day matters. |
| Upright Keywords | Gentle courage · self-control · mastery |
| Reversed Keywords | Impatience · self-doubt · impulse |
Strength Upright
Gentle courage · self-control · mastery
Upright Strength is different from simply gritting your teeth. Holding it in puts a lid on emotion that will someday boil over, but this card speaks of the ability to notice yourself getting angry and still pick the words that need to be said. If the other person steps back even though you never raised your voice, that is this strength at work.
This card shines especially in things that take a long time. In areas that are never finished in one go, such as teaching someone, healing your body or rebuilding broken trust, it tells you the steady person wins in the end. Simply not letting go of what you hold slowly tips the board your way.
Strength Reversed
Impatience · self-doubt · impulse
Reversed, that kindness turns its blade on you instead of others. You are generous with everyone else but harsh only with yourself, repeating that you are not good enough even while doing well. A lack of confidence easily passes for modesty, so even those close to you find it hard to notice, and you wear yourself out alone.
Its other face is impatience. Like a hand trying to force the lion’s jaw shut instead of stroking it slowly, you demand an answer before the other person is ready, or try to end the situation with a single outburst. Calm won that way does not last. On days when emotions surge, it is wise to put decisions off by one day.
Something to Try the Day This Card Appears
Polish in your head what you want to say to the person who angers you most today, then deliver it with your voice lowered a half step. Keep the content the same and just lower the tone. Like the hand cupping the lion’s jaw, what moves a situation is not how hard but how gently.
Cards from Other Groups
Major Arcana: 22 Cards
The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor
The Hierophant
The Lovers
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil
The Tower
The Star
The Moon
The Sun
Judgement
The World
The Fool
A card read on its own means something slightly different from one placed beside other cards. If something is on your mind these days, pick four cards to read on, and if you are curious about your inborn nature, open a Saju reading as well.