8: Strength

Major Arcana #8 is the strength card. This card is technically the 9th card and it has some deep significance pertaining to strength and what it truly means to be strong.

Taking a look at the card, we see a woman dressed in a white gown, a rose garland tied around her waist and draped down her skirt, with a crown of roses on her head, above which an infinity sign hovers. This woman, for all intents and purposes, seems fairly average in stature, but in her hands she is holding open the jaws of a lion. That is certainly not the norm for someone who isn’t physically mighty! Additionally the lion doesn’t seem to be resisting at all, rather he seems happy to oblige her, as he stares up at her soft filing face. They are outside in a grassy field with a clear bright yellow sky and a mountain range behind them. 

When we think of strength, we tend to think of physical strength, as the patriarchal society we live in tends to associate strength and power to acts of aggression and physicality. The strength card urges us to consider true strength isn’t one of a physical nature, but rather one of an energetic nature. The woman is the embodiment of femininity and gentleness, reminding us that we can be even stronger when we do not try to force, dominate, or act aggressively towards what we want to gain control over. No, rather it shows us that the most powerful strength comes from our heart, our belief in our self and our desire to show loving kindness to the things that some would have us believe will harm us if we don’t face it with aggression and violence. 

There have been many examples of this kind of strength exemplified in parables, eg David and Goliath, where the person who exhibits the least amount of physical prowess manages to overcome the aggressor much stronger and bigger than them. They do this with their resounding faith and confidence in love being the strongest energy there is, physical or not. The strength card urges us to acknowledge the part of ourself that has the power to effect change and things outside of us with love in our heart and faith in our inner power. While the mountain in the background lets us know there will be challenges, we are encouraged to embrace this aspect of strength knowing we can spearhead any challenge we face with love. Moving with the clarity and awareness, that true strength comes from within, one does not desire to dominate and oppress others to prove how strong they are, for it is just a waste of energy.

After all, you get more bees with honey than vinegar!