VIII - Strength
VIII - Strength
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VIII - Strength Keywords Spiritual Force. Moral Courage. Inner Strength. Self-Reliance. Courage. Action. Health. Fortitude. Stoicism. Equanimity. Self-Control. Resilience. Emotional Intelligence. Handling Tension with Serenity. Vulnerability. Instinctual Mastery. Power of Love. Themes The beast within is the part of us that is equipped to handle the harsh conditions on Earth. Anger can alert us to injustice and the need to act. Fear can tell us that danger is near. Violence can help us survive a deadly or brutal situation. But all these tools can be misused or misinterpreted. The ability to discern what is happening and manage our emotions and instincts is what this card teaches. Killing the lion equates with repression of these gifts, giving a passionless life and the possibility of negative, destructive outbursts. So, the lion is not killed but quietly and firmly transformed, mastered. The animal nature is understood and integrated. The terrible beast - that must accompany us - becomes a source of strength. Comparisons The woman's magic is more subtle and less dramatic than that of The Magician. The Emperor is human authority, the "thou shalt" of civilization, whereas the lion is instinctual authority, the law of the jungle. Great inner strength and true self-confidence versus The Chariot's often ephemeral self-confidence. Strength is one of the four cardinal virtues as Fortitude, along with Justice, Temperance and Prudence. Only Prudence does not feature in the Major Arcana, although some equate it with The Hermit. The three Christian virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity were added to make a set of seven but these do not appear in the Tarot. Notes & Quotes Our animal nature has been developed over millions of years of evolution for survival. Remember that there is great strength in vulnerability. "Gentleness is always strong, and true strength is always gentle." (Old motto) "Let's not forget that in India the symbol of strength is a woman; the goddess Shakti." (Indira Gandhi) "Real strength is not just a condition of one's muscle, but a tenderness in one's spirit." (McCallister Dodds) "Strength resides where one's ki is concentrated and stable; confusion and maliciousness reign when ki stagnates." (Morihei Ueshiba) [Breathwork is one way!] "Strong are only those, within whom God dwells with Its Spirit." (Beinsa Douno) "There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up." (Booker T. Washington) "There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness." (Hans Suyin) "The weakest may yet be able to offer strength." (Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki) "True strength is delicate." (Louise Nevelson) "Unity is strength, division is weakness." (African/Swahili proverb) "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” You must do the thing you think you cannot do." (Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life) |
Also see:- Major Arcana Tarot Maps of Consciousness articles |
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