Strength

Strength is one of the least nuanced cards in the tarot deck. Its meaning is pretty straightforward: It reminds us that true power often looks like grace and compassion. Inner strength isn’t about domination, but about emotional maturity, presence, and love. The lion is still wild, but it trusts her. And she trusts herself.

The card explores courage, but not necessarily the kind that expects external validation. This is inner strength: the quiet power to stay calm in chaos, to love the parts of yourself that scare you, and to hold your ground without drawing blood. In most traditional decks, a woman tames a lion with nothing but presence. But in my version, I wanted to bring that idea into the real world.

In my woodburned illustration, I imagine this kneeling woman as an experienced naturalist or even a veterinarian. There is no fear in her expression, even though her hands are literally in the lion’s mouth. She’s just calmly, deliberately making contact: focused and grounded. She wears a flower wreath, signifying growth, beauty, and nature’s gentleness. There's no floating infinity above her head—instead, it's inked on her arm, as if to say: "This isn’t a mystical power. It’s something I chose. Something I earned."

Emotional Meaning & Symbolism

This card is a love letter to anyone who's learned to stay open and tender in a hard world. To the one who breathes through panic and becomes the calm in a crisis. To the parent who tries, every day, not to scream. To the woman who chooses kindness after heartbreak. To the man who finally lets himself cry. To the man who speaks gently even when he's angry. To the person who chooses love over ego, and presence over pride. To anyone who knows that tenderness is a strength, not a weakness.

The lion isn’t a metaphorical beast she’s keeping at bay. It’s right there, full scale, textured, real. It represents desire, fear, anger, impulse…every messy part of ourselves we grew up being told to “muzzle”. And instead of trying to tame those parts (or worse, slay them), the woman in this card chooses to work with them. She makes contact with the lion at eye level, without weapons or fear.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, an infinity symbol hovers over her head signifies limitless spiritual power and inner strength. I like this interpretation, but decided it would be more powerful to have it tattooed on her arm as a permanent reminder that she chooses to practice this kind of strength every day. It’s a commitment to keep returning to love, to patience, to calm, even when it would be easier to rage or run. Because I choose to. Isn’t that the most radical kind of strength?

Real World Takeaways

• You don’t have to fight it, but you do have to face it. Maybe there's a tough conversation you’ve been avoiding. Or a fear you keep outrunning. Strength says: you're ready. Take the risk. You won’t lose yourself.

• Stay open, even when it would be easier to shut down. If someone hurt you, the temptation might be to put up walls. But Strength reminds you that tenderness is not weakness. It’s a choice that makes you powerful.

• Your rage is valid. But how do you want to use it? You might feel furious about injustice, betrayal, or even your past trauma. This card doesn’t tell you to repress it. It invites you to channel it. Make it sacred.

• You already have what you need. Whether you're preparing for something big (a move, a pitch, a leap) or just trying to survive another day, Strength says you’re not underprepared. This was foreshadowed in The Magician.

• The wild part of you isn’t the enemy. Maybe you're trying to shut down your desire, your grief, your gut instincts. This card says: listen. That part of you has wisdom, too.

• Not everyone will recognize or acknowledge your strength. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Walking away, staying, speaking up, staying quiet: none of these choices are inherently strong or weak. What matters is why you choose them.

In love and romance, Strength can be about choosing compassion over control. It asks: Are you trying to change your partner, or are you learning to understand them? Are you softening where it matters, and setting boundaries where it counts? Sometimes this card shows up when healing from heartbreak…when you're learning that staying open is the bravest thing of all.

In your career, Strength is reflected in negotiating calmly, managing burnout, and speaking up. You're leading with patience. Or maybe you're resisting the urge to quit everything and run away. This card validates your effort.

This card can show up in spiritual growth or shadow work as a sign that you're doing the most sacred kind of integration: the kind where you befriend the lion. You stop trying to "fix" your messy feelings and instead start listening to them. Strength says: nothing in you is too wild to be worthy of reverence, integration, and spiritual wholeness.

Pull this card when you're wondering if you can keep going. When you're afraid your softness is a liability. Strength is a reminder that you are already strong. Not because you're forceful, but because you are rooted, conscious, and willing to meet the moment with grace. And yes, it’s okay to roar. Just don’t let the roar be louder than your wisdom.