Upright
- Steady courage
- Self-trust
- Gentle power
Strength is courage with its shoulders down: patience, self-trust, and steady influence rather than brute force. In the card, the woman meets the lion with calm presence, not a wrestling match. Strength points to facing strong feelings or a stubborn situation without letting either run the whole show. It’s inner backbone, not pretending you’re never rattled.
At work, it can mean keeping your cool in a tense conversation; in love or friendship, saying what you need without turning the chat into a courtroom drama. With money, it favors patience and self-control over impulse. You don’t have to dominate the moment to handle it; gentle persistence is still a power move.
Reversed
- Shaken confidence
- Forced control
- Bottled feelings
Reversed, Strength can mean your confidence is running low, or that you’re trying so hard to stay composed that your feelings get shoved in a closet. It may also show forcefulness where patience would work better. Pause, name what’s actually bothering you, and choose a response that respects both your limits and the other person’s.
In astrology
In the Golden Dawn's tradition this card belongs to Leo.