Strength

Strength tarot card description

A woman in a white robe, crowned with a garland of flowers, gently closes the jaws of a calm lion. The sign of infinity floats above her head, and green hills and mountains stretch behind.

The lion is raw instinct, anger, fear or desire; the woman calms it with patience rather than force. Her white robe is purity of intent, the flowers are gentleness, and the infinity sign is endless inner strength.

Strength upright

Strength is the card of quiet courage: the patience, compassion and self-control that calm fear, anger or impulse.

Real strength here is steady rather than loud. Kindness, persistence and calm will carry you further than force.

• Love and relationships

  Patience and tenderness carry a relationship through a difficult time; love that is gentle and brave.

• Finances

  Steady, patient management; resisting impulsive spending.

• Career

  Persistence wins. Handle difficult people and conflicts with calm confidence.

• Health and wellbeing

  Good vitality and resilience; recovery through patience and steady care.

Strength reversed

Reversed, self-doubt, overwhelming emotion or exhaustion may be taking hold.

Be as gentle with yourself as the card is with the lion, and rebuild confidence one step at a time.

• Love and relationships

  Insecurity or jealousy; reassurance and patience help.

• Finances

  Emotional spending, or anxiety about money.

• Career

  Doubting your ability, or letting frustration show.

• Health and wellbeing

  Low energy or stress. Rest, and ask for support when you need it.

Health readings describe wellbeing within the tradition. They are not medical advice; for any health concern, see a doctor.

Strength: one-card pull, yes or no

Drawn as a single card for a yes-or-no question, Strength is usually read like this:

Strength for timing

Linked with Leo, whose Western season runs from about 23 July to 22 August. In timing it suggests results that come with patience rather than haste.

These correspondences come from the Western tarot tradition, which uses the tropical zodiac. They are not part of Vedic astrology, whose signs are counted differently.