Card number 11 – Cardinal virtue. Strength (King David).

Upright. – Triumph of intelligence and strength. Placed near numbers 20 or 72: success, unexpected prosperity.

Reversed. – Failure of your efforts, loss of situation. Near numbers 18 and 50 : bad news. Confirmation of a bad omen.

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

The Balance of Impulse and Reason

Inside every person is a wild beast that controls our natural desires and urges. At times, there is nothing wrong with acting upon them; after all, they are ingrained into our nature for a reason. However, this does not mean that they should be allowed to run wild without any form of restriction. The Strength tarot card is representative of the taming of our carnal desires by a far more rational, and oftentimes feminine, energy. She is able to recognize when we are acting impulsively instead of making a truly intelligent decision, and prevents us from choosing something that we will regret in the long run. Instead of always acting in our own self-interest, she is able to provide us with the wisdom needed to act on behalf of the whole, prioritizing the greater good over personal biases and investments. The feminine figure of The Strength card does not tame our inner beast, but is able to make sure that it is only able to come out when it is needed most.

You have a deep understanding of that which is characterized by The Strength card, and are able to utilize your rational mind and critical thinking skills in order to tame your natural urges. While this may mean sacrificing immediate pleasure and satisfaction, you know that you will be setting yourself up for a far more desirable outcome in the future. However, this does not mean that you have never had a time where you have struggled with self-discipline. Through dedication and practice, you were finally able to bring yourself to a state where you can control these urges with much less effort. Perhaps you quit an addiction, or were able to eliminate unhealthy habits from your every day lifestyle. At the same time, this is not a sign that you are safe from your natural urges; even if you control them or don’t hear from them for some time, this does not mean that they have completely disappeared. Maintain this level of self-control and avoid letting yourself “cheat” on the resolutions that you’ve made, as this may lead you to possibly backsliding in the changes that you’ve gone through so much effort to make.

In many cases, romantic relationships are initiated by natural desires that are felt mutually between two people; forming a relationship is the natural result of acknowledging and acting upon these desires. However, once a relationship begins to age and the two of you settle into comfortable routines, you may find that these desires start to feel as though they are being neglected, or they may disappear completely. Hence the popularity of “spicing things up” for couples that have been together for a long period of time. Listening to and acting upon your carnal desires in a relationship is normal and healthy, but one must be able to come to terms with the fact that your personal desires are not always going to match perfectly with that of your partner. There are going to be times where they tell you “no”.

You may have found yourself in such a situation recently; your partner has been unwilling to act upon your desires, and this has led you to feel as though you are being neglected in some way. Whether it be for attention, physical intimacy, or a meaningful bonding experience, these desires feel as though they are only growing louder and louder the less they are listened to. As time marches on an you continue to see them go unfulfilled, you may have even considered going elsewhere in order to get what you need. However, this is always a bad idea; disloyalty to a partner is the first way to guarantee that they will become totally unwilling to provide these things for you.

Instead, it may be time to seriously step back and consider why they aren’t going along with your desires. Is there underlying tension in the relationship that may have left them unwilling to participate in these activities with you? Or perhaps they are insecure about their performance in such situations, and are avoiding them in an effort to not displease you or embarrass themselves. If this is the case, then it may be beneficial for you to sit down and have a serious chat with them. Tell them how you feel and make the request that they go along with your desires more often. While you may not get exactly what you want, you may find that they are far more willing to go along with your desires than you originally thought.

EIGHT. STRENGTH, OR FORTITUDE

A woman, over whose head there broods the same symbol of life which we have seen in the card of the Hierophant, is closing the jaws of a lion. The only point in which this design differs from the conventional presentations is that her beneficent fortitude has already subdued the lion, which is being led by a chain of flowers. For reasons which satisfy myself, this card has been interchanged with that of Justice, which is usually numbered eight. As the variation carries nothing with it which will signify to the reader, there is no cause for explanation. Fortitude, in one of its most exalted aspects, is connected with the Divine Mystery of Union; the virtue, of course, operates in all planes, and hence draws on all in its symbolism. It connects also with innocentia inviolata, and with the strength which resides in contemplation.

These higher meanings are, however, matters of inference, and I do not suggest that they are transparent on the surface of the card. They are intimated in a concealed manner by the chain of flowers, which signifies, among many other things, the sweet yoke and the light burden of Divine Law, when it has been taken into the heart of hearts. The card has nothing to do with self-confidence in the ordinary sense, though this has been suggested—but it concerns the confidence of those whose strength is God (Nature), who have found their refuge in Him. There is one aspect in which the lion signifies the passions, and she who is called Strength is the higher nature in its liberation. It has walked upon the asp and the basilisk and has trodden down the lion and the dragon.

In general, the workplace is not an environment for you to be impulsive or follow your own personal desires. In order to perform a variety of activities on behalf of you employer, you must be able to prioritize their interests over your own. This requires a great deal of rationalization and self-discipline, and is not always easy to do. However, by not controlling your desires and allowing your base instincts to run free and unchecked, you run the risk of damaging the relationship that you have with your employer. Instead, it is far more beneficial to keep these things in check right off the bat so as to avoid having to reform all of your habits further down the line.

You may be struggling with controlling your impulses at work, leading to decreased performance and a tense relationship with your coworkers. Perhaps you are spending time on the clock doing personal things for your own pleasure instead of completing your work duties. Or maybe you have a tendency to complain about the relatively simple responsibilities that are a part of your position to other employees, leading them to see you as lazy or ungrateful for your job. Now is the time to learn how to reign these impulses in so as to increase your work performance and dedication to your craft. Set your personal interests aside and learn to act on behalf of your employer, even if this means that you have to sacrifice more enjoyable activities. Put your phone away while at work, avoid opening up distracting websites, and don’t engage in un-work related conversations with other employees if you both have something more important to be doing. By doing these things, you will find that not only does the work become less tedious, but you will be able to finish much sooner than you could before. Others will recognize your dedication, and you may even find that you will begin to develop a better relationship with management. You will improve your overall work experience, and you will then find that the moments when you do act upon your personal desires will then be all the more enjoyable.

While it is best to control your base desires the majority of the time, there are going to be some situations where you have little to no control over how you react to things. When The Strength card appears in the reversed position, it may be a sign that you are in a position where it is best to let your desires flow freely and without restriction, even if this means that they may cause some short-term damage. This may be due to a variety of things: perhaps you are dealing with fresh grief and need to find a way to let your anguish express itself, or maybe you are suffering after being subjected to a long period of suppression and need an outlet to cut loose and relax.

Give yourself some room to act on these desires, but be prepared for the fact that they will most likely have consequences. So long as you still try to maintain some level of responsibility and don’t act too rashly, you will find that these consequences are short-lived and fairly easily resolved. Surround yourself with empathetic individuals who will understand why your are acting this way, and you will find that they will be understand that you need some room to allow yourself to act without too much restriction. Let your desires run freely, but listen to the voices of those that care about you when they begin to say that it is time to transition back to responsibility and rationality.

The Strength card represents more than just strength. It, like you, is guided by compassion and calm thinking. You are the anchor in any storm, acting with sincerity and grace. You gain control of situations with courage and patience. In conclusion, Strength is a huge YES card.

• Upright Strength – Yes or No?
• Strength Reversed – Yes or No?
• Strength Meaning for Love – Yes or No?
• Strength Love Reversed – Yes or No?
• Strength Meaning For Advice – Yes or No?
• Strength Meaning For Advice Reversed – Yes or No?
• Strength Reconciliation – Yes or No?
• Strength Career – Yes or No?