A young woman closes the mouth of a lion that looks capable of tearing her limb from limb. The lion is, of course, shorthand for the Lion Serpent Sun energy I’ve been talking about. In some decks he’s even colored bright red to make the connection inescapably obvious. The woman has a figure eight above her head the same as The Magician, which is a broad hint that she shares many of his talents. She is the yin to the lion’s yang, and between the two of them, they create a functional whole.
For most of us, the subconscious is a mysterious, uncharted territory that occasionally burps up dreams and strangeness and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night. Not something to mess around with. Now we have the Strength card telling us that it’s not only really scary, but also really powerful. And it can never be completely controlled, only coaxed and nudged in the desired direction by images and emotions from the conscious mind. However, it is quite happy to take its cues from the conscious mind and responds with amazing quickness. But it doesn’t respond well to words and linear logic and what we view as common sense. This can be very frustrating and very dangerous.
If the images and patterns our subconscious receives from our conscious mind are faulty, confused, negative or fearful, the energy it throws back will be faulty, confused, negative or fearful. It can cause both physical and emotional trauma.
But if the images and patterns your subconscious receives are precise, courageous, and positive, your life will change for the better. This is more easily said than done, but isn’t it at least worth a try?
When strength appears in a reading the querent is, was, or will be asked to do the impossible. At least it will seem that way to him. The only way to accomplish this is to tap into the powerful Lion Serpent Sun energy and hang on. This energy that rages within all of us is so awesome that when/if we become aware of it we often cringe in fear and call it evil. But it isn’t. It’s just power, like fire or electricity. It’s the way we use it that produces either helpful or hurtful results. The card’s position, whether it’s upright or reversed, and which cards are around it tell the reader if the querent will be able or willing to tap into this energy. And if he does, will the power unleashed work the hoped for miracle, or will it muck it up even more?
Strength can also be read as exuberance and intensity, the driving will and courage to survive and overcome. This is why some decks call this card Lust.
In the hero’s journey, Strength is often portrayed as some obstacle or force, usually originating within the hero. The character overcomes it by reaching deep within herself, coming to grips with what she perceives as dangerous, bad, or useless, and transforming the beast into an ally. Or maybe she just recognizes the beast for what it really is: power.
