VIII - Strength / Lust - 'Mind Over Matter'
The Fool has learned a lot about confidence and determination from The Chariot. These lessons are enhanced when 'Strength' appears on the path. Numbered 'VIII' in the Major Arcana, this card offers The Fool the opportunity to take full measure of his personal inner fortitude. Be aware that in some decks, notably those who follow the Marseille and Thoth systems, Strength and Justice's positions are switched. Scroll down to Tarot Academia for more on this subject.
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| 'Strength' from the Fenestra Tarot by Thai artist Chatriya |
STRENGTH - Mind over Matter
KEYWORDS
Inner strength. Mental fortitude. Silent power. Unwavering confidence. Dominance. Courage. Quiet influence. Physical strength. Good health. Lust. Sexuality.
Weak. Fragile. Uncertain. Fearful. Highly suggestible. Victim. Submissive. Over-powered. Abused or abusive. Aggressive. Combative. Coercive. Overly domineering. Sexual dysfunction. Health imbalance.
THE LIGHT
Strength is one of my favorite archetypes. It traditionally depicts a young woman taming a wild beast, usually a lion. She manages to keep the animal's sharp teeth from tearing into her, using her bare hands and with seemingly effortless ease. Amazingly, the lion seems to be unable or unwilling to fight back. How does she do it? What is this incredible strength she possesses and where does it come from?
At first glance one might assume this card is about physical strength. Yet, looking at the frail girl and the powerful jaws of the beast, it's quite obvious which of the two is the physically stronger one. What keeps the woman in a dominant position is not her physical strength, but her inner power, courage and serene confidence. This is what this card really represents. It's about our ability to summon the will to tackle even the most daunting situations. It indicates that we're strong enough to avoid panic, to resist outside aggression and all attempts to destabilize us.
Strength can represent a person who is extremely gifted at controlling people or situations without appearing to be involved at all. This is not someone who uses force or obvious manipulation, but possesses an uncanny ability to quietly influence other people's thoughts or actions.
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| 'Strength' variations Left: Sawyer's Path Tarot. Right: Modern Witch Tarot |
This card shares the infinity symbol with The Magician, a sign of limitless divine wisdom. Both archetypes exercise a comparable form of mind over matter command.
In his Thoth Tarot, Alistair Crowley renamed this card 'Lust'. This is not just a reference to sexual desire, but also the lust for life. This card can signify vitality, excellent health and fitness.
I've had Strength appear in relationship readings where the partner who seems passive or submissive is actually the dominant one. Strength underscores a deceiving partnership. The one who seems weaker on the surface is really the proverbial pillar of strength in the relationship. It can also indicate a partnership based on a consensual dominant/submissive dynamic.
THE SHADOW
The shadow side of Strength can be quite ambiguous. It can refer to someone who is either abusive or who is being abused. The bully or the victim. It can represent a tendency to be aggressive, forceful and combative, or someone who is overly compliant and submissive. It can also point to sexual dysfunction, sexual assault, coercion or an overly controlling personality.
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| 'Strength' from the Tarot of Magical Correspondences by Eugene Vinitski |
It can indicate that we've lost our self-assurance and that we're being controlled by an outside entity. This is not a voluntary state of affairs and we need to get back on top of the situation to avoid becoming a victim.
LITERALLY
Strength can quite literally represent a lion tamer or a person whose work involves wildlife. It can also represent a cat person or the desire to own a cat.
TAROT ACADEMIA
As mentioned in the introduction, the original Marseille Major Arcana sequence places Strength at number 'XI' and Justice at number 'VIII'. The Thoth Tarot follows this original order as well, but the Rider-Waite-Smith switches the position of these two cards, renumbering Strength 'VIII' and Justice 'XI'.
My Tarot education was based on the Thoth system, so I was initially taken aback by this switch. In time, however, I came to prefer the Rider-Waite-Smith order. It made more sense to me to have Strength before Justice. I feel there needs to be a certain mastery of the self and the subsequent rites of passage experienced through The Hermit and The Wheel of Fortune before The Fool is ready to understand the Justice archetype.
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| An example of 'Strength' and 'Justice' reverse postions in the Major Arcana from the Chrysalis Tarot by Toney Brooks |
Arthur Waite's attempts to align the order of Tarot cards to certain astrological correspondences is the reason why Strength and Justice were switched. The lion in Strength and the scales of Justice were understandably attributed to the Leo and Libra Zodiac signs respectively. It was therefore logical that Strength would come before Justice. The switch actually works when considering the natural evolution of The Fool along the Major Arcana, but the astrological reason for the switch is rather questionable. By this logic, Arthur Waite's sequencing attributes the sign of Cancer to The Chariot, which never made any sense to me. Nothing about The Chariot is reminiscent of Cancer. The Moon would be a much better fit, but then where would that leave Pisces?
In any event, whatever convoluted calculations and thought process made Arthur Waite invert the position of these two cards, it resulted in a much better flow of The Fool's journey through the archetypes. As much as I adore the Thoth Tarot, the original Strength/Justice order is now a bit of an annoyance to me. I realize that it's historically correct, but it no longer fits my esoteric understanding of The Fool's journey and its allegory of the soul's evolution. Arthur Waite's rearrangement of the cards, even if done for clumsy reasons, was ultimately the right way to go.
AN EXERCISE
Find the Strength card in your deck and take some time to study the details in the image. Observe how the artist expresses the concepts of courage, dominance and inner strength. Does your deck follow the traditional order of these cards or the Rider-Waite-Smith system? Which order are you more comfortable with and why?