What does Strength mean in tarot?
Strength represents inner courage, gentle power, and mastery through compassion rather than force. In the Rider-Waite deck, a woman in white robes gently closes or opens a lion's mouth with her bare hands, wearing a flower crown and an infinity symbol above her head. At a glance, Strength upright indicates that true power comes through patience, kindness, and emotional resilience, suggesting you can overcome challenges through steady confidence rather than aggressive confrontation.
The white robes symbolize spiritual purity and higher consciousness, while the lion represents raw instinct and primal energy that must be integrated rather than suppressed. The infinity symbol above her head connects to The Magician, showing how spiritual understanding transforms into practical wisdom through compassionate action.
What does Strength mean reversed?
When Strength appears reversed, it suggests inner weakness, lack of confidence, or using force where gentleness would be more effective. This reversal often indicates that you're either being too harsh with yourself or others, or conversely, avoiding necessary confrontations because you doubt your ability to handle conflict gracefully.
The reversed Strength can point to suppressed emotions, fear of your own power, or letting insecurity prevent you from standing up for what's right. It might suggest that past failures have eroded your confidence, making you either overly aggressive or completely passive in situations requiring balanced assertiveness.
Sometimes this reversal indicates that you're trying to control situations through manipulation or force instead of inspiring cooperation through understanding and patience. The reversed Strength reminds you that sustainable power comes from inner conviction, not external dominance.
Is Strength a yes or a no?
Strength is generally a yes card, especially for questions requiring patience, persistence, and gentle approach. This card suggests that success comes through maintaining faith in yourself and approaching challenges with compassionate determination.
However, Strength's "yes" emphasizes process over immediate results, it reminds you that the most meaningful victories take time and require you to stay true to your values even when easier, less ethical options are available.
What does Strength mean for love?
In romantic matters, Strength represents relationships built on mutual respect, emotional maturity, and the courage to be vulnerable. This card suggests love that grows stronger through weathering difficulties together, where both partners support each other's growth without trying to change or control one another. It often indicates healing relationships after conflict, finding the courage to love again after heartbreak, or demonstrating patience with a partner's imperfections.
For those seeking love, Strength encourages self-acceptance and the confidence that comes from knowing your worth. It suggests that attracting healthy love requires being comfortable with who you are, including your flaws, and having the courage to show up authentically in relationships.
In existing relationships, Strength indicates successfully working through challenging periods, demonstrating unconditional love, or finding new depths of intimacy through honest communication. It might suggest supporting a partner through difficult times or having difficult conversations with grace and understanding.
When reversed in love, Strength warns against relationships where one person dominates the other, emotional manipulation, or letting insecurity drive jealous or controlling behavior. It can indicate fear of intimacy or staying in situations where your kindness is being taken advantage of.
FAQs about Strength tarot card
What does Strength mean for the future?
Strength in future positions suggests that upcoming challenges will require emotional courage and steady persistence rather than dramatic action. This placement indicates that your future success depends on maintaining faith in yourself during difficult periods and choosing compassion over conflict whenever possible. You may find yourself in situations where others look to you for calm leadership during turbulent times. The future represented by Strength rewards those who can remain centered and kind even when circumstances test their patience and resolve.
Is Strength a good card?
Strength is exceptionally positive, representing inner resilience, emotional maturity, and the kind of quiet confidence that inspires others. While it can sometimes indicate situations requiring great patience or emotional challenges that test your character, its core message celebrates the human capacity for grace under pressure. Strength reminds us that true power lies in self-mastery and the ability to respond rather than react to life's difficulties. Even when challenging, this card ultimately guides toward developing unshakeable inner confidence and compassionate wisdom.
What does Strength mean spiritually?
Spiritually, Strength represents the integration of your animal nature with higher consciousness, achieving harmony between instinct and wisdom. This card suggests that spiritual development involves accepting and channeling all aspects of yourself, including emotions and desires, rather than trying to transcend or suppress them. Strength teaches that enlightenment comes through love and acceptance, not through fighting against your human nature. It indicates that you're developing the spiritual courage to face your shadow self with compassion and the inner fortitude to remain loving even in difficult circumstances.
Where The Chariot achieves victory through willpower and control, Strength shows that the highest victories come through love, patience, and gentle mastery of our inner world.
Ready to explore what comes after mastering inner strength?
Learn about The Hermit and discover how compassionate self-mastery leads to the wisdom that guides others through their own darkness.