I WILL BE WORKING USING THE RIDER WAITE TAROT DECK AS A BASIS FOR THIS EXPLORATION.

A calm and gentle woman robed in white leans over and has dominion over a lion, cradling his jaw. This is a powerful image with multi layered messages. This is not strength as we may traditionally imagine it.

The lion is the king of beasts. Untameable, wild, and ferocious. He is a symbol of raw power and aggression unchecked. He is proud and regal, noble and will bow to no one. No one except the mysterious young lady in the white dress that is. She is draped in beautiful flowers showing her femininity, purity and elegance. She holds the jaw of the lion firmly, yet at the same time she is gentle and assured. She has dominion over the lion and is calm and collected. She is not on the floor wrestling the lion in some sort of Heraclean feat. She does not need to be. It is her inner strength and her willpower that allows her to have this dominion. She is subduing this raw and natural power through her gentleness. I’m sure you can see where this is going in terms of a reading…

This card is the other side of The Chariot. The Charioteer has a strong presence and a pure force of will that has made him successful, this card has been successful because of a quiet inner strength, an assurance that the light within is enough. Strength teaches us that we do not need to be bold and brash to be strong, we do not need to be aggressive to be strong. Strength is a multi-faceted thing and without gentleness we cannot be strong.

This card is about what is within rather than an external show of strength. This card points towards an inner power and determination to overcome any obstacle. You are an underestimated force, perhaps you underestimate yourself. Quietly bubbling beneath the surface is the essence of this card.

Allow yourself to be confident, allow yourself to know what you deserve, stop hiding away from challenges and obstacles. There is absolutely no need for it. As long as you allow this resilience to aid you rather than repressing it, you can overcome and achieve anything you wish.

When Strength appears reversed in your reading, you have run out of patience. This quiet inner strength does not exist within you because you are externalising it. Or, you may have a total lack of self belief. You may not think you have any reserves of resilience within you. You may be feeling drained, depression could be manifesting in your life. A lot of the time, it feels like your will is gone. You need to take steps to try to believe in yourself. Fake it until you make it- put yourself out there and slowly but surely you will start to feel more you again.