Strength

Star sign: Leo - Confident, Brave, Center of Attention

Card description:

A woman calmly grapples with a lion. She firmly grips it by its gaping mouth, wrestling it into submission. She wears a hat with a brim that is shaped like a lemniscate, the sign for eternity. The lion looks up at her in complete obedience. Her face is mild and unconcerned.

The woman’s delicate grip indicates that she is not subduing the lion with physical strength. Her power emanates from her inner will, which has been honed to an unstoppable force.

She uses her willpower to control and command her instincts, which are represented by the lion. Left uncontrolled, the lion would run wild and be a force of destruction. But she has harnessed her will to her instinctual power so that they can work together in harmony. The lion’s gaze indicates that her animalistic tendencies have been trained to submit to her higher self.

The sign for eternity on her hat’s brim is a hint that she has been crowned with the power of the eternal, the higher self. She can step outside of her temporal, everyday concerns and use her perspective to guide her base instincts.

Card meaning:

The strength card is a symbol of all kinds of strengths, both internal and external. On the surface, the woman is accomplishing a great feat by subduing the powerful wild animal at her side. However, her sphere of control originates from within herself and extends outward to affect the world around her.

It is important to note that she is an illustration of power combined with control. Power without control can do more harm than good. But when it is modulated with control and restraint, anything can be accomplished.

This card also speaks of the ability to take a wider perspective and remove oneself from the center of events. Those with internal strength don’t need to make themselves the center of attention because they are confident in their own self-worth. 
Advice: Draw upon your inner strengths. Work toward controlling your impulses. Allow yourself to think outside of the box when you are searching for solutions. Seek the advice of your inner self. Learn how to channel your passion and power to accomplish your goals. Don’t rely solely on instinct. Assume a leadership position or find a creative outlet for your energies. Rigidity is not the answer, learn to be flexible and adapt to the environment around you.