Strength
VIII -- This card represents not so much strength
as we think of it, as brute physical power, but as
energy more in line with patience. Here we see the
strength of determination in the spirit of faith.
One of the sayings of this card is “you get
more with honey then with vinegar.” In this
one statement we gain the understanding and the insight
behind the power of Strength.
In this card we see a women with a lion. In some decks
she is actually riding the lion. But more commonly
she is at his side petting him. This card speaks of
the taming of lions in our life. How each day we run
into situations and scenarios that push us to the
limit. It takes great Strength to hang on and to ride
out the storm. It takes much patience and fortitude
not to lose our patience and in extreme cases, just
plain give up.
In situations where we feel that we are continuously
banging our head against the wall, we need the strength
energy to see us through. When someone loses his or
her temper this card will often fall reverse in a
reading. To lose your temper is to lose control of
that Strength energy.
I will say however, as a reader, I have seen people
lose their temper, and it was time. In some cases,
we need to get angry in order to set better boundaries.
Well, the strength card is about being about to set
those boundaries and get through the situation using
our patience. This is not always an easy thing thus
the importance of this card. The saying, “Lord
help me through this, “ has a great deal of
the flavor of strength, because isn’t that what
you are asking for “Strength.”
When read in a card reading the card represents the
use of patience. It is speaking of how the client
is being very patient and is not pushing too hard,
but is gently hanging in there. This card not only
speaks of patience, but of the ability to go about
things in a slower more methodical way. This comes
with a degree of faith and faith is the other half
of patience, making up the energy of Strength.
In the reverse position, strength represents loosing
your temper as I mentioned earlier, but it is also
an indication of someone who is pushing too hard at
a situation. This continual pushing is causing them
in some cases to alter their personalities and making
them into people they themselves may not recognize.
To continually push at something that is going nowhere
is like banging your head against the wall, it certainly
doesn’t bring you any closer to achieving your
goal. So strength represents the need to back off,
at least in most cases.
This card in meditation can help to provide you with
the strength and patience you need to get through
any situation. One of the things that you would also
need to read into with regard to a situation that
you feel you need to use the Strength card to help
get you through and that is whether or not that situation
is ultimately worth it. Some times is it simply a
matter of patience and all things will straighten
out eventually, other times it is just not meant to
be and all the pushing in the world will not make
it so.
Strength is also connected to faith and having faith.
We don’t need to push anything because in the
end we will all be fine and we will be just where
we are suppose to be. What will be, will be, and what
will be will be for the best, as we talked about with
the Fool Card.
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