Strength (Leo) corresponds to the Heart Chakra. The main meaning of this card is the triumph of loving kindness and gentle confidence over the drives and quirks of the ego.
Although Strength is a card of strength and emotional maturity, it also has a childlike, sunny and playful quality.
It is a card of great vitality, passion, generosity and creativity. Strength trusts that she is in the spotlight for a reason. She is fabulous and she knows it. The positive aspect of strength signifies healthy self-love. The negative aspect of Strength can signify arrogance and selfishness, as well as an inability to integrate lower drives (often through an inability to accept these aspects of self).
In the Zodiac, this card connects with the energies of 5th House – the House of Leo. This house tells us a lot about person’s sexual as well as creative expression and budding romance as well as children/conception is often found here in a Zodiac Tarot reading.
Without this energy in our lives, we are pretty miserable. There are many ways to bring the energy of the Strength card in and the quickest way to do it is probably to reconnect with what we loved doing when we were young.
This is a card of both Solar magick and Feminine mysteries. Corresponding to the Heart Chakra, it is a wonderful Healing Key which can and should be used in many healing rituals.
Correspondences
Element: Fire
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Archangel: Michael and Raziel
Chakra: Heart
Colour: Gold
Crystal: Ruby, red goldstone, tree jasper, tiger’s eye, rose quartz, golden topaz
Body: Heart, the spinal cord, the 12 Thoracic vertebrae, the back, the forearm, the spleen, the metabolism of the liver, the pulmonary arteries
Exercise: Any type of exercise which requires good posture or is performed aerobically outdoors (in the sunshine)
Stance: Yoga Fish Pose
Magickal Tool/Ingredient: Rose petals
Associated Major Arcana Cards (through numerology): The Star
Associated Minor Arcana Cards: All cards associated with Leo
- 5 of Wands (Saturn in Leo). Healing through pushing through self-imposed limitations and competing against oneself by setting achievable goals and targets. Rewarding self is important. Joyful competition with others may also promote healing and growth… but only if it truly is joyful.
- 6 of Wands (Jupiter in Leo). Healing through feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Your self-confidence can only grow if you push yourself outside your comfort zone and learn to take your rightful place in the spotlight.
- 7 of Wands (Mars in Leo). Healing by preparing for battle. Choose your battles wisely and call on divine protection. Never let the ego motivate you to fight because there can be no winner.
- Knight of Wands. Healing by letting your hair down and throwing caution to the wind. Smile, play and have fun!
Remedies to increase the energy of the Strength card in your life
- You can make a tarot essence to harness and increase the energy of Strength, using the Strength card of your choice, along with any of the crystals above that you feel drawn to work with. There is plenty of information on the healing properties for each of the crystals available online.
- Placing the Strength card over your heart chakra in meditation enhances your heart’s ability to give and receive, gives you the courage to express yourself creatively and reminds you that life can be a lot of fun.
- Observe a feline and learn to please yourself if you are addicted to pleasing others.
- Wear gold.
- Spend lots of time in the sun.
- Learn to breathe through your heart.
Affirmation: “Life is a fantastic adventure and I joyfully accept my mission.”
Grounding/Balancing/Banishing
- Give to charity
- Encourage others to shine
- Hug a tree and ask it to teach you to breathe through the heart
LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS
The Strength tarot card is number 8 in some decks and 11 in others. It’s not important which number it has for the purpose of this post. It’s also known as ‘Lust’ in Thoth-inspired decks.
Either way, the Astrological correspondence is always Leo – a magnificent and generously loving, if at times somewhat self-centred energy. Leo loves love and loves to be adored!
The spiritual lesson of the Strength card is to overcome the ego with kindness and compassion, toward self as well as others. When this card shows up, it’s no longer possible to ignore our fleshly drives – they need to be acknowledged and dealt with… but not condemned!
This is a card of embracing sexual desire, not suppressing it! It’s also a card of positivity and optimism. At a deeper level, it corresponds to the Shakti energy which is feminine but present in both males and females.
It’s a great card for the relationship as it describes a passionate connection and deep mutual desire as well as sheer fun.
Physical chemistry won’t be a problem if this card shows up in a reading before a first date. Making sure you won’t fall pregnant might be an issue though so do take precautions.
Together with The Empress, it heralds pregnancy. Together with The Lovers, you might experience the most passionate encounter of your life. Together with The Devil, it may signify a person who has a sex addiction.
This card is especially important for the female libido and is the female equivalent to the Tower (Mars) in terms of raw sexual power. If ill-dignified or reversed it can be a sign of frigidity and repressed female sexuality. It could describe a wallflower type personality or someone who is under the thumb of their husband.
For creative types, this card ensures the balance between male and female power and the ability to materialise creative projects. If this card is important to you (as in being one of your birth cards), it is likely that your ability to be artistically creative is tied in with your sexuality to a higher degree than for most people.
To a single person, the Strength card usually heralds an influx of passion and romance. See someone nice? Definitely give them your number! You have a lot of pulling power if this card describes your own energy. If it’s an outside influence in a love reading, you have an admirer who’s not likely to take no for an answer as he finds you completely irresistible!
The erotic emphasis is of the Strength/Lust card is on fun and pleasure any way it can be had (not fussy at all!). As a suggestion for sexual play, why not brave the great outdoors? A secluded sunny beach or forest glade might add some extra fun and excitement. Just don’t get caught. Remember that just about everyone has a video cam in their mobile/cell phone these days!
Download the Angelorum Big Juicy Book of Holistic Tarot Card Meanings – Part 1 Major Arcana PDF for only £1.99. Includes The Healing Key Tarot Spread, the art of making a Tarot Essence and more…
