Strength

This week, take a moment to think about your strengths. Society teaches us to recognize strength as physical power, muscle, and control, but often through life we learn that true strength is our inner strength. The ability to overcome obstacles in life through love, faith, passion, and wisdom will show us where our true strength lies. In tarot cards, Strength is often related to the astrological sign of Leo. Leo is ruled by the sun and late July thru August is certainly a time when the sun is at it's strongest, and it is also the time when many crops are becoming ready for harvest; a time to celebrate the growth we have seen through the year and benefit from our hard work and patience.


So, let this be a time for you to evaluate your inner strengths, celebrate your victories; no matter how big or small. Take a moment to examine these two tarot cards by Kay Steventon and their meanings. How can you apply these lessons or meanings to your life right now?



Celestial Tarot by Kay Steventon & Brian Clark

Leo, the Lion-Hearted Heroine
"King of the beasts is a common epithet for the Lion, the zodiacal totem representing Leo. Traditionally Strength depicts young woman taming a lion, contrasting the brute force of the lion's body with the purity of the virginal spirit - the combination of Leo and Virgo . Atlanta, the huntress and personification of feminine strength, represents the virginal taming of the lion in Greek myth. Teth, the Hebrew letter associated with this card, means snake. It's head is lifted suggesting the kundalini has risen and Atlanta faces it's instinctual force. From a psychological perspective this suggests that willpower can channel the instincts in service of the self. On a divinatory level this card implies the individual is experiencing an initiation into their own strength by finding the will and courage to accept difficult and dark feelings."

The Spiral Tarot by Kay Steventon

"Ishtar subdues her lion nature. She loves her wild animal side, but does not want her instincts to gain dominance over her connection to the divine. Divinatory meaning: Strength to overcome those parts of the self which are no longer needed; able to overcome difficult situations with gentleness and love, not force."





In most decks the person conquering the beast is not using any weapon or brute force, but seems to have somehow otherwise subdued the beast. Through life, we are often called upon to conquer our own inner beasts, and no sword or muscle will help us in these battles. We must either learn to apply our willpower, courage, and compassion in these circumstances; or succumb to the beast and be consumed by it. Many people, out of fear or personal disillusionment, give themselves over to their base instincts and desires; this is okay, but we must learn that there is a time and place for our "animal within" to lead the way, but that there is also a time when we must take charge and use reason, compassion, love, or logic rather than simply follow these often selfish or fear based urges. In all the cards I have seen, the beast is not slain or killed, and I think this is important as well. Because while our base instincts and urges might sometimes lead us astray, they are not bad or evil. They are there for a reason and sometimes we must follow these instincts! The beast is there to be tamed, not killed! Denying our true inner desires is certainly no way to live, but we must find the balance and strength to not let these desires run our lives.... a balance is necessary in all things in life.



Journal about your Inner Strength. What strengths can you celebrate? What Inner Beast have you conquered? Or what Inner Beast are you currently battling? Have you been ignoring any instincts that you may need to listen to? If you need help or guidance for your journal, try these questions* to get your words flowing;

• How strong is your love?


• How are you being called upon to show courage and perseverance?


• What do you desire to create?


• What inner passions need to be expressed and reconciled?


• What is the "natural" or instinctive thing to do?

* questions from "Tarot For Yourself" by Mary K. Greer. I claim no rights or ownership of these questions.

The following questions are from www.TarotTeachings.com and are designed to help you examine the Strength card in depth and on a personal level;

How do you define strength?
In what way do your physical urges motivate you?
How can you approach the "need to feed" syndrome?
How do you exhibit self-love and compassion towards yourself?
What are your internal battles and how can you reach a balance?
What area in your life requires you to have the most strength and what different kinds of strength can you apply here?

**For more insights into the meanings of the tarot card Strength, check this website; http://www.learntarot.com/maj08.htm Learning The Tarot by Joan Bunning

Good Luck and Happy Journaling!If you post your journaling results on your blog or website, please remember to link back to this site! Leave a comment with a link to your blog or website!! Thank you & Namaste