8 The Strength
The Strength card signifies mastering inner challenges and emotions, bringing calm and balance to yourself and your environment. It reflects courage, patience, and confidence in overcoming fears, doubts, and anxieties. This card reminds you that you already have the skills and resilience needed to succeed. Approach difficulties with compassion and perseverance to unlock new levels of confidence. Strength also suggests taming wild energies—either within yourself or others—through gentle guidance and encouragement.
Upright Meaning Guide
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Upright Keyword Meanings:
Inner strength, courage, confidence, bravery, compassion, control, taming raw emotions, overcoming self-doubt.
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General Interpretation (Upright)
The Strength Tarot card is a Major Arcana card that symbolizes inner strength and resilience. It represents mastering your raw emotions to bring calm and balance to yourself or a situation. Similar to The Chariot, it speaks of overcoming challenges; however, Strength focuses more on inner obstacles. It reflects your ability to conquer doubts, fears, and anxieties within. In a general context, this card shows that you are learning to master your emotions, becoming courageous and daring in the face of life’s difficulties. You already possess the skills needed for success; now, the focus is on overcoming inner worries and believing in yourself.
Take the time you need to manage your emotions. Be patient and compassionate with yourself, and in doing so, you will discover a new level of confidence in your abilities. Strength also represents taming another person’s wild ways, not through force or domination, but with gentle coaxing, positive reinforcement, encouragement, and compassion.
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Love & Relationships (Upright)
In a love reading, the Strength card represents the Leo star sign, so it can indicate a relationship with a Leo may be coming into your life. If you’re single, this card is a sign that now is an ideal time to meet someone new, as your confidence and inner strength will naturally attract others. It can also point to entering a relationship with someone who has a wild, untamed side. This can feel thrilling, but if their energy becomes overwhelming, you may feel the need to calm or ground them a bit. If so, approach them with gentle encouragement and kindness rather than trying to control them.
For those already in a relationship, Strength is a positive omen showing you and your partner are strong, close, and united. If you’ve gone through emotional upheaval recently, this card suggests you’re starting to move past it. The challenges you faced may have ultimately brought you closer together, deepening your bond.
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Money & Career (Upright)
In a career context, Strength indicates that now is the time to master your emotions and move forward confidently. You already have the skills and potential needed to succeed—you just need to be brave and believe in yourself. Don’t let fear of failure or fear of looking foolish hold you back from pursuing your goals. If you want that promotion, go for it. If you feel overlooked at work, make your presence known. If you’ve always dreamed of running your own business, trust in your abilities and take action to make it happen.
Financially, this card advises avoiding impulsive decisions with money. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend, but ensure that any purchases or investments are carefully thought through and not driven by emotional impulses.
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Health (Upright)
In a health context, Strength is a great card to get. It usually an indicator of good or improving health and feeling fit as a fiddle. If you have been ill, Strength reversed can represent overcoming an illness or beginning to get your strength back. It also shows the body and mind coming back into balance. Now is a good time to make positive changes to make your lifestyle healthier, especially those that require you to exercise more self-control.
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Spirituality (Upright)
In a spiritual context, the Strength Tarot card signifies a deepening connection to your higher self. This growing bond will bring you greater inner strength and balance than you ever imagined possible. The more energy and intention you invest in nurturing this connection, the more harmony it will create within you, leading to a beautiful balance of mind, body, and spirit. If you have been experiencing difficult times, this card serves as a reminder that you possess the strength to endure—and that better days are ahead.
Reversed Meaning Guide
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Reversed Keyword Meanings:
Vulnerability, self-doubt, weakness, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, feeling inadequate.
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General Interpretation (Reversed)​
When the Strength Tarot card appears reversed in your reading, it suggests that you’re not accessing the inner strength you already possess. It doesn’t mean you lack strength, but rather that fear, anxiety, or low self-esteem are holding you back. Now is the time to call upon your inner resolve and self-belief to move forward from your current situation. You have everything within you to overcome these obstacles, but you may have lost touch with that power, leaving you feeling vulnerable, weak, or lacking confidence. Focus on what uplifts you, avoid those who diminish your worth, and surround yourself with people who encourage and support you.
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Love & Relationships (Reversed)
In a love Tarot reading, the Strength card reversed can suggest that if you’re single, unresolved self-esteem issues or lack of impulse control may be causing you to choose unsuitable partners. This can become a damaging cycle, as negative relationships further harm your self-worth. It’s important to address these issues, tap into your inner strength, and remember you deserve better. If you’re in a relationship, Strength reversed indicates that although the relationship itself is solid, your low self-esteem might leave you feeling unworthy of your partner’s love. This could lead to impulsive behavior that doesn’t reflect your true feelings. Don’t allow fear or anxiety to create problems that don’t exist.​
Money & Career (Reversed)
The Strength Tarot reversed is similar to the upright meaning, in that it indicates that you need to be brave and have self-belief to get ahead in your career. In the reversed position in a career Tarot reading, this Major Arcana card is a stronger indicator that you have been letting fear and anxiety hold you back. Fear of failure can be paralysing if you allow it to be. Let go of the self-doubt, it doesn’t serve you. You have more inner strength, skill and ability than you realise. You just have to believe in yourself. Once you start to gain confidence you will find more direction and focus. Others will notice this change. Financially, Strength reversed is a stronger indicator not to be impulsive with your finances now. You may have money in abundance at the moment but you don’t know how long that will last for, be smart with your money.
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Health (Reversed)
In a health context, Strength reversed still indicates good health overall. However, it suggests a lack of self-control that may be leading to unhealthy habits affecting your well-being. Reconnect with your inner discipline and address these habits one at a time. Avoid overwhelming yourself by trying to change everything at once. Remember, small consistent changes will build into a significant positive transformation.
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Spirituality (Reversed)
In a spiritual context, Strength reversed indicates that while you have a strong connection to spirit, emotional worries are blocking you from fully sensing it. Release anxiety and self-doubt to bring this connection forward. You will soon feel its benefits.
Want to keep learning the meaning of the Tarot cards with The Tarot Guide? Continue to the next card…
