Tarot Cards Meanings - Major Arcana - Strength - meaning in detail
Strength or Fortitude (La Force) - tarot card meaning in detail
The Daughter of the Flaming Sword
Card Number: 8
Key Number: 19
Rulership: Leo
Hebrew Letter: Teth
Translation: Serpent
Numerical Value: 12
Astrological Associations: Capricorn
Full Meaning
The strength card is one of self control, willpower, strength of character and maintaining nerves of steel in any difficult situations. It is a card that represents mastery of a awkward situation and the overcoming of any negative thoughts, instincts or obstacles. In order to move forward you will need a huge amount of drive and determination and as long as you can accept this, then you will be able to succeed. In the process of this success, onlookers will respect you for seeing through the courage of your convictions. Try to think of the strength card in terms of fire.
At first man was burned by fire and then he learn how to control it, but he never ever lost his respect for its destructive power. In this sense you are mastering situations, circumstances and events and if at any time you have got your fingers burned, you will learn from the experience and ensure this does not happen again in the future. Where this card is related to a relationship then communication is the watchword and the ability to listen to one another will help your relationship to grow.
Traditional Symbolism
A woman, over whose head there broods the same symbol of life which we have seen in the card of the Magician, is closing the jaws of a lion. The only point in which this design differs from the conventional presentations is that her beneficent fortitude has already subdued the lion, which is being led by a chain of flowers. For reasons which satisfy myself, this card has been interchanged with that of justice, which is usually numbered eight. As the variation carries nothing with it which will signify to the reader, there is no cause for explanation.
Fortitude, in one of its most exalted aspects, is connected with the Divine Mystery of Union; the virtue, of course, operates in all planes, and hence draws on all in its symbolism. It connects also with innocentia inviolata, and with the strength which resides in contemplation. These higher meanings are, however, matters of inference, and I do not suggest that they are transparent on the surface of the card.
They are intimated in a concealed manner by the chain of flowers, which signifies, among many other things, the sweet yoke and the light burden of Divine Law, when it has been taken into the heart of hearts. The card has nothing to do with self-confidence in the ordinary sense, though this has been suggested--but it concerns the confidence of those whose strength is God, who have found their refuge in Him. There is one aspect in which the lion signifies the passions, and she who is called Strength is the higher nature in its liberation. It has walked upon the asp and the basilisk and has trodden down the lion and the dragon.
The Major Arcana suit.
