Strength Tarot Card: Meaning of Arcanum XI (or VIII)

In brief: number, names and keywords

Strength carries the number XI in Marseille and VIII in Rider-Waite: it swaps its place with Justice. The name is the same in both traditions. Waite made this choice to respect the Golden Dawn's correspondences (Leo in eighth place, Libra in eleventh).

Strength is also a cardinal virtue of the Middle Ages: it was called Fortitude, that is, courage in trial and firmness of soul. It is therefore not brute force, but strength of spirit.

Keywords: courage, gentleness, self-mastery, patience, endurance, confidence.

The image in the Marseille tarot

In Marseille, a woman stands in the centre of the card, wearing a large hat with a wide brim, whose shape often resembles a horizontal figure eight (the symbol of infinity). She holds a lion's jaws between her two hands, the lion crouching at her feet: she opens them or closes them; we do not know which.

The gesture is in no way violent: there is neither struggle nor tension on the face. The lion seems docile, the woman calm. The ground is simple, sometimes dotted with a few tufts of grass. The ambiguity of the gesture (opening or closing) leaves room for several readings.

The image in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck

In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, a woman dressed in white, her head adorned with flowers and surmounted by the sign of infinity, leans toward a lion, which she gently strokes and whose jaws she holds in her hands. A garland of flowers encircles her waist and the lion's.

The lion, tail between its legs, appears calm. In the background, blue mountains under a pale yellow sky. The strength here is that of affection and presence: the beast is not defeated but tamed.

Symbolism of the elements in the image

These are the details that come up most often in traditional readings. They are paths for interpretation, not official definitions.

• The lion: instincts, strong emotions, vital energy: what can neither be removed nor fled from. It is to be tamed.
• The woman: self-mastery, a calm awareness. She is not armed; she is present.
• The hat or the sign of infinity: the unlimited energy of calm, and a reminder of the Magician card.
• The white dress and the flowers (Waite): the purity of intention, gentleness.
• The lion's jaws: what can bite (anger, impulse) but which, held with patience, grows calm.
• The absence of struggle: the central message: true strength lies in patience, not in confrontation.

Upright meaning

Upright, Strength traditionally evokes quiet courage: holding firm without hardening, facing one's emotions without repressing them or letting them overflow. It speaks of patience, perseverance, self-confidence, and the gentleness that achieves more than authority does.

In a spread, it invites you to ask where gentle firmness could replace constraint. It may speak of inner strength in a difficult period, of vital energy, or of support given to someone else. The lion also represents the part of us that has character: the card suggests working alongside it rather than against it.

Reversed: two schools of reading

School 1: the opposite. Reversed, Strength speaks of perceived weakness, lack of confidence, anger or passion that overflows, or harshness that masks fear.

School 2: a blockage. The strength is there, but it is not recognised or it is exhausted: tiredness, doubt, effort that goes on too long. The card then invites you to regain your energy before acting. Other tarot readers only read the upright position.

In everyday areas of reading

The tarot does not say what will happen: it offers images to reflect on. Here, in symbolic terms, is what this card may evoke depending on the theme of your question.

• Personal reflection: taming one's emotions and energy, persevering. Possible question: where could I replace the effort to dominate with more gentleness?
• Relationships: patience, support, mutual trust, the ability to stay calm under tension. The card does not say to accept everything: it speaks of firmness without violence.
• Work: perseverance in a long project, caring leadership, stress management. Symbolically, a deep strength rather than a quick success.
• Money: steadiness and composure in the face of uncertainty. It predicts nothing and does not replace the opinion of a financial adviser.

Combinations with neighbouring cards

A card is rarely read on its own: its neighbours shade its meaning. Here are some common pairings, to be taken as starting points.

• The Wheel of Fortune: cycle and patience: getting through a change without suffering it.
• The Hanged Man: gentleness and letting go: two ways of not forcing things.
• The Empress: strength and care: the power of kindness.
• The Devil: instincts and bonds: seeing what holds us and taming it without denying it.
• The Chariot: two forms of mastery: one through momentum, the other through gentleness.

To learn how to combine cards, try the three-card spread. To place this card among the 22 major arcana, see our guide to the major arcana.

Keyword of the day, question and practice

Keyword of the day: Gentleness. For the day, notice a moment when you are tempted to harden your tone, and try a reply that is both calmer and firmer.

Question to ask yourself: Where could you replace the effort to dominate with more gentleness?

Writing (10 minutes). Write the name of a strong emotion you know well (anger, fear, impatience) as if it were an animal. Describe it: what it wants, what calms it. End with one simple gesture to help you live alongside it next time.

Short meditation. Place one hand on your belly and one on your heart. Breathe slowly, lengthening the exhale. Imagine a calm presence beside you. Stay this way for a few minutes.

History and variants of the card

Strength belongs to the cardinal virtues of the Middle Ages. In art, it is represented either by a woman who breaks or supports a column, or by a figure who masters a lion. The tarot image seems to have merged these two motifs: a woman holding a lion's jaws. The name “Fortitude” long designated this card in the old decks.

In Marseille, the card is XI. To follow the Golden Dawn, which links the card to Leo, Waite and Smith placed it at VIII in the deck of 1909. Hence the numbers that differ from one deck to another. In both cases, the meaning remains that of a strength that works through gentleness.

Variants: the wide-brimmed hat, absent in Waite, gives way to a crown of flowers; the lion becomes more familiar and gentler. Some modern decks replace the lion with another animal or show the woman in a natural landscape.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The 22 Major Arcana, card by card.