Major arcana 8 · Fire
The Strength tarot card meaning: upright, power exercised gently; reversed, self-doubt, or force used where patience was needed. It is trump VIII of the 22 major arcana.
Waite, Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911; Golden Dawn, Book T.
Power exercised gently. Not the strength that overwhelms but the kind that stays calm while something wild settles.
Strength is courage with a gentle hand: patience, compassion and quiet confidence that calms rather than conquers. The woman closes the lion's jaws without force. The card describes inner strength, self-control and the kind of influence that comes from steadiness rather than pressure.
Self-doubt, or force used where patience was needed. The lion handled badly.
Reversed, the lion wins: self-doubt, impulsiveness, or anger and fear running the show. It can also mean exhausting yourself by trying to appear strong.
18 pages · printable
Every retrograde, eclipse, new and full moon of 2027 to the minute, already converted to your city. A month to a page, ready to print.
Primary source
“Power, energy, action, courage, magnanimity; also complete success and honours.”
“Despotism, abuse of power, weakness, discord, sometimes even disgrace.”
Strength is card VIII, first of the seven in the row that runs from Strength (VIII) to Temperance (XIV). Waite swapped the numbers of Strength and Justice: in the older Marseille pattern Strength is XI and Justice VIII.
Golden Dawn correspondences
In the Golden Dawn’s Book T (1888), Strength is the card of Leo. In 2026 the Sun is in Leo from Jul 22 to Aug 23, (UTC). Leo is ruled by the Sun — the planet listed for this card above.
| Book T attribution | Leo sign |
|---|---|
| Sun in Leo, 2026 | Jul 22 – Aug 23, 2026 UTC |
| Ruler of Leo | Sun |
| Leo in the minor arcana | Five of Wands Saturn, 0°–10° Six of Wands Jupiter, 10°–20° Seven of Wands Mars, 20°–30° |
Data, not interpretation
Strength is drawn on January 18 and November 19, once reversed. With two draws it ranks joint 63rd of 78, level with 11 other cards. Neither lands while the Sun is in Leo.
The image
A woman calmly closes the jaws of a lion with bare hands, a garland of flowers around her and the figure-eight symbol of infinity above her head. The power shown is patience and compassion, not force.
Strength usually describes courage, self-control and gentle persistence — handling a difficult person, habit or emotion without aggression. Reversed, it suggests self-doubt or frustration breaking through.
Upright, a relationship with patience and real tenderness, where difficult feelings are handled kindly. Reversed, insecurity, jealousy or emotional outbursts testing the bond.
They feel admiration and a calm, steady affection, and trust you to handle things.
Persistence over force. Winning by outlasting rather than overpowering.
Recovery, resilience, and gentleness with the body rather than punishment.
Yes — with patience. Upright it counts as a yes in a yes-or-no spread; reversed, it leans toward no, usually as a “not yet” rather than a flat no. Most of the major arcana give the same answer: 12 of the 22 say yes. Either side of it in the sequence, the Chariot says yes and the Hermit says no.
If you drew it today
Be gentle and steady with what is wild, in others and in yourself.
Statements of fact on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. How we choose and check sources: editorial policy.
AstroHot. “Strength Tarot Card Meaning: Upright and Reversed.” Accessed October 27, 2026. https://astrohot.com/tarot/cards/strength/
{{cite web |title=Strength Tarot Card Meaning: Upright and Reversed |url=https://astrohot.com/tarot/cards/strength/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-27}}
Free · PDF · 18 pages
Every retrograde, eclipse, new and full moon of 2027 — to the minute, printed in your own time zone.