The essential meanings of this Major Arcana card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

Upright: Strength upright represents courage, compassion, and inner resilience. Despite the imagery of taming a lion, this card isn’t about physical force, but about gentle persuasion and emotional fortitude. It suggests you have the inner strength to handle challenges through patience, understanding, and respect for your own instincts. When this card appears, it often means your quiet confidence and compassion will win out over raw aggression.

Reversed: Strength reversed may indicate self-doubt, insecurity, or a struggle to manage strong emotions. You might be feeling overwhelmed or tempted to act out of anger or fear. The reversed Strength card encourages you to be patient with yourself and to work on building confidence. It’s a reminder that true strength comes from within – by facing your fears with compassion and regaining control over impulses, you’ll find your balance again.

Three Possibilities

The secrets of this card for heart, mind and soul.

Love: In the realm of love, Strength whispers of compassion and quiet courage. A maiden gently tames a wild lion with her touch, showing how kindness and understanding can overcome pride, anger, or fear in a relationship. This card suggests a bond where patience, gentle forgiveness, and inner strength create an unbreakable, loving alliance between two hearts.

Career: At work, Strength is the calm influence that turns challenges into triumphs through patience and confidence. Rather than forcing outcomes, you approach obstacles and colleagues with tact and gentle determination, taming high-pressure situations as the maiden tames the lion. Your inner courage and perseverance earn respect and lead you steadily toward success, proving that true strength often manifests as resilience and grace under pressure.

Spirituality: On your spiritual journey, Strength teaches the power of gentle mastery over the self. It’s about balancing raw emotion with higher wisdom, using compassion to tame your inner beasts of fear or anger. With this quiet courage, you walk the path of spirit with grace, finding that true power comes from love and patience within.