Strength Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love & Yes/No
Quiet strength will get you further than force today. Meet difficult feelings, and difficult people, with calm patience.
| Arcana | Major Arcana |
|---|---|
| Number | 8 (VIII) |
| Element | Fire |
| Astrology | Leo |
| Hebrew letter | Teth (Golden Dawn attribution) |
| Yes or no | Yes |
| Upright | courage, patience, gentle power, compassion |
| Reversed | self-doubt, impatience, drained energy |
Strength symbolism
A woman in a white robe gently closes, or opens, the jaws of a lion. An infinity symbol floats above her head and a garland of flowers is wrapped around her waist and the lion's neck. She masters the beast without force. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck Strength is number eight; in older Marseille-style decks it is number eleven, a switch made by the Golden Dawn to match astrological correspondences.
The descriptions on this site refer to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909), illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith and designed with Arthur Edward Waite, which is the reference for most modern tarot. Other decks may show different imagery with a similar meaning.
Upright meaning
- courage
- patience
- gentle power
- compassion
Strength is the card of inner courage and gentle power. It shows that the challenge in front of you will not be solved by force, but by patience, compassion and steady self-control.
The lion represents strong emotions and instincts, including fear, anger and desire. Strength does not suppress them; it guides them. When this card appears, you have more resilience than you realise, and the way through is calm persistence.
Reversed meaning
- self-doubt
- impatience
- drained energy
Reversed, Strength points to self-doubt, low energy or emotions that feel out of control. You may be doubting your ability to cope or reacting impulsively instead of responding calmly.
The reversed card asks you to reconnect with your inner resources. Rest, reduce pressure where you can and treat yourself with the same patience you would offer someone else.
New to reversals? Our guide to reading reversed tarot cards explains the different ways readers interpret an upside-down card.
Strength in love and relationships
Upright in love
In love, Strength brings a relationship built on patience, understanding and mutual support. It can show a partnership that has overcome difficulties together. For singles, it favours confidence without arrogance.
Reversed in love
Reversed in love, the card can indicate insecurity, jealousy or emotional volatility. It asks for gentleness with yourself and with your partner.
Strength as feelings
As feelings, Strength means someone feels a deep, steady attraction and admiration for you. They see you as strong and feel safe with you.
Career and work
At work, Strength is about persistence and handling difficult people or situations diplomatically. It favours leadership through influence rather than authority.
Money and finances
With money, Strength advises self-control: resisting impulse spending and staying committed to a plan even when it is tempting to give up.
Is Strength a yes or no card?
Yes
Strength is a yes. The outcome favours you as long as you stay patient and handle the situation with calm courage.
Want to ask your own question? Try our yes or no tarot, which uses the same yes, no and maybe values shown on this page.
Number, element and astrology
Strength is card 8 (VIII) of the Major Arcana, the 22 trump cards that describe life's big lessons and turning points. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's system, which shaped the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it is attributed to the Hebrew letter Teth and to Leo, giving it the element of fire.
Advice from Strength
Be gentle and firm at the same time. The quietest form of courage is often the most effective one.
Example reading
Illustrative example
A parent struggling with a teenager's outbursts draws Strength. The card suggests that responding with calm firmness, rather than matching the anger, will be more effective. Patience here is not weakness; it is leadership.
This example is written by our editors to show how the card is read in context. It is not a real client's reading. See our tarot spreads for how positions change a card's meaning.
Related cards
Dream symbols linked to this card
Hair, Wolf. Our dream dictionary explains how the same symbolism appears in dreams.
Ask the cards about your situation
Draw three cards for your own question. Every card in your result links back to its meaning here.
Free tarot readingCard of the dayFrequently asked questions
What does Strength mean in tarot?
Upright, Strength means courage, patience, gentle power, compassion. Strength is the card of inner courage and gentle power.
What does Strength reversed mean?
Reversed, Strength points to self-doubt, low energy or emotions that feel out of control. You may be doubting your ability to cope or reacting impulsively instead of responding calmly.
What does Strength mean in love?
In love, Strength brings a relationship built on patience, understanding and mutual support. It can show a partnership that has overcome difficulties together. For singles, it favours confidence without arrogance. Reversed in love, the card can indicate insecurity, jealousy or emotional volatility. It asks for gentleness with yourself and with your partner.
Is Strength a yes or no card?
Strength is a yes. The outcome favours you as long as you stay patient and handle the situation with calm courage.
Why is Strength number 8 in some decks and 11 in others?
The Golden Dawn swapped Strength and Justice to align them with Leo and Libra in their astrological system. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck follows that change, while Marseille decks keep Strength at 11.