Tarot Tuesday: Strength

The Strength Inside

The tarot has been around for awhile in some form or fashion.  The modern version that we think of has been around for around 100 years.  There are as many decks as you can imagine, some traditional like the Rider-Waite and some a bit off the wall like vampire or cat themed. 

Most people associate tarot with divination and a few others will use them for meditation aides and spell

work.  The tarot has many uses and one of my favorite is using it as a teaching tool about myself.  It can be thought of as a psychological journey through your consciousness.

I could start this series with The Fool, and that would be very traditional, but instead I want to start with Strength/Lust.

Visually this card follows a theme across many decks.  In the three that I work with it features a woman with a dangerous creature (lion-Book of Thoth and Steampunk Tarot and a wyvern-Wizard's tarot).

What does Strength mean? Is a physical strength only?

That can play a role, and in some way it does with this card.  The woman is dealing with a fierce creature, so she would need to be strong to hold its leash.

But on a more esoteric level it represents a mental and emotional strength.  In many ways the beast featured represents our Shadow self.  This is the side of us that we desire to repress, our anger, fear, hatred, and a plethora of other negative emotions.  This is all of the hurt we experience while growing up and carry with us as baggage into our adult life.  If you show a moment of weakness the Shadow rears its head and can sink us down into a bog of emotional turmoil that is very difficult to break out of.

So repression, right, that is the key.

No.  For my journey through the tarot, I found repression of my Shadow self to be most detrimental.  It is better, from my point of view as a magician, to embrace that Shadow and understand it rather than keep it chained and locked away.  My Strength comes from taming with kindness so to speak and incorporating it into myself.  By doing so I have a very deep font of power to call upon when I am working magic and a much deeper understanding of some of my emotional hang ups and bad habits.

It takes a great deal of strength to look into the darkest recess of our mind and soul and embrace that which we do not value, what we seek to hide from.  Little do we realize that its these very actions that explain why we have trouble when it comes to personal relationships, work relations, and trouble with ourselves.

Another use of Strength comes from the Book of Thoth.  Crowley changed this card to Lust and moved it up a few places from its corresponding card in the Rider-Waite system of tarot to the 11^th position.  It still retains its connection to Leo and Theth (serpent).

Here we have an element stronger than just Strength but a visceral pull to possess. This card is more of turning morals on their head.  I like to use this card in meditation when I am looking to revitalize my practice.  It helps me reconnect with my more primal self, to find my passion for the Art and a zest for life.  This card has a way of making your turn you set ideas on their head and question everything that you have been taught from a young age.  What is sin?  What is wrong? What is immoral? What is it that I desire?  This card

reminds me that sometimes I need to let my hair down and dance to a song that only I can hear.

Pathworking Exercise

If you have a tarot deck pull out the Strength card.  Get into a comfortable place that you can meditate on the card.  I like to burn a yellow candle to correspond with Leo.  Do what relaxation that you normally do, I personally like to follow the first meditation out Penczak's ITOW.  This helps me get into a light meditative state.  Focus on the card, take in all of the imagery.  See the card become larger and a doorway for you to step through.

You may meet the figures of the card.  Listen to the message that they have for you about Strength.  Are you holding back? What are you running away from? Take note of who or what comes to you in this meditation and write it down.

When you are ready to come back step out of the card and do your return exercise.

Card One-Wizards Tarot by Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen

Card Two-Thoth Tarot by Aleistar Crowley and Lady Harris

Card Three- Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell