Major Arcana · card VIII
Strength
gentle courage, patience, self-control
Reading it upright
A woman calmly closes a lion's mouth with her hands. The strength here is soft: patience, compassion and steady nerves. Students sometimes confuse it with The Chariot; this card wins by calm, not force.
Reading it reversed
Reversed, self-doubt or a short temper takes over. It may ask for more kindness toward yourself.
Journal prompt
Where would patience serve me better than pressure?
Study tip. Draw Strength on purpose, set it in front of you, and write three things you can literally see in the picture before you look at any notes. Your own observations will stay with you longer than a keyword list.
Notes on this site are a starting point. Different decks and readers interpret cards differently, and a reading is never a substitute for professional advice.