Strength, Force, Power, Fortitude. These are all words to describe the card which in most decks comes after The Chariot, number 8, but in some decks is number 11. I have always identified deeply with The Strength card. I’m a Leo and an Enneagram type 8. I wrote last year about Thecla and her ability to connect with the lions so much that they couldn’t kill her. I wrote about courage and what it means to be gentle and strong at the same time. The Italian Mantegna Forteza card is much more aggressive I think, an affirmation of the necessity for force sometimes, perhaps to assert power. But power over what? She grasps a pillar so tightly it breaks.
The structure of this deck is quite different from the Waite Smith and Marseilles deck, in that it has groups of ten cards, of which Strength is contained in the fourth group of ten, all representing the cardinal virtues. The Cardinal virtues are most often described as four: Prudence (High Priestess), Fortitude (Strength), Justice, and Temperance. They come originally from Plato, and were readily adopted into Christian philosophy. These virtues help us to gain a higher level of existence while on this earth, and it is no mistake that they appear in nearly all tarot decks. The Thoth deck is an exception, and I will make a study of it later this year, but for now will put it to the side.
I am intrigued by the different words used to describe this virtue. None of the cards in any language translate to courage, but it certainly seems to be a common thread. The women are protected by sleeves which come down to their wrists, I assume to both relate an idea of protection and also of chastity. This card is always associated with a lion. But instead of slaying the lion like the David and Goliath story in the Bible, our figures tame, befriend, form spiritual alliance with the fierce beast. They don’t need the lion’s pelt to give them fortitude. It is an inner strength that gives them power, and as we see in the Pamela Colman Smith’s depiction of the card, this act of Strength bestows eternal life, symbolized by the infinity sign over her head.
When I think about the Strength card I try to turn inward not outward. Outward strength comes very naturally to me. It is the inner beast which constantly needs to be reminded , prodded a bit I admit, to think of strength gently, softly, kindly. The enneagram reminds type 8’s that vulnerability is the ultimate expression of strength. It turns the idea on its head and this what makes both the tarot and the enneagram such useful tools for growth. What does the Strength card mean to you? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.