Animal Tarot Time: STRENGTH

For this series, I am exploring the choices of animals made by various deck creators to correspond to traditional Tarot cards. My initial goal is to get through the Major Arcana using cards from seven different decks:

• Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine (Hay House)
• The Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson; illustrated by Eugene Smith (Llewellyn Publications)
• The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by Ola Liola (CICO Books)
• The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk Publishing)
• The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn Worldwide)
• The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)
• Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini (Lo Scarabeo)

To read my previous posts in this series, enter “Animal Tarot Time” in the search field on the main page of the blog or scroll down and click on Animal Tarot Time under CATEGORIES.

As many of you know, the numbering of the Justice and Strength cards in the Tarot varies, depending on which deck you are using. For this post, I will be viewing Strength as Trump 11. Let’s look at how STRENGTH is portrayed in seven different animal decks.

Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine (Hay House)

STRENGTH / MASAI LION AND LAMB

“True strength is displayed through kindness, forgiveness, and compassion. 
You have tremendous personal power and courage.”

Where many traditional Tarot decks depict a girl or woman with a lion on the Strength card, this deck gives us a Masai lion with a lamb. There is a sense that both creatures not only tolerate but respect or value each other. As the creators of the deck note, “The lion represents pure courage and power, while the lamb is symbolic of gentleness, vulnerability, and self-acceptance.” We are called to apply “loving strength” to situations and to the people who are involved.

The Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson; illustrated by Eugene Smith (Llewellyn Publications)

STRENGTH / OX

What muscles do you currently need to build? 
How can your personal strengths help those around you? 
Are you throwing your weight around instead of supporting someone you love?

This interpretation of Strength does not appear to incorporate one of the traditional interpretations, which has to do with “taming” one’s animal instincts in order to direct gut reactions or raw emotions  constructively. The focus in The Animal Totem Tarot is on the Ox as a symbol of physical strength but also on emotional and mental strength as well as courage. Our will and resolve may be tested. We are being asked to consider what weighs us down or burdens us (for example, the past), and to question whether we feel that is the best use of our strength.

The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by Ola Liola (CICO Books)

LION / Ruler of the Open Heart
Courage, Compassion, Acceptance, Love

Just to reiterate what I wrote above, even though this card is numbered VIII (Roman Numeral 8) on its face, I am including it here because it obviously represents Strength, which is numbered 11 in some Tarot decks.

In this deck, we see a lion and a young woman sitting together in harmony. The lion here represents “your inner beast” as well as strength, stability, and leadership. The focus is on feline or feminine energies, reminding us that “true strength is not violent or controlling, but emerges through love, appreciation, and acceptance of self and others.”

The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk Publishing)

STRENGTH / LION
Strength of Will from the Inner Sun

Ted Andrews gives us a male lion on this card without any accompanying feminine figure, yet he makes sure to include in his discussion of Strength the role female lions play in a pride of lions. The females actually do most of the work as hunters and caretakers of the young. The qualities they represent include “patience, gentleness, and the strength of love.” The male lion encourages us to express our power, even as we nurture the more “feminine” qualities within us such as creativity, intuition, and imagination.  Strength of will – rather than brute force – is the key.

The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn Worldwide)

STRENGTH / Lion and Tara: Tibetan

(tapping into inner resources, embracing one’s animal nature, courage)

 

Lisa Hunt takes us to Tibet for her interpretation of Strength, offering us an image of a lion accompanied by Tara, “one of the most popular deities in the Buddhist tradition.” She is viewed as a strong, compassionate deity who is “often called upon during times of distress and endangerment.” The lion, as in other Tarot decks, represents “the spark and libido necessary for continued achievement.” If we try to suppress or neglect this type of energy, it is likely to manifest into something potentially negative. We are encouraged to utilize such internal resources in a productive, creative manner.

The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)

STRENGTH / The Lion and Carmine Bee-Eater 

(ferocity and gentleness, freedom and control, passion and compassion)

I love the way Joanna Cheung expresses the meaning of this card: “There is a balance here, one that requires a delicate touch, one without fear, but with understanding. With balance, comes peace.”

 Cheung views the Lion as representing “power, protection, courage, patience, wisdom, passion,” whereas the Bee-Eater symbolizes “unity, family, tranquility, support, comfort, balance.” This balance is all the more impressive given the relative size and physical strength of these two creatures. Both of these “natures” can be found within us, and it is up to us to combine and balance these different energies in order to demonstrate true strength.

Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini (Lo Scarabeo)

STRENGTH / Mongoose and Snake

(courage, energy, moral strength; reversed: decisive confrontation, danger)

 

This quirky deck assigns the number XI (11) to Strength, but instead of a lion, the image depicts a mongoose-man and a snake. If you know anything about how a mongoose deals with a snake, you know it is not a gentle or “compassionate” approach. The mongoose darts at the head of the snake and cracks the snake’s skull with a powerful bite. The Tarot of the Animal Lords is giving us a much more combative, adversarial representation of Strength than many other (more traditional) decks, although it does offer “moral strength” as a key meaning. (On a side note, I didn’t know that meerkats are members of the mongoose family, did you?)

To summarize, we have:

Ox – 1

Lion – 5

Mongoose/Snake - 1

It’s obvious that most of the decks in this group associate the Strength card with the Lion. For me, the ones that feature a lion with a milder, gentler creature (woman/girl, lamb, bird) offer a clearer connection to traditional Strength cards, which emphasize the importance of using kindness and compassion to “tame” our baser instincts, allowing both sides of our nature to combine their energies in a positive, constructive direction.

Animal Tarot Time: THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

For this series, I am exploring the choices of animals made by various deck creators to correspond to traditional Tarot cards. My initial goal is to get through the Major Arcana using cards from seven different decks:

• Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine (Hay House)
• The Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson; illustrated by Eugene Smith (Llewellyn Publications)
• The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by Ola Liola (CICO Books)
• The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk Publishing)
• The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn Worldwide)
• The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)
• Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini (Lo Scarabeo)

To read my previous posts in this series, enter “Animal Tarot Time” in the search field on the main page of the blog or scroll down and click on Animal Tarot Time under CATEGORIES.

Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine (Hay House)

REINDEER (CARIBOU)

“Success through taking action. Opportunity and blessings. 

Travel or modes of transportation. Forward movement. New directions.”

The creators of this deck point out that we traditionally associate reindeer with Santa Claus, which reinforces the idea of this creature representing prosperity or change in a positive direction. It also makes sense to have reindeer represent the movement and transportation. As the authors state, the reindeer and caribou are basically the same animal, with the primary difference being domestication.

In tarot, the Wheel of Fortune is in constant motion, around and around, up and down, never standing still.

The Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson; illustrated by Eugene Smith (Llewellyn Publications)

LADY BUG

“How do you deal with change? Does planning for success 
seem foolish to you? What area of your life needs the most luck?”

The creators of this deck note that “Lady Bugs have long been associated with luck and good fortune.” Interestingly, Lady Bugs can be different colors. Most are red (connected to the first or root chakra and the material world). Some are orange, connecting to the second or sacral chakra, dealing with creative emotional energy. A yellow Lady Bug would be connected to the third or solar plexus chakra, the energy center of action or doing. Finally, a pink Lady Bug is associated with the fourth or heart chakra, urging you to “just allow what is happening to happen.”

The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by Ola Liola (CICO Books)

SPIDER

Sacred Spinner (Fate, Karma, Luck, Cycles, Change)

I really like the way the creators of this deck placed a spider in a web that extends to the edges of a wheel. Think of how a spider just keeps spinning, and if the web is damaged or destroyed, the spider simply starts again. With this card we are encouraged to maintain “long-range views and an expanded perspective to find stability and truth in the midst of change.” When we sit still and center ourselves, we can watch life’s drama spin around us without being dragged up and down, around and around.

The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk Publishing)

BEAR

Heeding Inner Voice and Cycles

Ted Andrews offers us the Bear on the Wheel of Fortune card in his Animal Wise Tarot. As Andrews notes, bears “teach us that there is a rhythm and flow to everything, and when we align with it, we are much less frustrated and more successful.” Certainly we see this as we observe the hibernation habits of bears. They adapt to each new cycle as the wheel of the year turns.

The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn Worldwide)

ALL ANIMALS

cycle of change, the opportunity for growth due to change in fortune

Lisa Hunt neatly sidesteps any arguments over “which animal” should represent this card by stating that The Wheel represents “All Animals.” She depicts the animals “rotating together in a confluence of elements,” incorporating symbolism for Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. With the animals as our guides and teachers, be can have a glimpse into the ways nature balances itself and become more active participants in the rhythm of life. From small to large, each creature shown on The Wheel has something valuable to share with us, if we will only pay attention.

The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)

ORB WEAVER SPIDER

fate, wisdom, rebirth, balance, creativity, design

Here we see the “weaver of time and fate.” Every thread has a destination. Every connection has a purpose. Joanna Cheung echoes the comments I wrote above concerning what happens when a spider’s web is damaged or destroyed, writing “threads that fall can rise up again, and though some may come undone, they can be rebuilt once more, better and stronger than ever before.”

Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini (Lo Scarabeo)

BUTTERFLY

the natural cycle of things, fortune, love

A person with a butterfly’s head and wings flutters in the air next to a tree on which we see leaves, eggs, and caterpillars. In this way, this deck points to the butterfly as a symbol of the “natural cycle of things.” As we know, the butterfly follows a consistent pattern in its development, from egg to larva to pupa to adult. Similarly, we may go through stages of growth in our lives as we mature and gain understanding and wisdom.

TO SUMMARIZE we have:

Reindeer (Caribou) – 1
Lady Bug – 1
Spider – 2
Bear – 1
Butterfly – 1
All Animals – 1

I confess I’m quite partial to the Spider for The Wheel of Fortune card. What do you think?

Family Tree Tarot Spread

I’ve been wanting to try this spread for awhile, but kept putting it off. I found this layout at WikiHow.

The layout is as follows:

1…2…3…4

  5…6…7

     8…9

       10

The Fenestra Tarot by Chatriya volunteered enthusiastically for this reading, and I’m happy to oblige. Here we go!

1. Blessing from my mother’s bloodline: FOUR OF CUPS

My mother’s bloodline has blessed me with deep emotions and creativity, but at the same time, there is a sense of weariness or apathy, detachment or withdrawal. I definitely feel these things in spite of the fact that I do experience deep emotions and enjoy creative activity. I think this could be an indication of depression, which can make it difficult to truly appreciate the blessing I have received.

2. Challenge from my mother’s bloodline: FIVE OF PENTACLES

My mother’s bloodline presents me with a challenge in the area of the material world (possessions, finances, work). This actually makes sense combined with the Four of Cups as a blessing. Feelings of being impoverished or marginalized or abandoned affect my ability to appreciate the blessings.

3. Blessing from my father’s bloodline: PAGE OF PENTACLES

My father’s bloodline offers me the blessings that can be derived from diligence, enthusiasm, and education. I get a youthful optimism that rewards will come in the physical, material realm if I apply myself.

4. Challenge from my father’s bloodline: FIVE OF WANDS

My father’s bloodline presents me with a challenge in terms of how I handle competition or disputes. There is a sense of conflict that is not easily resolved and a reluctance to compromise that might interfere with growth and development.

5. Talent I’ve been gifted with from my mother’s bloodline: 

SIX OF PENTACLES

The talent I’ve been gifted from my mother’s bloodline seems to relate to an ability to share, contribute, and give to others, based in the physical, material realm. My contributions over the years of my life involve sharing musical abilities, talent in writing and communication, and creative inspiration. 

6. Talent I’ve been gifted with from my father’s bloodline: THE WORLD

From my father’s bloodline I have been gifted a talent for discovering the potential for anything and everything, fulfillment and prosperity as an outcome of my life’s journey. 

7. How can I cultivate these talents? SIX OF WANDS

I can cultivate these talents by building on any success or achievement with a goal of continuing to grow and develop.

8. What advice do my ancestors want to give me about my family? 

ACE OF SWORDS

The advice my ancestors want to give me about my family is that I need to recognize opportunities for change, for new directions and alterations in ways of thinking and communicating. 

9. What is my ancestors’ overall perspective about my family? 

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

My ancestors’ overall perspective about my family is based in wisdom, intuition, and enlightenment. The ancestors take a “big picture” view as if “above” the rest of us, looking down and seeing things from a higher level.

10. How well am I aligned with my ancestors? Do I need to work harder to connect with them? 

KING OF PENTACLES

My alignment with my ancestors is solid, basic, and firmly established. This alignment is particularly noticeable in the physical, material realm of my life. Connecting with my ancestors further can help me develop the traits I need in order to continue to improve my state of being.

R E V I E W

The Doors of Somlipith: A New Dimension of Card Reading

by Ana Cortez (Author), CJ Freeman (Illustrator)

REDFeather (April 11, 2023)

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages; 52 cards

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0764365037

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0764365034

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 2 x 9 inches

I am delighted to introduce my blog followers to the latest incarnation of the amazing divination deck created by Ana Cortez and her father, C.J. Freeman. If you search for “Cortez” in this blog, you will find the many posts I have written, including an interview with Ana Cortez herself.

The Doors of Somlipith: A New Dimension of Card Reading is a card and book set packaged in a beautiful, well-constructed box. The 52 cards are sturdy quality. The book is paperback, around 5-3/4 inches by 5-1/4 inches, containing 304 pages of well-organized information printed in black, red, and gold type.

This book is a true treasure trove of – in the words of the publisher – “magical symbology, ancient astrology, pyramid knowledge, natural timekeeping, geomancy, in-depth elemental and numerological perspectives, original story, a secret alphabet, mystical mandalas, innovative archetype, and more.” 

Here are a few other things I feel you need to know if you are considering The Doors of Somlipith:

• It is NOT a Tarot deck. It is a 52-card deck with many similarities to a regular deck of playing cards. However, Ana Cortez states: “You must throw out everything you have learned from other card-reading methods.”

• This is NOT an “out of the box” reading deck. There is a learning curve. If you are not familiar with the cards created by C.J. Freeman and how they are used, you will need to take some time to study and practice. Fortunately, in the accompanying book, Ana Cortex provides extremely useful instruction and examples.

• There are FOUR REALMS that correspond to the four suits found on playing cards: Ignita (Diamonds/Fire), Ethra (Clubs.Air), Agana (Hearts/Water), and Terra (Spades/Earth).

• Each Realm has an UPPER KINGDOM consisting of four archetypal personalities: Lady, Jack, Queen, and King.

• Each Realm has a LOWER KINGDOM consisting of Ace through Nine. 

I greeted The Doors of Somlipith deck and book set with a mixture of delight at seeing old friends and anticipation for new experiences and knowledge.

In this post, I am going to focus on one component of the system presented by Ana Cortez for using The Doors of Somlipith deck. 

In Chapter 9: The 36 Gates, Cortez tells us that “from the Sun’s perspective, we see only the 36 Lower Kingdom cards as markers of time. The Courts are gods and do not participate in timekeeping.” The 36 Gates are arranged by date segments such as Jan. 1-10, Jan. 10-20, Jan. 20-29, and so forth. Each of these segments is assigned a Lower Kingdom card.

Using the table provided in the guidebook, we see that today’s date – April 13 – falls in the segment that covers April 11-20. This segment is represented by the 3 of Diamonds (Ignita / Fire). For my Daily Card draw, I will be using the 3 of Diamonds paired with a card which I will draw at random from the deck. By analyzing that pair of cards, I may get a sense of what today might bring. My draw for today is the 8 of Hearts (Agana / Water).

As advised by Ana Cortez, my first step is to look at this layout as a picture, a collection of images. I look at these two cards together and sense that The Faun on the 8 of Hearts is trying to cast a spell on  (or influence) the woman holding the severed head (3 of Diamonds). The story Cortez provides concerning the latter emphasizes "the selfishness necessary with creative ambition, and the consequences, which can be most dire." What might The Faun's goal be? Read on.

THREE OF DIAMONDS: Severed Head

Let’s explore this a bit. As Cortez points out, all Threes “complete the first triplicity within the ascending sequence” . . . they “arise from the experience of the Ace and the Two.” Here we have consequences and manifestation. The keyword for the 3 of Diamonds (Severed Head) is “Ambition.” 

This is a Fire (Ignita) card. A chart provided by Cortez in the guidebook tells us that Fire represents Spirit, Autumn, South. Its qualities are “volatile, transmuting.” Among the Positive Attributes we find “courage, vitality, self-esteem, confidence…” Among the Negative Attributes we see “Egotism, insensitivity, selfishness, impulsivity…”

All days that fall within the April 11-20 range are represented by this card. It’s not unique to me, but applies to everyone.

EIGHT OF HEARTS: The Faun

This is my draw for today, April 13. Cortez tells us that all Eights are “building block” cards representing escalation and increase. Like the Three, the Eight is about “making manifest seeds previously sewn.”  

The keyword for this card is “Mischief.” The 8 of Hearts is a Water card. The chart in the guidebook tells us that Water (Agana) represents Emotion, Spring, West. Its qualities are “Yielding, penetrating.” Among the Positive Attributes we find “empathetic, nurturing, generosity, enjoyment of life…” Among the Negative Attributes we have “Self-doubt, obsession, jealousy, subconscious controlling action/judgment…”

With the 8 of Hearts we might expect energy that is strong and virile, and that can create confusion between what is real and what is illusion. The perceived order is likely to be threatened.

For those of us who are still learning, Cortez is kind enough to provide insight into what a Diamonds-Hearts (Ignita-Agana, Red-Red) pairing might indicate. Her key phrase for this pairing is “The ‘One-Night Stand.’” It’s not hard to understand how impulsivity paired with strong feelings (Ambition + Mischief) might play out. Situations suggested by this pairing are likely to be short-term but volatile and impossible to ignore.

As I post this, my day is not over, and it may yet become clear what these two cards are trying to tell me. It has been a quiet day so far, with nothing exciting or challenging taking place.

This is just one of many ways The Doors of Somlipith can be used. If you are not adverse to studying and learning how to work with a truly fascinating deck, I encourage you to give The Doors of Somlipith a try.

To read more about The Doors of Somlipith, click on these links:
https://anacortez.com/doors-somlipith-divination-with-playing-cards/

https://store.anacortez.com/products/the-doors-of-somlipith-a-new-dimension-of-card-reading

=====================

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.