STRENGTH - Astrological Associations

I continue my astrological exploration of the Major Arcana with Trump 11, Strength. The use of astrological associations with Tarot is completely up to the reader. This is merely intended to be interesting and fun.



Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley

Crowley titles this card Lust and attributes it to the zodiac sign Leo (Book T calls it "Fortitude" but also attributes it to Leo). For Crowley, this is Trump 11; in Book T it is Trump 8. Traits associated with Leo include being exuberant, creative, egocentric, and possessing a talent for showmanship. Leo is ruled by the Sun, representing the ego, individuality, the power of self, and the conscious will. Crowley writes: "This Trump was formerly called Strength. But it implies far more than strength in the ordinary sense of the word. . . Lust implies not only strength, but the joy of strength exercised. It is vigour, and the rapture of vigour."



One World Tarot by Crystal Love
This deck associates Strength with the planet Neptune. Love explains that Neptune represents "the human psyche's potential for individual mystical self-realization (mind or evolving spirit) and the transcending of the physical and material planes of consciousness." She notes that Neptune "confers great tenderness of feeling, receptivity, mediumistic and clairvoyant power in art, music, poetry, and the performing arts." Love's Strength card depicts the all-seeing third eye, which indicates spiritual knowledge and wisdom. Strength, in this case, is spiritual strength, the transcendental experience, the "realization of God."



A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)

Thierens associates Strength, Trump 11, with the 11th sign of the zodiac: Aquarius (a fixed Air sign known for being innovative, idealistic, humanitarian, and intellectual). In traditional astrology, Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, planet of discipline, responsibility, restriction, and limitation. Thierens writes: "Viewed from a purely astrological standpoint it is evident, that the force to conquer Leo should be found in the opposite sign, Aquarius."



The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark

In this deck (as in Book T), Strength is Trump 8. Clark links the card with the sign Leo, associated with "royalty, the sun, and strength." He notes that the Strength card often depicts a young woman taming a lion, and that Leo and Virgo are side-by-side on the ecliptic. Clark writes: "Astrologically, Leo often constellates the personal myth of adolescent love or the first love experience outside the familial circle. Therefore, underlying Leo is often the story of a broken heart or the loss of innocence brought about by the pain of experiencing love for the first time. The card of Strength implies the ability to manage these feelings."



The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann

Strength is also Trump 8 in Mann's deck. He associates the card with the sign Leo, and writes: "Leo is the power and fortitude of self-consciousness in overcoming the wilful personality, ruled by the Sun, the spiritual self which resides within the centre of the psyche. . . Overcoming passion is a source of great inner strength, and confronting fear of the self produces mastery."




The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel

This deck also has Strength as Trump 8 and associates it with Leo. On Hazel's Strength card, "a woman absorbs the strength and character of the lion," demonstrating how "the physical power and feral majesty of the beast is being integrated with the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual passions of the woman."




The most common association seen in these examples is that between Strength and the zodiac sign Leo. The associations presented by Love and Thierens don't resonate with me.


I welcome your comments!


Zanna