STRENGTH“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” - Maya AngelouThe

STRENGTH

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” - Maya Angelou

The Strength card denotes someone who is filled with quiet, graceful strength. This is not the loud and boisterous power that most people think of when they think of the word ‘strong’– but a more subdued calm that comes from being able to tame the beasts in life and find the courage to manage one’s anxiety and fear. This card asks us to fight back with confidence and love, overcome our self-doubt and believe in oneself. The Bible verse “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” keeps coming to mind when I think of this card; when it shows up in your reading it points to having what you need inside of yourself to face down any evil like that.

::Who’s Who On This Card::

1.Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III from How To Tame Your Dragon - Despite being raised by a bunch of macho Vikings, Hiccup himself was more gentle and instead of fighting and killing a dragon, he befriended one. This card often reminds us that the best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him your friend. If we can befriend our metaphorical dragons, we’re halfway to doing what others might think impossible.

2.Buffy Summers from Buffy - Buffy might have been outwardly superhero strong, but by the series finale of the show, she also radiated inner strength which helped her inspire a new generation of slayers. She had to face many of her fears, doubts and anxieties, but she was able to lead everyone into the final battle with the bravery and confidence it took to truly own her power.

3.The Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz - When the Cowardly Lion first appears in the movie, he is only pretending to be scary but inside is filled with a lot of self-doubt and fears. Throughout the movie though, he learns to believe in himself and his love for his friends builds up that inner strength and frees him from his fear until he is given a medal from the Wizard proving his bravery. Overcoming those obstacles, like he does in the movie, in order to be able to become more confident and inwardly powerful is often denoted by this card.

4.Greta Thunberg - Greta may have started her global warming activism work when she was only a teenager, but her spirit was unshakeable when taking a stand against some of the biggest down-right villains of this world. This mastering of a situation through compassion and confidence in the truth is very much displayed in this card’s meaning.

5.Martin Luther King Jr - Martin Luther King Jr was a symbol during the Civil Rights era of nonviolent protest, the kind that stemmed from love and compassion for his fellow man and showed the strength he had in his unshakeable resolve. He was able to deal calmly with his anger. As he once said, “Only through an inner spiritual transformation do we gain the strength to fight vigorously the evils of the world in a humble and loving spirit.”

6.Moana from Moana - Even though Te Fiti appeared threatening in her lava goddess Te Ka form, Moana walked towards that danger, kindly and patiently restoring the heart of Te Fiti, until Te Kā transformed peacefully into Te Fiti. Through her own resolve and compassion, Moana demonstrated that love can transform what others may see as a terrifying monster into a more gentle soul. That gentle control over the obstacles in one’s path is what the Strength card guides us towards when it appears in a reading.