Strength tarot card meaning
Arcana: major.
Upright meaning
Strength depicts courage expressed through patience, steadiness, and a respectful relationship with instinct.
Regulation is more useful than suppression: acknowledge fear or anger, then decide how to act without letting it command the response.
Keywords: courage, patience, self-command
Gentleness and firm boundaries can coexist; care should not require tolerating harm or managing another adult's emotions.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, Strength points to depleted confidence, reactive behavior, or the effort of holding too much inside.
Reduce the demand to appear fearless and rebuild capacity through support, rest, and one manageable action.
Keywords: self-doubt, reactivity, drained courage
Insecurity can produce withdrawal or control; name your limit without making the other person responsible for repairing all self-doubt.
Symbols to notice
- woman and lion
- infinity sign
- flowers
- gentle hands
Reflection prompts
- What feeling needs guidance rather than suppression?
- How could courage look calm and specific here?
- Which demand is draining your courage?
- What support would make a measured response possible?
Sources and review
Content version 2026.08.2; reviewed 2026-08-26. Source identifiers: waite-pictorial-key-1910, place-tarot-2005. See the source index.