Pulled The Strength Tarot Card In A Reading? Here's What It Really Means

Tarot readings can help us find answers about the past, present, and even future—but only when we know how to interpret the cards. And in the case of the Strength card, it's one of 78 in a traditional tarot deck that calls for heart-centered courage.

The Strength card is the eighth card in the tarot's Major Arcana and shows a woman controlling a powerful lion—even treating him affectionately. This imagery represents inner power, overcoming weaknesses, courage, and persistence.

When you pull the Strength card, it often also carries a message about leading with your heart. According to tarot expert and author of the Magical Self-Care Tarot Deck Leah Vanderveldt, Strength is closely associated with the sign of Leo, which is a fixed fire sign.

"This card is about turning toward life with an open heart. It's a 'feel the fear and do it anyway' vibe," she tells mindbodygreen, adding, "Rather than letting fear constrict, Strength calls you to face those fears with optimism and enthusiasm."

If you're feeling uneasy or fearful, she says, this card asks you to tap into your desire for creativity and self-expression, which is stronger than your doubts. "It's about taking bold action and embracing the wild and shadowy parts of ourselves in the process," she explains.

If you pulled the Strength card upright in a reading about your love life or relationship, Vanderveldt says it's time to follow your heart. "There's an opportunity for embodied fulfillment here, but it requires tenacity from you," she says, noting that even the word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning "heart."

"Going where your heart leads feels scary and vulnerable, but your desires are on the other side of that fear. To grow a relationship, or as an individual, you have to stretch and go beyond what feels familiar," she notes.

If you pull Strength in reverse in a love or relationship reading, according to Vanderveldt, it may indicate you're hiding parts of yourself rather than allowing yourself to be seen in a romantic situation.

If you're doing a career or money reading and Strength shows up, Vanderveldt says it might be time for you to make some bold moves. The key, according to her, "is to make sure they're aligned with your integrity and passions."

If you pull Strength in reverse here, it can indicate finances or professional matters are wearing on you, making you feel unstable or challenged in some way. As Vanderveldt explains, "While there are very real social structures that make stability hard to achieve for many, this card is a call to identify the things that anchor you and help you find your way back to your core self."

If you asked the cards about a challenge you're currently facing or may face in the future, pulling Strength upright is a sign that you'll want to embrace all parts of yourself in order to get through whatever the challenge may be.

In reverse, Strength here can show a lack of self-confidence. Vanderveldt notes that confidence is gained through understanding yourself and stretching through action, "but it's hard to conjure up your vitality and take action when you're just not feeling it." It can also be a call to face your rage or frustration in a healthy container, she notes.