| When tracing the history of the tarot back | | | | The physical depiction of the Strength card has |
| through the ages, one can pinpoint when the first | | | | also changed quite a bit over the centuries. |
| decks appeared in Italy in the 14th century. It is | | | | Originally, the drawing showed a female warrior |
| believed that the royal court designed the cards | | | | holding, or breaking a stone column in half with |
| and gave them out to the masses as a way to | | | | one hand while a demure lion sat at attention at |
| help teach virtues and to entertain at the same | | | | her feet. Later decks showed the Strength card |
| time. One of those virtues, Strength, is the | | | | as more of a battle between the lion and the |
| eleventh or the eighth card in the major arcana, | | | | human figure, with the figure, sometimes male, |
| depending on the deck that you are using. | | | | sometimes female, beating the lion with a stick. |
| Strength is one of four virtues, although prudence | | | | Later versions simply showed a female figure |
| is missing in most tarot decks, while strength, | | | | astride a lion, taming it and controlling it. |
| temperance and justice all have managed to find | | | | And that is truly the root of the Strength card. |
| their place within the average tarot deck. | | | | The most common interpretation of the card is |
| Most folks would attribute these virtues being | | | | that it stands for control and victory over forces |
| depicted on tarot cards as direct link between the | | | | that wish to distract you, or make you impure. |
| Italian people and the ironclad grip the Roman | | | | There is a definite connection, again, to the |
| Catholic Church had on the local populations in the | | | | temperance card. By staying away from material |
| 14th century. | | | | possessions and excessive wealth, you will be |
| While most western tarot decks did become | | | | happier and on a much more pure spiritual plain. |
| Christianized over the years, the four major | | | | It has long been believed that the depiction of the |
| virtues actually go back to the teachings of | | | | lion and the female figure on the Strength card |
| ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle. | | | | represents a battle that is constantly being waged |
| It should not be any surprise that the original | | | | inside of us. |
| number of virtues were four. Four has been a | | | | The lion represents what Freud would say is your |
| powerful number throughout human history | | | | Id, or your carnal desire center. The female on |
| because of the association of four seasons in a | | | | the card would be your Super Ego or the taught |
| year, four points on a compass and so on. In later | | | | portion of the brain. |
| years, Christian influence added three more | | | | These two are constantly in battle against each |
| virtues, love, hope and faith, raising the number of | | | | other, the Id, or the lion, wants nothing but |
| basic virtues to seven, an even more powerful | | | | pleasure regardless of the moral and ethical |
| number. | | | | consequences, while the woman, or the super |
| The varying position, even to this day, of the | | | | ego, wants to be civilized, proper and respectable. |
| Strength card is not much of a surprise to tarot | | | | In most cases, when the Strength card comes up |
| scholars. Cards have always found different | | | | during a reading, it is a positive sign. It means that, |
| places in the deck, even the trump cards, | | | | in the context of your question, that you are |
| depending on what region you were visiting. Many | | | | resisting the bodily desires of your lion and living |
| decks place the three tarot virtues, Strength, | | | | out your life and accomplishing your goals in a |
| Temperance and Justice, all together in the deck, | | | | proper, respectful, and if you want, a decidedly |
| while other decks separate them. | | | | Christian, manor. The Christian influence on the |
| Decks vary from placing Strength towards the | | | | tarot can be easily seen with the Strength card. |
| back of the trump cards, with Justice at the top, | | | | When the card appears reversed however, it can |
| adding far more meaning to that card than most | | | | be assumed that you are allowing immorality and |
| decks do. Other decks have the three virtue | | | | carnal temptations distract you from the life you |
| cards together as a whole, while others have | | | | should be living, or could be living. Of course, like |
| each virtue card separated by the same number | | | | anything else within tarot, the interpretation |
| of cards, and the opposites of each virtue | | | | depends on the original question asked at the time |
| immediately following every virtue card. | | | | of your reading. |