Last night I wrote out the entire entry for Strength, but I felt there was something missing from what I had written. This morning I had a dream which will help elucidate the real message behind the card.
In the dream I was creating a piece of artwork, which frankly was a little bit of a mess... certainly not my best piece, even though it was destined for a showing or an examination of some kind. I was also having trouble filling out the shipping details, as I had to write around what someone else had written. The ticket was also addressed to either a Newman or Neoman, it was hard to read the writing. This type of situation is something I have had trouble with before, producing a sub-par piece of work when it really matters.
Looking at the dream allowed me to realise, like my previous attempt at an entry here, that I was not connecting with the matter at hand. I was phoning it in. It may have been to do with the late hour, or the fact that I didn't want to come across as self-aggrandizing when discussing Strength as it relates to my own life. I have been through a great deal of situations that have required a monumental amount of inner strength and discussing my own strengths, is, paradoxically not one of my strengths.
I am surrounded in my life by strong people, people who have taken adversity and turned it upside down (my wife Zoe being a good example of this). Looking at many of these friends of mine, you might not see Herculean muscles or battle scarred faces, but those are not the real indicators of strength. What these people possess is a humility and a quiet dignity, they don't crow their accomplishments, nor do they rub their achievements in peoples faces. They go about their lives simply, standing up to injustice in whatever form they might meet it. They may not come out of such encounters like the mythical hero without a scratch, but the fact that they take on their problems is the real strength.
There is a reason that you do not see a picture of a hugely muscled warrior bashing in the head of the lion with a club on this card and that is because that is not the strength that this card is talking about. Hercules is often seen as the archetypal solar hero, possessed of great strength and a huge heart. I always loved watching his show when it was on TV, it was so tongue in cheek, yet it managed to capture the core of what his strength was really about. He didn't go about picking fights with hapless individuals, he walked across the land helping those in need. His heart was his real strength, his courage and his compassion for the common man. His great physical strength was simply a tool for his head and his heart, under their loving guidance. Without his heart, he would have been no better than the monsters he vanquished, a bully and a villain. I often felt Iolaus, his companion, often showed just as much strength and courage. Like Sam Gamgee from Lord of the Rings, he played second fiddle to the hero. But these secondary characters were often much more heroic in my opinion, they didn't possess the mythic strength of the main character yet they unfailingly stood beside them and carried them when they fell. Both of these characters showed that real strength stems from the heart and not from any divine gift, or sacred duty.
In the card the woman gently closes the mouth of the ferocious lion, her compassion and gentleness moving him where brute strength would fail. She is a metaphor for the higher part of us, the heart and the mind which appear outwardly weak. The lion represents the emotions and the body in all its physicality, our powerful animal drives and needs. Strong without, but ultimately without inner strength. Together they form a powerful union. This union can only be achieved through kindness and compassion, our desires cannot be overmastered nor subdued (or if they are it is only a temporary victory).
In the twelve labours of Hercules, he was given the task of cleaning out the Augean Stables. These stables were the home of 1000 head of cattle and it had not been cleaned out in 30 years. The task was meant to be humiliating and impossible, even for one with divine strength. Instead, Hercules rerouted one of the rivers so that it ran through the stables, both cleaning them out and fertilising all the farmland around the stables. In this instance, Hercules used his mind to achieve what brute force alone would never have been able to accomplish.
In the Crowley version of the card, it is named Lust and has a very slightly different meaning, although one I feel it is important to mention. It doesn't relate to the vice of lust, but in doing something lustily, with great vigour and desire. It relates to heartily connecting to your goal, so that with your heart and feelings behind it, the outcome is inevitable. It is a key to magickal workings, as without the power of the heart, they are simply empty rituals. Astrologically this card relates to Leo and the heart. In the Kabbalah it corresponds to the pathway between Geburah and Gedullah (mercy and severity). It indicates that strength is the balance between merciful giving and correctly applied severity. Aptly named compassion.
Compassion is not simply mindless giving. It involves an intelligent and heartfelt understanding of what is actually necessary for an individual to move forward. Sometimes this involves giving, at other times this can involve withholding. The key being the correct application of the right action at the precise moment. It means treating the lion with care, but not allowing it to chomp on your hand.
This card is a powerful key. If one can apply lust, heart, compassion and bravery to ones actions then they combine to form Strength. They create the conditions for success, which are indicated by the garland of roses and the laurel wreath worn by the figure in the card. Her white robes indicates her purity and true intention of heart.
Strength is actually a pretty rare commodity. It requires mental fortitude and a keen understanding of self. In order to build strength in ourselves first we must understand the force that is controlling us, be it an addiction, a compulsion, a desire or a habit. Letting this force run around roaring is not strength and actually shows a lack of control and a weakness of character. Seeing our weakness is a big part of strength. It takes great strength of character to admit a weakness, especially a true weakness, not one we find is socially acceptable or that will make us appear strong by its admission. Usually these weaknesses are ugly and we don't want to face them, let alone show them to someone else and say..hey..this is part of me.
If we can accept that this weakness is a part of us, then we have made that first step towards true strength as only with recognition can any true healing begin. Being aware of our weaknesses allows us to build on them, or understand that we are not perfect. The greatest examples of strength in overcoming adversity have begun with a recognition of an obstacle to surmount. This is the very first step.
The next step is bravery, the strength to face it regardless of its seeming overwhelming power, to not run or hide. This is really only common sense. Hiding from a problem does not solve it and in many cases may only prolong the suffering.
Finally we must remember compassion. We must show compassion to ourselves, to that part of us that wants to fight or run, or scream and destroy. The part that is weak and needy. We must understand that this part has a message for us and its real aim is to ally with us. Every desire has a reason for its existence and by understanding what is at the root we can free ourselves of it and add its power to our own. The card is showing us that only by recognising a weakness can we make it a strength. Both the female figure and the lion have a strength and a weakness, but together each one's strength more than makes up for their individual weaknesses.
In my own life I have been able to apply this. I recently decided that a job I had applied for was not for me. I had been treated poorly and not given the respect I was due as a human being. My first reaction was to respond like a wounded lion, either wanting to get away from the pain or to attack the source of my anger. I was able to soothe that part of myself by waiting and listening compassionately to how I felt in the situation. Once the animalistic part of me was done roaring and felt heard and listened to, I was able to use my mind to consider how to move forward. Rather than coming from a place of feeling, I was able to clearly point out all the areas in which I had been mistreated in a measured response. I wrote back to the employer and clearly stated all the actions that were out of alignment and were unacceptable, without the emotional energy. These points included not responding to emails, not calling me when there was work and calling at 5am without any prior notice. I also stated I would not be returning and that he should treat new employees better.
His response was that he was sorry I felt that way, which at first glance seems reasonable. But upon closer inspection I understood that I had not been talking subjectively and had simply stated facts. His email stood as a denial of my stated facts and as a protective measure for his own ego. As I did not write from an emotional space, it became clearly evident he could not accept his own actions and wanted to make it about my emotions. This would have worked wonderfully if there was a part of me questioning myself about responding when I was annoyed, but since I had left it several days and included no subjective elements I could clearly see his maneuvering. I felt no need to correct him, as it is obvious his ego would never allow him to recognise any wrongdoing on his behalf. This is a common tactic for bullies or the emotionally weak, who would rather cast doubt on your actions than examine their own. I am glad to have stood up and confronted such behaviour and I feel it is reflective of a new type of strength for me.
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