World Spirit Study group - The Strength (8)

Flavio

World Spirit Study group - The Strenght (8)

This is one of my favorite cards from this deck! the Lion symbols instincts and passions and the Girl everyone of us, they almost seem to be in love!.

Their relationship a symbiotic one, the Lion protects her and she fondles him, together they seem to be enjoying themselves a lot, happy an safe, knowing they together are a strong team.

We learn to control our instincts and passions, this control do not mean repress them but use the right amount, as there are moments in life when we must follow our instincts, the things are not black or white but a mix of them just like the eclipse in the background.

The snake, symbol of the lower desires burns in hate after realised she has been defeated and lights the three on fire, but this fire is nothing when compared with the eciplse as a manifestation of the universe forces.
 

Sulis

I love this card too Flavio, it's one of my favorites in the deck and I think it's my favorite Strength card from any of the decks I own :)
The colours are gorgeous; the lilac sky, the lime green countryside, the golden lion, the coffee coloured woman who looks so regal, the pink snake.

The tree in the background is burning but as the book says is not consumed. It has the inner strength (maybe coming from the feminine, kundalini energy of the serpent wrapped around it) to resist the destructive power of the flames.
The lion represents our 'beast within' and this lady hasn't only tamed it, she loves it and it loves her.

I see this as a card of accepting and of loving ourselves and of gaining great strength from that - 'It's only when we can truly love ourselves that we can begin to love others' is a saying that comes to mind when I see this card.

This is the first card where we see the little mouse in a bubble. The decks creators hint that it represents ' the quiet voice reminding you that great strength can be found in small things'.

Does anyone know why the sun is eclipsed?

Love

Sulis xx
 

Seed Crystal

Strength is often my favorite card in any deck...

I love the comfort and confidence both the lion and the woman have in this card; notice they seem friendly equals here, rather the the lion being dominated by or just serving the woman? And I like the luminious mouse, also an equal in the party even if small. This strength is not afraid of others, maybe is partly strong because of unity with others, or ability to look at others calmly, as the woman does, without seeking to control or change them. That these characters would protect each other if needed, I do not doubt; but they all seem quite capable in themselves, don't they?

I am not much into lower-higher hierarchies, and don't think earthy = base in any moral sense (maybe base as in foundation). I see the lion maybe as representing the subconscious more than passions here, and the mouse he is looking at as spirit; the woman looking directly at us as maybe the conscious mind and soul. This would be another successful flip for World Spirit of some traditional images.

The snake is coiled around a burning bush, from which in Hebrew mythology the voice of God would come; I do not see the snake here as representing evil; maybe as the desire for knowledge of good and evil (which as a pagan I don't think is a bad thing).

The sun eclipsed: conscious and unconscious in unity, inner and outer in harmony; a pregnant and potent moment. Uhm this may seem odd to you but in my mythology both the sun and the moon are goddesses, so I don't see it particularly as masculine feminine balance - but I would expect that would speak to some people.

Note the symbol on the young Egyptian maiden's arm? anyone want to research it?
 

RedMaple

The Lady with the Lion is my favorite card in so many decks, and I love this variation. It must be a Beauty and the Beast thing :)

Maybe the sun is eclipsed because that was always seen as a particularly potent moment. Also, the moon, though small, can blot out the light of the sun. This may relate to the idea of what is strong -- is it merely physiccal strength?

The mouse in this card reminded me of the fable of the lion and the mouse. The lion falls into a trap and is unable to get out because there is a net. The little mouse is the one who is able, and fearless enough, to chomp through the rope and set the lion free. So the lion always sees the mouse as friend.

So for me this card is also going to be about "where does real strength lie?" It is sometimes not in the direction we would normally expect.

The sign on her arm is Leo, so she is the lion, as well. I've always suspected that...:)
 

Ophelea

I love this card:) Heck, I love the whole deck!

Yes, I think the tatoo on her arm is the glyph for Leo, too. In my books and in my internet wanderings, I've seen Strength associated with Leo more than once...

The zodiac sign Leo (fixed fire) is ruled by the Sun. Which is interesting when we see here the Sun (positive/masculine) eclipsed by the Moon (negative/feminine) Symbolising masculine held sway by feminine, if only for a few moments? The woman's hand cupping the lion's chin suggests the same... It appears the lion accepts her touch willingly... And she, his, for that matter. There is alot of trust here! And that tree burning, but not consumed by fire... Maybe I should look at this as perfect balance, rather than the feminine dominating?

I like the observation that the woman and the lion are one in the same...Could very well be.

The way I heard the story of the lion and the mouse goes like this: the lion (king of the beasts) had a thorn in his paw that he could not pull out himself, nor could any of his other powerful animal friends. It was very painful and he suffered 'til a tiny frightened mouse offered to remove it for him. The lion was half amused/half scornful, but allowed the mouse a try. And when the mouse was able to remove the thorn, they became great friends.

I still cannot wrap my mind around what the sideways figure 8 symbol brings to this card. Is it eternity, or unity - or both? I am new to Tarot study and not so familiar with this symbol.

O.
 

RedMaple

Ophelea said:
I love this card:) Heck, I love the whole deck!

The way I heard the story of the lion and the mouse goes like this: the lion (king of the beasts) had a thorn in his paw that he could not pull out himself, nor could any of his other powerful animal friends. It was very painful and he suffered 'til a tiny frightened mouse offered to remove it for him. The lion was half amused/half scornful, but allowed the mouse a try. And when the mouse was able to remove the thorn, they became great friends.

I still cannot wrap my mind around what the sideways figure 8 symbol brings to this card. Is it eternity, or unity - or both? I am new to Tarot study and not so familiar with this symbol.

O.

Yes, now that you mention it, I've heard that lion/mouse story, too. I'd forgotten it. Thanks.

The sideways 8 is called a lemniscate, and is a symbol for eternity.
I like that it is in the landscape. What it says to me is that we are in the mythos, outside of regular time here. It emphasizes the special power of the Major Arcana as archetypal. In a reading, however, it might appear to me in a special way. For example, just now as I'm looking at the cards, the lemniscate appears to be a pair of eyeglasses, which I think is really funny, since it emphasizes that I am examining the cards, Looking at them closely.

That is why the images are so powerful. They are not just one thing, but resonate with meanings, and with your own experiences, so your intuition can find the meaning for a particular reading. I hope that helps. :)
 

Ophelea

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I hope that helps.
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It does, thanks:)
 

Seed Crystal

RedMaple said:
... lemniscate, and is a symbol for eternity.
I like that it is in the landscape. What it says to me is that we are in the mythos, outside of regular time here. It emphasizes the special power of the Major Arcana as archetypal. In a reading, however, it might appear to me in a special way. For example, just now as I'm looking at the cards, the lemniscate appears to be a pair of eyeglasses, which I think is really funny, since it emphasizes that I am examining the cards, Looking at them closely. ...

This particular lemniscate also looks like a pair of eyeglasses to me; I see it as a kind of visual pun suggesting even aided strength is real and effective...

Links on lemniscate symbol:
http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefsinfinity.htm
http://raath.org/lemniscate.php
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Lemniscate.html

And somewhat on a tangeant, mobius strips:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20000708/mathtrek.asp
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20000902/mathtrek.asp
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae401.cfm

And if your mind is feeling particularly energetic and limber
http://www.physlink.com/News/110503NOVAStringTheory.cfm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/
 

Flavio

Now this thread is exploring the lemniscate, I found Tarot characters crowned with the lemnicate (Magician and the Lady in the RWS) very fascinating! it seems to me they are angel-like entities, no wings but "double circle" above their heads, the potential of those beigns seems to me like something beyond the imagination.
 

RedMaple

Dear Seed Crystal,

Thanks for the links. I'm currently reading The Elegant Universe --so the string theory link was synchronistic.

Red Maple