Best Strength Cards

grubbaj0

Which decks have the best strength cards in your opinion? I think this is my significator so I want to pick a deck with a powerful strength card. Thanks
 

foolonajourney

I think that kind of becomes an opinion question but I'm happy to state mine:

In Tarot of the Sweet Twilight the girl in the strength card is the lion tamer. She isn't subduing it so much as hypnotizing it.

In the Linestrider Tarot the girl sits with the Lion, like they're friends or working together.

In the Russian Black Tarot the girl is becoming the lion, which is super unique.

In the Deviant Moon its a man (which is very unique all by itself) wrestling some weird sea monster thing.

In the Book of Azathoth Tarot the woman sits on top of a pile of tentacle monsters drinking like she's in no danger at all.

In the Royo Dark Tarot its a warrior Vampire Woman about to kill a man. Graphic but empowering.

Hope that helps!
 

Barleywine

There are at least two main schools of thought on this, going back a ways. In the RWS deck, the Woman is trying to force the jaws of the Lion closed, suggesting mastery of the animal nature through an exercise of will. In the TdM decks - and in the B.O.T.A tarot - you can see that the Woman is trying to open the Lion's jaws, giving expression to the more instinctual side. I personally like the second version because it implies creativity, while the former looks more like suppression. Although Leo is a fixed sign, I see it as more joyful than "buttoned-down." Modern versions kind of duck the question because they often show a Woman posed benignly with a Lion, implying that she has already reached peace with her primitive urges. How she reached that point isn't implied in most cases.

One of my favorites among the "peaceful" Strength cards is in the Anna K, and it was the main reason I finally bought the deck.
 

EmpyreanKnight

The Strength card from the Golden Tarot of Klimt, which shows his acclaimed Judith-II (Salome). In this one, the aforementioned Judith clutches the head of the lustful general Holofernes, posing with bared bosoms and a strangely sensuous, half-lidded gaze.
 

Nemia

Thoth, by a country mile.
 

Barleywine

I personally agree with the Thoth Lust card, but it has a few Thelemic byways that might baffle the neophyte.
 

RavenLuna

There are a few Strength cards that I love.
1 - The Crone from the Green Witch Tarot. I don't rate this deck very highly overall, but the mature lady with long white hair, who has gained patience and wisdom with age, walking alongside a placid lion - it just speaks to me.

2 - Tarot of the Hidden Realm. I do love this deck, but this is one of my favourite images, and I've considered buying a print of this card from Julia Jeffrey. It's an image of a young woman kneeling next to a wolf.

3 - Woodward from the Wildwood Tarot. This is a man with a lynx at his side. He clearly understands the forest and all who dwell in her.
 

CherryNukaCola

My favorite Stregnth is definitely from the Sevenfold Mystery Tarot.

Special mentions to the Bohemian Gothic, Raven's Prophecy, Nigel Jackson & Wild Green Chagallian (majors only) strengths. All extraordinary in their own way.
 

EmpyreanKnight

I also like the one from the Mary El. I like big lions.