DruidCraft Study Group - Strength

[inanna_tarot]

Hi folks This is my daily draw today, and as there arent many study group threads at the moment I thought I would start a thread and explore this very interesting lady.

When I came across this card I thought of a part of Druid ritual. Before we start calling the quarters or even casting the circle we call for peace. The look in her eyes is similiar to the look in the eyes of those who call for peace in the quarters and throughout the whole world, for without peace no work can be done. Its the calling for peace within the circle, for peace with the land and the individual so we can be fully here in the ritual and the experiences it will bring us.

Looking at the card, the woman has a sword near by, but it lies behind her on the floor. She realises the importance of working with power and peace rather than violent. She has a very different edge to the Sacred Circle Strength card who holds a sword and is basically asking for a fight.
One of her eyes almost seems covered in the shadow. I have to do a quick check that she isnt wearing a patch lol. I feel this her or the faeries saying how she has the Strength to look at this world, and into the OtherRealms without going mad. She will walk 'between the worlds' and yet not be lost. It takes courage to be in both worlds but never really part of either. It can be a lonely road sometimes, but we all have a path to walk.

She wears a red cloak, showing that she is wrapped in the life force, or Nwyfre. Nwyfre is a very different power to that of the Awen or inspiration, and so a different stance is needed before working with it effectively.
The boar is a symbol of Nwyfre, the wild energy, the instinct and the power of all beasts and nature. As humans though we cant act like this alone. We need to control and work with Nwyfre and not run by it. The look in the boars eyes to me is asking a question, are you brave enough? Are you ready? Following the boar will take you into the OtherWorld to find your own animal-self. Its easy to say yes! To run after her and go into the depths of the darkest woods, however she trusts that you also have the courage to say NO! No i'm not ready yet, I will be lost if I go yet. There is compassion in that the boar will keep asking until you are ready to start the journey with raw energy.

Well thats my ramble
Sezo
x

 

[WalesWoman]

Wish I could remember where I was the other day that had some good information about boars and the esteem they were held in and reasons for it. I know the boar was a sign of strength, courage and daring, for they are dangerous and unpredictable. Their hair is rough and bristly, sort of symbolic for their short tempered and easily angered quality... ironic that this would be the very thing to smooth our own wild hair... since brushes used to be made from theirs.

This card is different from the tradional struggle seen in RWS, in that the boar is rubbing the back of her legs, much like a dog or cat would do.

The woman almost looks defiant, like yeah, this is my boar, whatcha going to do about it? But what is really different is the way she holds her mantle away from her breast, baring it...the stuff to tame this wild dangerous beast comes from the gentleness of the heart.

The mantle is red and ragged on the side that is blowing around, in contrast with the left side of her, so I'm thinking that the right side, the rational, action, logic, the will is where the conflict lies, that the heart side is calm and still.

The double spiral armlet, is sort of like the magician, as above, so below, that ancient symbol of infinity... how one thing leads to another and becomes something else. I am not explaining this well at all.

Something else in this card is they are in a valley, no matter which way they go, it can only lead up. Unless they stay in the valley.

Anyway, it is the Beauty and the Beast, could be reflective of our inner boars and boarish behavior as well as many marriages.

 

[inanna_tarot]

wow! Fabulous thoughts WW! I hadnt noticed she reflects the duality of her spirit with her cloths etc. Now that you mention it it reminds me of the Amazon women, who supposedly cut off one of their breasts so they could draw their arrows as quick as any man.

The way she touches the boar, and the way he touches her suggests that real strength comes from tenderness. She was patient to get this relationship with the boar, rather than just expecting it or killing the boar instantly.

The double spiral armlet, is sort of like the magician, as above, so below, that ancient symbol of infinity... how one thing leads to another and becomes something else. I am not explaining this well at all

I think you did explain it well Well I think I get what you mean anyways lol.

Anyway, it is the Beauty and the Beast, could be reflective of our inner boars and boarish behavior as well as many marriages.

Very true hehe.

Its like when we have an addiction it can rule us, but its not until we realise that and become friendly with it, understand it and its ways that we can control it. Our addictions become our best friends because it reflects something very personal about ourselves I feel. We need the strength to get as far as making friends with it, and then the constant strength to keep it as part of us and integrate it within our being. Otherwise it becomes seperate and rules us again.
Well thats how I feel, from my understanding of addictions and how I cope with them.

I really like this lady, I want to be like her when I grow up
Sezo
x

 

[Free Flight]

I love this card. There is no violence here like a lot of the strength cards. And as both of you have mentioned, it shows that real strength comes from tenderness.

The boar reminds me of a beloved pet dog which is rubbing itself around her legs, waiting for a pat. The woman is placating this desire from the boar and rubbing his neck exactly how one would pet a dog.

Her sword is on the grass a sign that it was not needed in taming this beast. Her kindness and her spirit were what lead to this.

She looks tough, he face I find almost arrogant & haughty...and she reminds me of the Queen wands.

 

[WalesWoman]

Its like when we have an addiction it can rule us, but its not until we realise that and become friendly with it, understand it and its ways that we can control it. Our addictions become our best friends because it reflects something very personal about ourselves I feel. We need the strength to get as far as making friends with it, and then the constant strength to keep it as part of us and integrate it within our being. Otherwise it becomes seperate and rules us again.
Well thats how I feel, from my understanding of addictions and how I cope with them.

What a concept, I mean it's something I've heard... to change things about yourself, you have to love all the parts of you, embrace it all. I'd never really thought of it like that in this instance... guess it just struck me as a helpful way to quit smoking... it's a struggle and I need to figure out how to make this concept work for me. What a great way of looking at this!

I really like this lady, I want to be like her when I grow up
x

Me Too!

 

[WolfSpirit]

What is most striking to me in this card is that she is not looking at the boar at all, she seems to be looking at someone or something else that she has is challenging.
The boar is no longer a challenge for her but has become an ally, she seems to trust him blindly and the boar, on his turn, is ready to be stroked by her.

Nothing else to say you guys covered it all

 

[FaerieStorm]

To be perfectly frank, this is my least favorite image in the deck. I love the Druidcraft as much as any other deck, but this card doesn't do anything for me. I realize that there aren't lions in England, but the wild boar is ugly, and I don't care for the look of the woman...but the image definitely gives off the feeling of strength: in character, and in heart.

 

[CelticGirl]

Everyone here had some wonderful impressions of the Strength card and pretty much covered everything! One thing I am really enjoying about these study groups is reading everyone elses posts. Some of the things you guys noticed I would have never thought of, like the fact that she is in a valley and the only way out is up. I don't think I would have noticed that, and I really like that!

 

[Mi-Shell]

Gypsy charm: Boat's tooth

Hi there!
The pat of my gypsy blood line dares to add that a boar's tooth - often mounted and maybe even with a piece of Jasper added is an important Talisman / luck charm and is / was often the addornment of the marten fur /puzzi bag of a man /male family leader..... The Magician has what I suspect such an Emblem a tooth of a "Keiler" It can not be a Bear's tooth, not with that curvature, believe me I have bear's teeth here,we have a bear living on our propperty....
Mi -Shell

 

[caridwen]

I had a great experience with this card a few weeks ago. I did a reading on something and I questioned the advice I was given. In my mind as I shuffled for a clarifier, I was thinking, why would I do that? The Strength card was my answer. I lay her down and she seemed to bang her chest above her heart and say "Trust me." I swear she met my eye and banged her chest. I've never experienced this with a card before and so I took her at her word and followed the advice I did not want to follow knowing it was the right thing to do.