Silverlotus
Astrological Influence - Leo
Element - Fire
Month - July, August
Contributor - Janet & Stewart Farrar
Strength is the first card of the second septenary. The scene on the card from Tarot of the Old Path in somewhat similar to the traditional RWS image, but there are many significant differences. On the RWS card, a woman dressed in a white robe and draped with flowers appears to be either opening or closing the mouth of a small lion. To me, it is a card that shows the woman's power over the lion. In the TotOP card, a naked woman rides on the back of a large lion. This card seems to be more about co-operation then about power.
There is a good deal of symbolism in this card, as there are in most of the cards. It is interesting that the woman is naked. I think that makes her look more vulnerable, as well as showing that she comes into this situation without anything beyond her own self. She has red hair, a nod to the element of this card. Above her head is the lemniscate, or sign of infinity. This, to me, points to her spiritual understanding. The sun in this card is directly above her head and the lemniscate, tieing her to the energy of the sun. In her hand, she holds a caduceus which is a symbol of the god Hermes, as well as being used in alchemy and medicine. In general, the two snakes represent the combining of powers, such as the sun and moon. The white sphere on the top of the staff represents "the Qabalistic sphere of Kether", according to the book, bringing in the energy of "ultimate spiritual essence". The sphere are the base of the caduceus is the sphere of Malkuth, representing the manifested material world. From that, I would guess the entwining powers the caduceus are representing are spiritual and material. The palm tree represents assured victory and the mountains point to higher thought.
So, where does that leave the lion? Well... the lion is the symbol of Leo, which is the astrological influence of this card. I think perhaps the lion in and of itself isn't so vital to the meaning of this card. It is the pairing of the woman and the lion that has meaning. The spiritual woman working together with the material lion. The coming together of two very different forces, which successful results. As a bit of an aside, I think the face of this lion resembles the face of the lion on the Visconti-Sforza deck, but I could be imagining it.
Element - Fire
Month - July, August
Contributor - Janet & Stewart Farrar
Strength is the first card of the second septenary. The scene on the card from Tarot of the Old Path in somewhat similar to the traditional RWS image, but there are many significant differences. On the RWS card, a woman dressed in a white robe and draped with flowers appears to be either opening or closing the mouth of a small lion. To me, it is a card that shows the woman's power over the lion. In the TotOP card, a naked woman rides on the back of a large lion. This card seems to be more about co-operation then about power.
There is a good deal of symbolism in this card, as there are in most of the cards. It is interesting that the woman is naked. I think that makes her look more vulnerable, as well as showing that she comes into this situation without anything beyond her own self. She has red hair, a nod to the element of this card. Above her head is the lemniscate, or sign of infinity. This, to me, points to her spiritual understanding. The sun in this card is directly above her head and the lemniscate, tieing her to the energy of the sun. In her hand, she holds a caduceus which is a symbol of the god Hermes, as well as being used in alchemy and medicine. In general, the two snakes represent the combining of powers, such as the sun and moon. The white sphere on the top of the staff represents "the Qabalistic sphere of Kether", according to the book, bringing in the energy of "ultimate spiritual essence". The sphere are the base of the caduceus is the sphere of Malkuth, representing the manifested material world. From that, I would guess the entwining powers the caduceus are representing are spiritual and material. The palm tree represents assured victory and the mountains point to higher thought.
So, where does that leave the lion? Well... the lion is the symbol of Leo, which is the astrological influence of this card. I think perhaps the lion in and of itself isn't so vital to the meaning of this card. It is the pairing of the woman and the lion that has meaning. The spiritual woman working together with the material lion. The coming together of two very different forces, which successful results. As a bit of an aside, I think the face of this lion resembles the face of the lion on the Visconti-Sforza deck, but I could be imagining it.