Bohemian Gothic - Strength

Dancing Bear

This card was the instigator of me buying the Bohemian gothic in the first place..Absolute favourite.. I havent read the book on this one yet! so below is just a few thoughts..

I see in this card two characters that either one or both could turn nasty at any moment, they both have equal strength.. the chain i feel it represents the restraint needed with ones own strength, Like you have the strength to get through things but dont over do it, dont force the situation..or upon another.. I see the lion mounted upon the wall as to how the situation could end up if not careful..
as we all know when forcing ones views, opinion or making someone do what they dont like , gets a reaction that is not very nice.. Or we take over a situation that really didnt need it, or trying to take control of everthing and everyone in a obssessive way..

I feel these two, the Demon and the Lion have come to an amicable agreement, a truce,a mutual respect but the chains are a reminder to either one of them what will happen if they try anything, as the trust is yet to be concreted...

she says to me ... I dare you!! try controlling and manupulating me, give it a go try putting those chains on me..

He I believe is watching too, but as most animals dont need their eyes to see.. they sense. he too challenges, but in a subtler way, I wouldnt want to be his handler..

A scenario I would quickly back away from, hoping i wasnt spotted..
 

HearthCricket

faunabay said:
Now I didn't see this at all. I even looked with a magnifying glass. Where do you see it going around his neck?

Under his mane, you can see the circlets of the chain coming from two directions and interlocking before coming down as a lead. :)
 

faunabay

HearthCricket said:
Under his mane, you can see the circlets of the chain coming from two directions and interlocking before coming down as a lead. :)

hmmm.... I need to look again. Maybe on the website, because in my card I can't see it.
 

6 Haunted Days

Perhaps she is a vampyre and is drawing her strength and power from his energy...draining him of is lifeforce, and so he looks calm, sedated and a bit dazed. Just a thought as she looks very energized and glowing with intent.
 

firefrost

faunabay said:
hmmm.... I need to look again. Maybe on the website, because in my card I can't see it.

I didn't think I could, faunabay, but look at the left (the Lion's left) of its mouth and go down a bit.
 

sharpchick

I didn't see the woman as pouty at all. I saw her resting, secure in the lion's strength - almost as if she is taking strength from him. It seems more of a symbiotic relationship to me.
 

Grizabella

Yeah, I'm with sharpchick. I don't see her glaring. She looks like she's sleeping to me on the card, but I have the tarot bag and it looks like she's actually looking out at us on the bag, so I guess you could all be right that she's glaring. Hmmm.
 

avalonian

The Strength card is also the card that made me buy this deck. At first I thought the woman's eyes were closed, which made her appear content and relaxed, then I noticed on the cover of the book that her eyes are open.

I now find that sometimes her eyes appear closed and sometimes open, and when her eyes are open she seems almost protective of the lion, like she's warning you to stay away.
 

Thirteen

faunabay said:
Now I didn't see this at all. I even looked with a magnifying glass. Where do you see it going around his neck? ?????
It could be going around his neck hidden under the mane, but I'd like to suggest an alternative to the lion holding the Demon's chain or the demon holding the lion's chain.

I'd like to suggest that the two are chained to each other. We can't see either one's neck. It's possible that chain is around both their necks.

I'd also like to suggest that the fumes are really spirits, or a warning that something supernatural is coming. Mist and smoke and such is often a signal of unnatural things. The Demon, to me, seems to be gazing out at what may be coming with that mist wary and on guard, ready to attack if something otherworldly comes near.

I think the suggestion of this Strength card is that when you are dealing with other worldly things you need to chain not only the beast in you, but the demon in you. And yes, I agree that it is the beast who can tame the demon, as what is demonic in us is what is human, not animal. The lion keeps the demon from being lured away into that mist; it keeps that dark side of our nature in check.
 

HoneyBea

I think this card does definitely show us here a duality that exists within one and the need to reconcile them. The Lion may well signify the shadow side and the masculine, and perhaps the woman the more dark feminine side, you know perhaps using those qualities in an underhanded way to get what you want, while the Lion is more straight forward, in showing those animal instincts that exist, those baser ones that lay just beneath the surface. These two elements are tied together as one and can at times be conflicting forces.

Perhaps the demon woman in this card is showing us that she can control those animal instincts but is not past using her "womanly wiles" to get her way.

This is a card I think that asks one to consider the way they may well be behaving and if they are using their strength of will power to only meet their own needs.

Having said all that, I do think this card is a captivating image. :)

~HoneyBea~