How Does Strength "Work Against" One?

I can't help but think of the Helen Reddy song " I am woman" when I see the Strength card.
You can hear the song by typing in Helen Reddy I am woman on you tube. here are the lyrics
the part of the lyrics that really makes me think of the strength card is the line" ...yes i am wise , but it's wisdom born of pain..."
In my youth this was our mantra song, and it still is very powerful. It says a lot.

Helen Reddy-I Am Woman

Lyrics
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

Oh, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand

Oh, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong

I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman

This thread is making me smile because it's sort of illustrating the concept of Strength that can work against a person.

The question was asked in the "Using Tarot Cards", not in the context of a particular reading, so the answers are speaking of the concept of Strength, not specifically as it applies to you... and yet every answer is so variant of 'well yes that's me, but i don't think that's a problem in this case'... and it seems that's because you're seeing each possibility as a weakness, rather than strength that isn't being helpful.

In other words, you're too strong to have that 'weakness'? In terms of getting to the root of what it means for you, rejecting every possibility that might indicate that your strengths aren't helping you is...well not helpful, is it?'

Per tempers - just because you don't noisily explode doesn't mean you haven't got a temper that can work against you. 'silent but deadly' is hardly a lack of temper... and it pretty well describes that deadly lion being held back by the hand of small woman - personally, if I were facing down that lion's angry eyes with only that keeping me safe, I'd be looking for a way out of there fast. Even faster if the angry eyes were the woman's.

le fey said:

This thread is making me smile because it's sort of illustrating the concept of Strength that can work against a person.

The question was asked in the "Using Tarot Cards", not in the context of a particular reading, so the answers are speaking of the concept of Strength, not specifically as it applies to you... and yet every answer is so variant of 'well yes that's me, but i don't think that's a problem in this case'... and it seems that's because you're seeing each possibility as a weakness, rather than strength that isn't being helpful.

In other words, you're too strong to have that 'weakness'? In terms of getting to the root of what it means for you, rejecting every possibility that might indicate that your strengths aren't helping you is...well not helpful, is it?'

Per tempers - just because you don't noisily explode doesn't mean you haven't got a temper that can work against you. 'silent but deadly' is hardly a lack of temper... and it pretty well describes that deadly lion being held back by the hand of small woman - personally, if I were facing down that lion's angry eyes with only that keeping me safe, I'd be looking for a way out of there fast. Even faster if the angry eyes were the woman's.

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Hehe, yea...I'm told that my "silent" anger is worse than someone yelling, because I give a "piercing" look. Ha! I don't have any idea what people are talking about, but yes..have heard that before.

As for the rest...well, I do just wonder about Strength as to how it can work against one, but since everyone's response it personal to "well maybe you...", then I respond in kind.

I didn't realize there's strength that can't be helpful. But how about "pride"? Can Strength mean pride...which indirectly means, you're too proud to show your weakness? Maybe someone mentioned that here already...I can't remember.

GA

I have seen strength. I saw my mother take abuse and having no where to go- stay the course as they call it. She stayed b/c woman did not have much options at that time-at least not in her economic bracket. That was strength, but it was strength born of pain. She had no choices so she grew strong and wise. Strength would also have been the woman who walked off with 5 kids and worked two low paying jobs and survived somehow. It takes Strength to survive.
Which in the above case is bad use of strength? You decide.

First of all I should probably say that I've pretty much stopped using reversals, because I like to consider the entire spectrum of a card's meaning whether it's reversed or not.

But I've been reading Jung and Tarot by Sallie Nichols, and she writes about trumps I through XXI as belonging to three levels, with VIII through XIV on the middle level she calls at one point the "Realm of Equilibrium." As such, I see it as a level of ego development at which we learn balance between the heavenly and earthly realms. In that sense I see Strength as a balance between being ourselves completely -- letting it all out, saying and doing exactly what we feel or what's on our mind -- and perfect self-control and containment. Real life, I think, requires finding a balance between these extremes most of the time, possibly a different point of balance depending on the circumstance. It has a lot to do with our ability to be ourselves and be comfortable with the self we present to others, and how comfortable others are with us. In other words, perhaps it has a lot to do with our success in the roles we play in life and with our self-esteem and assertiveness.

Perhaps a reversal would have more to do with being out of balance in one or the other of those two extremes, as it applies to the situation at hand, than with either specific extreme.

Mind you, I haven't read the chapter in which Nichols explores Strength. This is my take on it, based on how she's placed the cards as archetypes in her three levels or realms.

Nevada

GoddessArtemis said:

I like what Inana said: "useless dedication". Oh, I'm guilty of this x 100. I can see this being the case for sure; however, I'm not sure how Strength is the equivalent for dedication, unless you're going for the Leo/loyalty bit?

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Yes and because Strength looks steady and stable outside, but inside it has had a hard inner work. To build courage and tame fears/visceral feelings, one needs patience and perseverance on the long run. That's were I see the dedication on this card, in keeping the emotional strenght as a pillar for solving issues.
Hope it makes sense.

I'm enjoying a lot this thread, reading very interesting things here!

Inana said:

Yes and because Strength looks steady and stable outside, but inside it has had a hard inner work. To build courage and tame fears/visceral feelings, one needs patience and perseverance on the long run. That's were I see the dedication on this card, in keeping the emotional strenght as a pillar for solving issues.
Hope it makes sense.

I'm enjoying a lot this thread, reading very interesting things here!

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This absolutely makes sense. Thank you.

GA

GoddessArtemis said:

Okay, this really helps me to understand it better. Thank you. But the truth is, when I've shown vulnerabilities, it seems to make me people look at me funny...they're not used to that side of me existing.

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That's possibly one reason their strength can work against someone: if we feel we can't be fully ourselves with others, on account of their having boxed us in a certain way, it would undermine our sense of integrity (I also see the Strength card as personal integrity). The solution might be little by little to let the vulnerabilities show at appropriate times, to get people used to them. After all, being openly comfortable with one's vulnerabilities is also a form of strength

I'm finding Strength is working against me in a relationship

This relationship is difficult to explain, especially as it's a cross-cultural one. So I won't. However, I keep drawing this card and so I know my subconcious or The Universe or both are trying to tell me something.

For me Strength's message has turned out to be something I wouldn't have welcomed had I known the meaning. For me it means a hard road to hoe. I am expected to be many things to the other person and be magnanimous and strong while they don't really give much back.

It is very trying a lot of the time as I would like to develop this relationship but I have to be the one who shoulders all the burdens and shows a tremendous amount of tolerance for the other person's ways of expressing themselves.

I find the 6 of Pentacles carries the same message for me. I do fundamentally believe that giving is reciprocated in one way or another, even if it is just by making us more of the people we should be.

However, for me the 6 of Pentacles doesn't seem to indicate two way giving. I am the person who is the benefactor, and it can be difficult in this situation to know when giving is being treated in a utilitarian way and not productive. As opposed to not receiving like treatment but the reward is spiritual or has other angles.

theres a number of ways that I can see strength working against you:

- You are in a situation where strength is required, and yet you are lacking it, and so your current strength prevents you from moving forward.

- You appear stronger than you are, for strength is relative to us and the people around us, certain disadvantageous situations occur to place you in them, not due to weakness, but because you are strong, and will be expected to show your strength and deal with things that normally are too harsh.

- You are strong, and yet, what to do with that strength? opportunities may pass by and you have not considered them because you have strived hard to reach where you are currently, you would not think of backtracking... I know other cards can deonte this, but it feels in a sense the mentality of strength can sometimes be more of a limit than a boon.

to look into this deeper, you need to find out what strength really means to you... and where you see that strength around you... for instance, I might say that strength is comprised of various elements:
-The will; a belief that you can take control and do what needs to be done
-The courage; ability to carry out your will in the face of fear and adversary
-The power; skills needed to put your intentions into practice

now you can ask yourself, not simply how strength is working against you, but how all the other elements can do so aswell, whether you lack any of them, or if one foreshadows the other.
you could even use that as a seperate spread if you wanted to...

for you it could even be the strength of others around you that is working against you, instead of your own. Strength is shown in terms of control, and so each of us has a need to control our own lives. Yet when our spheres of control overlap with others, barriers and conflicts can form, especially with those you are close to or live with for example... for two kings cannot rule one country, this card may denote that the things around you which you are used to controlling, may infact be really under the control of someone else...

thats my opinion anyway..