Strength
Strength is one of two Major Arcana cards whose number changes depending on the tradition — VIII in the Rider-Waite version, XI in the Marseille Tarot. It represents the mastery of brute force through calm courage, not violence.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
Historical fact
In the traditional Marseille Tarot, Strength is card number XI, and Justice is number VIII. Arthur Edward Waite reversed that numbering in his 1909 version — Strength became VIII and Justice became XI — to align the sequence with the astrological correspondences used by the Golden Dawn. This is a real, documented swap, not a printing error. In Aleister Crowley's Thoth deck, the card was renamed 'Lust'.
Interpretation — Rider-Waite-Smith / Golden Dawn
In the 1909 version, a woman gently closes a lion's jaws with her hands, an infinity symbol above her head. It represents calm courage, compassion, and the capacity to master instincts and impulses — one's own or another's — through gentle firmness rather than brute force.
Interpretation — Thoth (Aleister Crowley)
In the Thoth deck, the card is called 'Lust' and shows a woman riding a seven-headed beast, raising a cup. It represents primal life force, the ecstatic union of opposites, and a fierce joy that doesn't deny instinct but expresses it in fullness.
This section presents one tradition's interpretation, not a verifiable fact.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Strength card VIII or XI of the Tarot?
- It depends on the tradition. In the Marseille Tarot, Strength is XI and Justice is VIII. Arthur Edward Waite swapped that order in 1909 to align the cards with the Golden Dawn's astrological correspondences, making Strength VIII and Justice XI.
- Why is Strength called 'Lust' in the Thoth deck?
- Aleister Crowley renamed several cards in the Thoth deck to reflect his own magical philosophy. 'Lust' emphasizes life force and desire as creative, sacred energy, not something to be repressed.
Sources
- Michael Dummett. The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980).
- Arthur Edward Waite. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910).
- Aleister Crowley. The Book of Thoth (1944).
- Stuart R. Kaplan. The Encyclopedia of Tarot (1978).