The Force

Card # 7- Inverted

Force / Strength

Attitude within present circumstances.
Factors affecting situation

Attempts to place one in proper perspective.

(the irony of the woman and lion in relation to current challenge is uncanny!)

 This is not a good time to get into an argument, you're far to weak. There's a need for reassurance from someone you can trust. A tyrant is abusing their powers to work against you. An over enthusiastic approach on your part may be detrimental to your wishes or reaching your goal. Your working from a position of weakness, if you wish to succeed you must take steps to rectify this. The darker, and nastier, side of you may be taking over. Giving in to temptation..
Reversed Strength keywords; Fear of failure, weakness, cowardice, sickness, impotency, belittled.

There are two main themes to this card. 

The more obvious is the strength we have, both internal and external. 

The second theme is taming the beast within.

Strength offers you the hope of contacting both your inner and outer strength. 

It asks you to find the confidence within yourself to present yourself to the world as strong, assertive, and persevering. Reversed, Strength suggests that this strength may be currently lacking. You are at your weakest right now. So, now is the time to work with that - if you have been feeling doubtful of who you are, Strength gives you the confidence to fight those doubts. Look towards the positives in order to maintain your self-confidence and self-esteem. 

Return the Chariot, which calls on you to pull together seemingly opposing forces and determine your future direction.

The other aspect to the Strength card is that it asks you to tame the wild beast that lies within. 

Inside of each of us is a passionate and instinctual side which, depending on the person, will either burst out frequently or infrequently. If you are one of those people to act impulsively or irrationally, and blurt out angry comments or negative things to others, the Strength card calls on you to try to tame yourself. The woman in this card is calmly subduing the lion by offering peace, love, and warmth. You may need to do the same to prevent yourself from leaping out at others and saying some things you might later regret. 

 Be aware of your own personal strength. Is it lacking and what are you afraid of? Or are you letting the beast inside come out and attack those around you? Do others find you intimidating because of the power and confidence you exude? Maintain a balance between the very strong and the very weak.

In relationship readings, the reversed Strength card may indicate that you are doubting yourself and are feeling as if you are not 'good enough' for the relationship. You may not be feeling completely secure in the relationship and are often questioning whether your partner really has strong feelings for you or not. This may lead you to be someone other than your true self, someone who is worried, anxious or overly protective about the relationship. 

When Strength appears in reverse it does not indicate that you are not strong; on the contrary, it indicates typically that there is more strength in you and in your immediate situation than you are likely to be seeing at this time. If you’re having trouble “feeling” where the strong points are at the moment, get with a trusted and honest friend and make a list.

Strength in reverse is an important indicator that you have a lot to be grateful for and that you should make a point in the very near future to count your blessings. Yes, everyone wishes for more than they have - more health, more friends, more money, more… whatever. Appreciating what you currently have in hand is key to opening ourselves up for more.

Work: Before you can expect the people you work with to be crystal clear on what your talents and skills are, it’s obvious that YOU must be clear first. What are you best at? What gets you moving? These should give you some insights into where your strengths lie. Once you are clear, this is a good time to make sure that those in a position to hire you (or to keep you employed, or to give you a raise) are aware of them as well. Take things one step at a time, you are already doing well when this card appears, there is no need to push too far too fast.

Love: The reversed meaning of the Strength card in the context of love and romance is basically the same as its upright meaning. In general, love should be going very well - if you're committed, this is very likely to be a strong relationship that is mutually supportive and beneficial. If you're looking for someone, this is a much better-than-average time to meet people. You should be in a self-confident phase, so get out and mingle. You might be very pleasantly surprised by how things work out. The only caveat with the reversal is that you should be a little careful as to make sure you’re not over-estimating the strength of a love relationship; e.g. don’t push the boundaries too hard or you could end up unpleasantly surprised.

Finances: In general money should be flowing well for you now, even with the card appearing in reversal; still, don’t push the boundaries too far. Don’t assume that current prosperity well necessarily continue forever. This is not a great time to gamble much, or to borrow to finance anything other than literal needs.

Health: You are likely to be feeling pretty good when this card appears, even in reversal. This is a great time to correct bad habits if you need to do so in order to protect your health; the caution is not to try to do so too quickly or too forcefully. Slow and steady wins the race. Starting with small goals like a daily short, vigorous workout could very well lead you to where you want to be. You don’t have to necessarily force yourself to stop bad habit such as smoking cold turkey; this tactic is likely to backfire.

Spirituality: The reversed Strength card does not mean that you are weak or weak spiritually; on the contrary, it is a reminder that you have strength within you that likely goes far beyond what you would tend to imagine. If you have difficulty seeing and sensing that about yourself and your life, spend some time in nature. Find a natural thing that you find awe-inspiring, whether that’s a beautiful vista, a waterfall, or an old tree. Then remember that the strength and beauty in that scene or object is an integral part of who and what you are as well. Keep getting in touch with your strength.