Strength & Lust

Gentle Wildness and Sacred Rage

Welcome to this edition of Liminal Walker Musings!

I am so glad you are here! Thank you for reading and supporting my writing. And if you feel inspired, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Either way you are deeply valued and appreciated.

---

Dear ones,

If you are a new subscriber, a special WELCOME! Today we are returning to the exploration of the major arcana of the tarot. To see prior posts, they can be found in the “Tarot Journeys” section of my substack site. This post is about the Archetype of Strength. Our world sure could use a lot more of this compassionate force, a reverence for the well-being of all.

So off we go… Love to you all!

Strength/Lust

There is a lot of power in this card, not as a power over, but a power with. An inner fortitude that comes from an unpretentious confidence, a compassionate brawn. Typically, this card shows a wild lion intimately and harmoniously alongside a calm woman. The yang masculine physical energies joined with the yin feminine heart of love. A beautiful coming together of polarities in a liminal dance. Signified by the lemniscate (infinity symbol) as the ongoing joining of these two powers.

If you look closely at the cards above, you may notice the middle card differs from the others in name and numbering. Strength as the 8th card comes from RWS (Rider Waite Smith) system. Lust as the 11th card based in the Thoth system by Aleister Crowley. Both systems originated from the same tradition, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, but deviated in several ways. One such way is that RWS emphasizes a more transcendent/Christian god whereas the Thoth deck expresses a more immanent/Animism creative force. Using these focuses became the deciding factor of which card followed the tenth card, The Wheel, that of karma and destiny.

Bringing in the Thoth interpretation takes the understanding of strength to a whole new level. The word Lust comes from the word Lustre. To be in our organic radiance requires strength! Lust is a vital essence of our being, containing joy and passion. By coming home to our animal body, we naturally open to this life force. Being inspired, trusting our instincts, sensing and hearing the communications of life within and all around. Lust is our creativity, sexuality, that fiery nature that stands up for what is genuinely aligned with the heart. Lust following the karma/destiny card then becomes a means for integration of our animal nature with our other facets such as reason, intellect, love and wisdom.

Courage, Being both Gentle and Wild

Courage is the capacity to persevere when meeting challenges, fear and peril. The origin of this word comes from Latin cor, meaning heart. A clear message that strength is bravery of the heart, a conviction grounded in love! A fervent heart is not something to be tamed or controlled by the mind. For with courage comes a gentle force and wild wisdom. This is the type of strength we need to see more of in our world today. A benevolent confidence that embodies these words of Martin Luther King…

"Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."

In the shadow aspect of the Strength card, love is pushed to the side. What we see in our world today is weakness not strength. Totalitarianism as war for the sake of profit or colonization along with its resulting inhumane behaviors and conditions. When we consider the individual, outwardly it is selfish aggression. Inwardly as the inability to stand up for oneself, falling victim to the bullying voices in one’s head. What is missing is compassion and empathy.

Lemniscate / Infinity

The lemniscate symbol in the Strength card speaks to the eternality of the life cycles we journey through. An ongoing alchemy for change and growth. Strength as the ability to meet impermanence as the catalyst for transformation. Enabling us to live from our unlimited potential.

This symbol also represents balance and harmony. Both sides of the lemniscate equal, with a continual flow from one to the other. Giving and receiving is a powerful necessity of life. Strength as a skillful synergy that works for this equilibrium, the stability of opposing forces.

Sacred Rage

Unconditioned raw anger is a natural feeling and emotion. Neither right nor wrong, it’s part of our emotional spectrum as a human animal. The destructive and unhealthy anger we see in our current times is not this! Instead, it is rooted in a dominator paradigm that uses the force of anger to control and subjugate.

Anger in its most honest expression is grounded in devotion and reverence to the safety and sanctity of life. Standing up for what is right and true because that is what love does. Here the word love is not about romantic notions or a penchant for something. Instead, it is fierce. It is a passionate “NO”! “NO” to a trespassed boundary. “NO” to a violation of basic human rights.

Being with our anger feels incredibly vulnerable for it exposes what we honestly care about. To stand strong in it takes courage! Again, the heart! A bravery that uses a gentle force that can move mountains.

Strength is…

Photo by Simon Kuznetsov from Unsplash

Strength is born from the heart
not the mind.
Strength is grounded in love
not in hatred.
Strength is embracing vulnerability
not imperviousness.
Strength is being assertive
not aggressive. 
Strength reveals passion
not apathy.
Strength launches forgiveness
not retribution.
Strength spreads understanding
not intolerance.
Strength unfolds compassion
not contempt.

Questions for you:

• How does strength show up in your life? What calls for your courage?

• What do care about so deeply that you must stand up for it?

• Can you be with your gentle/calm and wild/untamed nature at the same time?

Would love to know your thoughts and feelings. Let’s have a conversation…

---

For more information about the liminal and my offerings:

Please go to: https://www.liminalwalker.com

Stay up-to-date and subscribe

All my writings are free. However, as a Paid Subscriber, you are sending me a message that you acknowledge and value my time, creativity and energy that is required to write these posts and you would like to offer me token of appreciation.

Thank you for subscribing whether for free or paid. I appreciate you as well!