Tarot del Fuego - Strength - 11

The TdF's Strength depicts a young girl in the mouth of a sea dragon; some sort of serpentine fish. Incidentally, the Hebrew letter associated with Strength is Teth, a snake. This is representative of Kuṇdalinī, AKA the Serpent-power. It has 21 eyes like the Tarot has 21 Major Arcana beneath the Fool. We could infer that the seabeast is the Fool itself, in that it contains all of the other Principles within itself. To the left and the right of the girl are two swords, which represent the Element of Air. Air, in turn, represents thought, the mind, and the astral realm. Although she has a stump where one of her legs should be, she seems to be triumphing over the beast, or at least in harmony with it, without making use of the swords. She possesses an awakened third eye. Thus, her strength lies in knowledge (the 3rd eye), but not in the sort of knowledge that is the domain of the mind (swords). Neither does her strength lie in literal violence.

According to the Tantrik teaching on the Principles of Consciousness' journey of manifestation, the Principle corresponding to the Strength card is knowledge (vidyā). This is understood to be a limited form of Consciousness' unbounded power of Knowledge (jñāna). The kañchukas, one of which is vidyā/Strength, are conceived of as a protective shell, or armor. Consciousness' power of Knowledge, in its limited form as vidyā, protects the individual in that it gives the power to understand the phenomena which the individual encounters in the world of name and form; the sphere of Matter; of Consciousness made manifest as apparent diversity. The Tantrik tradition is more life-affirming and less fatalistic than many of its contemporaries. In that vein, it is stressed that the power of knowledge inherent to the individual is not ignorance. It is just a bite-sized portion of the Knowledge that is part and parcel of the Divine. But, as the saying goes, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." It's important to know what we don't know. There is an infinite universe to be known and what we are capable of apprehending by means of the senses, and what we are able to wrap our limited minds around is only a drop in the ocean.

The Void, which is the realm of the Fool, is pure potential without any limit and before the slightest hint of any of that potential being actualized. It is the realm of nothingness. It is literally No-thing. Thus it is Chaos. Dragons also are a symbol of chaos. The girl is at peace with it because of her knowledge; her inner vision. She knows that she and the beast are One. Her missing leg informs us that this Knowledge demands a sacrifice. From her right arm, which represents action, erupts a large flame of passion, the largest depicted in the scene. From her left arm, which represents passivity, erupts a large grape vine. It is her receptivity that yields fruit, bounty, and abundance. Outer activity without awareness of the Self, who is the Heart of anything and everything with which we might interact in the course of our activities, ultimately yields nothing but scorched earth and ash. The sphere of Earth is near, as shown by the island behind her, but she isn't there yet. The sphere of Matter is still below her on the hierarchy of Manifestation.

The Biblical Jonah, Geppetto, and Pinocchio were swallowed by a fish or a whale just like the protagonist of our TdF Strength card. The same theme is found in Hindu texts and the oral traditions of some Native American tribes. A similar theme, that of a protagonist setting out into a cavern in pursuit of a dragon and slaying it is another common theme that spans time and culture. This story is archetypal in its scale and significance. It is a story that belongs to everyone because it plays itself out in all of our lives over and over again. The dragon or fish, again, symbolizes Chaos, as does the world underground, the cavern, or the ocean floor. They also represent the so-called reptilian portion of the brain that governs the fight-or-flight response of all vertebrates. The dragon, the fish/whale, and their realms are all terrifying prospects. There is no case where the protagonist isn't afraid. This is nothing to be ashamed of. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It is doing what must be done in spite of it. Any time we must abandon the world that we know, we are descending into the domain of Chaos. But in Chaos lies unlimited potential. In this risk lies the potential for reward. Dragons are known for guarding vast stores of treasure and hoarding fair maidens. The hero who braves this trial is thus favored for worldly and reproductive success, as opposed to the person who shrinks from their fear and stagnates.

This is the person who will not pursue a job that is objectively better because it entails leaving the familiarity of a hometown whose borders they've never been outside of, or maybe even just the familiarity of a job they hate. This is the person who refuses to take a stand for something they believe in, or for their own dignity, even when backed into a corner. This is a person who is willing to accept life as a doormat. Desirable romantic partners tend to favor people with a spine. When we stand, even in the face of our fear, and we descend into the watery pits of the unknown, we at least have a chance of returning with some gift or some treasure. We've all been in the position of shrinking in the face of fear, and that of staring it down and living from a place of courage and authenticity. Like the lion, Leo, the constellation corresponding to Strength and whose renowned force and courage give us cause to regard him as a natural king. We are our potential as much as we are what we have done. So even if you have frozen, cowered, or run more times than you are proud to admit, next time maybe you don't. Next time, maybe you stand your ground and take a chance on a risk that's worth taking. Maybe that becomes the new trend. Strength is an innate part of yourself. It may take work or it may be second nature, but in either case, your will and effort can bring it forth.