STRENGTH

Classically, Strength was the eighth card in the Major Arcana. In the early 20th century, Aleister Crowley posited all sorts of astrological reasons why it should be the eleventh card instead, switching places with Justice. I have often looked back and forth trying to decide which way makes more sense, but unfortunately I'm cursed with enough perspective and imagination to end up with the expert opinion that both interpretations are 100% correct. If you need a more rational, cut-and-dried answer than that, well the Tarot is really going to make your head hurt.

Wherever it ends up, the Strength card is all about taming your wilder instincts. Traditionally a maiden is shown peacefully lording it over a lion, but for our purposes I've decided to hilight the bravery of Adam Warwick, a biologist who saved a black bear from drowning this month. The bear had been hit with a tranquilizer dart, but then it made a sudden break for the nearby shore, not realizing that it was moments from slipping into unconsciousness. Warwick's immediate professional response was to attempt something no common bystander would dare -- he followed it into the water and eased the sleepy bear back to land. These photos and video delighted and awed people all over the world; they tap into an ancient fascination that humans have with dangerous beasts made temporarily humble and harmless.

This card introduces a level of maturity and grace that we attain naturally as we evolve. Suddenly we notice that we have a great deal of control over urges and actions than we ever thought possible; as the master of our own domain, we suddenly have a great deal of power over how much pleasure we feel and how much pain we can tolerate. As we privately discover this threshold, we toy with our new abilities and explore ourselves and each other as if for the first time -- it's no wonder that Crowley renamed the card "Lust." While the experience is universal, some people go through this phase earlier or later than others-- when did you? Perhaps that can be how you decide whether this card ought to be numbered eight or eleven! [Via]