VIII · Strength
As the birth arcanum
Born under Strength, you carry a large appetite and the work of governing it. There is heat in you — temper, desire, stamina, courage — and life teaches you, usually the slow way, that it is mastered by patience rather than by force. Animals, children and frightened people settle around you. Your gift is endurance with warmth: you can hold a difficult person or a long illness without turning cold. Your task is not to suppress the heat. Strength broken down into politeness becomes chronic resentment and, very often, a body that complains. Tame the lion; do not shoot it.
As the arcanum of the year
A year that asks for steady nerve rather than speed. Something must be handled patiently — a relationship, an illness, a fear, a person who cannot be forced. Your health and your temper are the year's real subjects. Persistence applied gently now wins what a year of pressure could not.
As the arcanum of the day
A day for patience with teeth in it. Hold your position warmly, do not raise your voice, and finish the thing that frightens you slightly. Exercise today does more for your judgement than another hour of thought.