Followed by a Lion

Sometimes it feels like certain symbols follow us around, nudging us to pay attention. This year, the Strength card keeps showing up in my tarot readings like a lion padding softly behind me, reminding me to lead from the heart.

The Strength card is one of the major arcana: a beautiful image of a gentle maiden, the infinity sign above her head, calmly opening the mouth of a powerful lion. It’s a reminder that true strength isn’t about brute force. It’s about courage. I always think of Brené Brown and how she explained that the French root “coeur” means heart. It’s about choosing love over fear and moving from your heart space even when life feels fierce.

This card has become a constant companion in this season of my life. As a mother, a coach, a writer… someone who’s putting her work out into the world… I’ve realized that strength isn’t just about pushing forward. It’s also about softening, allowing, and trusting the quieter power within.

Just recently, the Strength card appeared reversed in a reading, reminding me that every strength can also reveal a place to pause and reflect. Sometimes the message is to look inward, to find the courage to be gentle with myself, and to know that vulnerability is also strength.

To anyone reading this who feels that tug between fear and love: the Strength card is an invitation. It’s a reminder that you have a well of courage inside you; it’s in your heart. You can face whatever lion stands before you with compassion and grace.