
The Strength Year
Every calendar year is ruled by a tarot card, and 2024 is the year of Strength.
How to calculate the card of the year? Witch math.
(As much as I hate to admit it, I guess math can be mystical too. Ugh.)
Add the numbers of the year to get a figure below 22, like this:
2024 ➡️ 2+0+2+4 = 8
Eight is the number that rules the Strength card.
Symbolism
In the Rider-Waite tarot (a deck that many beginners learn with), the Strength card depicts a lion—open-mouthed, tongue lolling, possibly feral—being stroked by a serene figure dressed in white. The figure wears a garland around their waist and a flower crown that scholars (read: me) believe is from the post Grecian, pre-Coachella era. Above the crown floats an 8 turned sideways, the symbol of infinity.

So what are we to surmise from this scene?
Before you keep reading, take a minute to sense into your own observations (intuition first my knowledge-lusty witches!)
The lion represents our wild, courageous, passionate self. The one that makes spontaneous decisions, throws tantrums, falls head first into love, and takes a chance we never thought we'd be brave enough to pursue.
The figure in white represents our tempered, level-headed self. The one that takes a breath before acting, knows how to self sooth, and seeks out the tenderness in all living beings.
The garland and crown are signatures of our personal nature and the connection we have to the natural world. They’re reminders that our existence is inherent in nature’s design.
The infinite loop above the figure's head shows us there is no separation of selves. No versions that needs to be cordoned or suppressed. All parts of us exist on a continuum that flow through the full spectrum of human emotions (You know, if we can allow ourselves to feel them. Feelings? What are feelings?! *wheezes*)
The Lion and The Lion Tamer

At its most basic, Strength calls to mind the archetype of the lion and the lion tamer, but it also invites us to play with duality and wholeness—to understand how different states of being can act as mirrors for one another. How sometimes, when we’re not able to brave what we see in the reflection, we project the very opposite of what we’re actually feeling.

This dynamic is seen over and over in famous duos in popular culture. They embody the fear and bravery or the wildness and gentleness of the lion and the figure in white.

Why is this such a common trope? Perhaps because all of us, even the most calm and centered of the bunch, know that we contain multitudes. (Yes, I said it. Yes it's cheugy. No my Live, Laugh, Love sign is not in the mail). And for most of us, trying to get those multitudes to play nice can be a giant pain in the ass.
The fun of the Strength archetype comes when we remember that our most interesting bits live in the tension points of our personalities. We're a collection of dichotomies that form a whole more textured (and furry) than the sum of our parts.
The Lion, The Witch, and the Tarot

I'd never read C.S. Lewis' “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” or even watched The Chronicles Of Narnia film series, but when I started working on this post, my mind immediately wandered to the title of the book and it is rife with lessons on Strength.
This is a story about four children who step through the doors of a magical wardrobe and land in another realm called Narnia. Their mission is to save the kingdom from the White Witch (the figure in white!?) who claims she's the queen of the land. Along the way they meet a helper and guide—Aslan the Lion (the tongue-lolling lion!?) who is the true King of Narnia.
There is a clever inversion of the Strength card symbolism in the pairing of White Witch and the Lion:
White Witch: Shadow aspects of Strength - ego hungry, angry, forceful, rigid
The Lion: Benevolent aspects of Strength - confident, courageous, compassionate
This shows us that the challenging aspects of Strength don't always come from our “animalistic” side, that the “tamed” or caged parts of our humanity can also lead us astray.
The children in this tale remind us that all aspects of self—fear, gentleness, valiance, and bravery—are always present when we step into a new world, in fact, they must be in order to understand ourselves and our capacity in the face of a new challenge.
In this clip from the movie (fast forward to 2:37, but warning, contains spoilers), Lucy, the youngest of the four children and the one who first walked through the wardrobe, stands on a castle balcony dressed in a light blue, almost-white dress. She looks into the distance and sees Aslan the Lion on the beach down below. Aslan has been her guide throughout her journey, and now that the White Witch is vanquished and his duty is done, he is leaving for unknown parts through the lush jungle on the other edge of the shore. As she watches him, Oreius the centaur approaches and says,
“Don't worry, we'll see him again.”
“When?” She asks.
“In time. One day he'll be here and the next he won't. But you musn't press him, after all he's not a tame lion.”
“No,” she replies with tears in her eyes, “but he is good.”
This year, as we journey together through the themes of Strength, let us remember the words of Mary Oliver's poem “Wild Geese.”
We do not have to be good because, just like the Lion, our inherent nature, all parts of it, already is. Grounded in that belief we get to play with our wild and gentle selves and step into our power. Our Strength.
The Strength Year Workshop
If you want to learn more about the themes of the Strength year and how they'll show up for you in 2024, sign up for my free virtual workshop with Creative Mornings.
Workshop: The Strength Year: Harness Your Passions
When: TODAY Tuesday, February 27th, 6:30-7:45pm EST
What to Expect:
Section 1: Develop an understanding of the suits, elements, and numbers of tarot.
Section 2: Traverse The Fool's Journey and discover how the lines of the tarot influence the themes that show up collectively each year.
Section 3: Explore the themes, shadow aspects, and astrological links to the Strength card and connect them to your personal passions through a tarot spread.
If you can't make it, you can still sign up to receive a replay 😊
Xo
ALTARU TAROT
💜✨💜 fantastic post