Taming the Lion: The Tarot’s Path to Spiritual Awakening

In her foundational book, A Complete Guide to the Tarot, Eden Gray noted that the figure in the Strength card exhibits a profound spiritual courage and inner power that emanates from within, while the lion represents the raw passions and lower nature of humanity. She beautifully summarized the card’s divinatory meaning as the force of character and spiritual power overcoming material power.
In many ways, this card is a perfect mirror for the process of spiritual awakening—the profound internal transformation that occurs when higher consciousness begins to guide our lives instead of fear, ego, and the illusion of control.
Before we dissect the deep tarot card symbolism and meanings hidden within Strength, it helps to contextualize my broader perspective on the Major Arcana. While most enthusiasts refer to the overarching narrative of these cards as "The Fool’s Journey," I prefer to view it as the journey to become the Fool.
​In this esoteric tarot card analysis, the Fool is not a figure of ignorance, but the ultimate archetype of spiritual realization—a human being who has completely surrendered to a higher power in every aspect of life. This absolute surrender is the deepest expression of spiritual awakening.

​The Lemniscate and Transcending Character Defects

​o experience a true spiritual awakening—to allow universal consciousness to flow through us freely—we are required to dismantle specific egoic tendencies, often referred to in esoteric circles as character defects. When we achieve this alignment, we experience a state of peace, clarity, and joy that defies description.
While Strength is not the only card in the Major Arcana that deals with mastering the lower self, it is undoubtedly the most explicit.
To understand how to heal these defects, we can look to the Reiki Precepts—traditionally celebrated as "the secret method of inviting blessings" and "the spiritual medicine for many illnesses":

• For today only, do not get angry.
  
• For today only, do not worry.
  
• Be grateful for your blessings.
  
• Be honest in your work.
  
• Show compassion to all living beings.
  

These principles are far more than mere moral teachings; they are active, practical tools designed to help us transcend the ego. As we consistently apply them to our daily lives, we gradually embody the serene energy of the woman in the Strength card.
By taming our internal lion, we open the channel for higher consciousness to flow through us freely. This divine alignment is beautifully symbolized by the lemniscate (the infinity sign) floating above the woman’s head, representing the eternal link between the human ego and the macrocosmic divine.

​The Illusion of "Running the Show"

To heal our character defects, we must courageously trace them back to their root: the desperate desire to "run the show."
The ego demands that we arrange everyone and everything in our environment according to our personal will. We want situations to unfold exactly as we think they should. Even when we believe we are acting out of love for family, friends, or colleagues, we often harbor a hidden agenda for things to happen our way. This is a subtle form of selfishness, deeply rooted in the illusion of control.
When life refuses to conform to our expectations, the ego reacts. We feel wronged, blaming external circumstances or other people for our suffering. We harbor resentments, trapping ourselves in a state of resistance that completely disconnects us from universal flow.
A Note on Healing Past Trauma: Painful situations happen, particularly during childhood. However, carrying that pain for decades as a justification for self-pity or self-seeking behavior only stalls our evolution. Spiritual awakening demands that we heal from past wounds, stop playing the victim, and relinquish the belief that we can control the external world.
When life escapes our control, the untamed lion roars: uncertainty turns into worry, unmet expectations turn into anger, and we blind ourselves to our inherent blessings.

​A Practical Ritual for Spiritual Surrender

​True surrender is never a sign of weakness; it is the ultimate act of spiritual courage. It marks the precise moment we move out of fear and step into absolute trust.
Because working through character defects is an ongoing alchemical process, incorporating a nightly reflection into your practice can be life-changing:

1. Review: Spend a few quiet minutes at the end of each evening reflecting on your day.
   
2. Identify: Honestly note the moments where you operated from a place of anger, fear, or egoic control.
   
3. Surrender: Consciously offer these defects up to the universe, asking for the willingness to grow beyond them.
   

By doing so, you step onto the true path of the Major Arcana, transforming the raw, chaotic energy of the material self into the refined, infinite power of the spirit.