Strength VIII in the 5-Card Spread with the Rider Waite Tarot

Strength as second card : Challenge / Obstacle
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In the opposition position, Strength highlights an imbalance in the management of emotions, instincts or willpower.

The consultant may be faced with impulsiveness that is difficult to channel, pent-up anger that is expressed in a passive-aggressive manner, or a feeling of powerlessness in the face of a situation that is beyond their control.

The card may reveal a tendency to want to control everything by brute force or, conversely, to give in to obstacles due to a lack of self-confidence.

This opposition also evokes an energy that, when misdirected, turns against the person themselves: excessive self-criticism, internal tensions, or self-destructive behaviour. Strength here indicates unfinished work on controlling impulses or fears.

It can also symbolise an oppressive external environment: a relationship in which the person feels dominated or unable to assert themselves.

It is also possible that the consultant underestimates their inner power, believing that they do not have the resources to face challenges.

This card therefore invites a realignment: to regain confidence in a quiet strength, to reconnect with perseverance, and to accept that true power has nothing to do with domination, but everything to do with inner stability. It calls for not running away, but for taming.

Strength as third card : Advice
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

Placed in the position of advice, Strength invites you to approach your situation with courage, patience and gentleness. It encourages you to trust your inner ability to stand firm without giving in to fear or anger. This card suggests that you should not respond to aggression with aggression, or to doubt with flight.

It indicates that it is time to channel your instincts, listen to your emotions without letting them overwhelm you, and assert yourself without brutality.

Strength advises you to cultivate a posture of calm strength, self-awareness and inner balance. It reminds you that true mastery does not lie in dominating others, but in knowing and accepting your own areas of turbulence. If you are facing conflict, it tells you to stay centred, be firm without being rigid, and use your energy to build rather than react.

It also calls on you to treat yourself with kindness and recognise your value, even in your vulnerability.

The Force may also advise you to persevere: you are on the right path, but what is at stake requires consistency, regularity and faith in your abilities.

In short, the advice is to draw on a peaceful, grounded and confident power: the power that allows you to navigate without losing your way.

Strength as fourth card : Outcome
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In the outcome position, Strength announces an inner victory, mastery gained, and renewed solidity. It indicates that the consultant will overcome their trials, overcome their fears, or face a difficult situation with calm and confidence. This is not a spectacular success, but a profound transformation: stability, maturity, and quiet strength that lasts.

This may mean that a conflict will be resolved peacefully, that healing is underway, or that the person will finally gain confidence in their own worth.

The card also suggests that the opposing energies within the consultant (desire vs. control, fear vs. action) will gradually come into harmony.

This result can also represent a reconnection with the body, emotional release, or more stable self-assertion. There is no collapse or violent struggle here, but a slow, controlled, aligned rise in power. The Chariot speaks of external victory, The Strength of internal victory.

The card may also indicate that the person will become an example to others through their ability to manage tensions with gentleness and firmness.

The result, therefore, is one of rootedness, regained stability, and restored personal power.