Strength Tarot Spread: Custom Layout for Inner Power
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BY NICOLE LAU
Strength's power lies in its ability to tame fears with love, cultivate courage, and master challenges through gentle strength. This custom tarot spread is designed to help you connect with your inner power, face your fears, and discover the courage that comes from within. Whether you're seeking courage, taming fears, or cultivating gentle strength, this spread will illuminate your path.
The Strength Inner Power Spread: 7-Card Layout
This original spread mirrors Strength's process of taming the lion—from recognizing your fear to claiming your courage. Each position represents a crucial aspect of cultivating inner strength and gentle power.
Spread Layout
[7] | [2] [1] [3] | | | [4] [5] [6]
Position 1 (Center): You Now - Your current inner strength
Position 2 (Left): Your Lion - The fear you must tame
Position 3 (Right): Your Courage - The strength you possess
Position 4 (Bottom Left): Gentle Approach - How to tame with love
Position 5 (Bottom Center): Inner Power - Your source of strength
Position 6 (Bottom Right): Patient Path - How to cultivate courage
Position 7 (Top): Tamed Lion - The courage you'll claim
How to Perform This Spread
Preparation
- Cleanse your deck
- Create gentle space (golden or orange candle, peaceful atmosphere)
- Set clear intention: What fear needs taming? What courage do you seek?
- Sit with open heart
- Shuffle while focusing on your inner strength
The Reading Process
Step 1: Lay out all seven cards face down in the pattern shown.
Step 2: Turn over Position 1 first (You Now). This reveals your current inner strength.
Step 3: Turn over Position 2 (Your Lion). This shows the fear you must tame.
Step 4: Turn over Position 3 (Your Courage). This reveals the strength you possess.
Step 5: Turn over Positions 4 and 6 together (Gentle Approach and Patient Path). These show how to cultivate courage.
Step 6: Turn over Position 5 (Inner Power). This reveals your source of strength.
Step 7: Finally, turn over Position 7 (Tamed Lion). This shows the courage you'll claim.
Step 8: Look at the spread as a whole. Notice patterns, repeated suits, Major Arcana presence. What story emerges?
Detailed Position Meanings
Position 1: You Now - Your Current Inner Strength
This card reveals where you are right now—your current courage, your readiness to face fears, your state of inner power.
Questions to ask:
- Where am I right now in relation to my courage?
- What is my current level of inner strength?
- Am I ready to tame my lion?
If Strength appears here: You are perfectly positioned to face your fears with love. Trust your gentle power.
Position 2: Your Lion - The Fear You Must Tame
This card represents your lion—the fear, challenge, or wild nature that needs taming with love and patience.
Questions to ask:
- What is my lion? What am I afraid of?
- What challenge needs gentle mastery?
- What must I tame with love instead of force?
Position 3: Your Courage - The Strength You Possess
This card reveals your courage—the inner strength you already have, the power you can draw upon.
Questions to ask:
- What courage do I already possess?
- What is my source of strength?
- What power have I forgotten I have?
Position 4: Gentle Approach - How to Tame with Love
This card shows how to approach your lion with gentleness and compassion instead of force.
Questions to ask:
- How can I tame with love instead of force?
- What gentle approach will work?
- How can I be compassionate with my fear?
Position 5: Inner Power - Your Source of Strength
This card shows your inner power—the deep source of courage and strength within you.
Questions to ask:
- What is my source of inner power?
- Where does my courage come from?
- What strength can I always draw upon?
This is your core power card. This is what makes you strong.
Position 6: Patient Path - How to Cultivate Courage
This card shows the patient path—how to cultivate courage over time with persistence and compassion.
Questions to ask:
- How do I cultivate courage patiently?
- What path will build my strength?
- What practice will help me be brave?
Position 7: Tamed Lion - The Courage You'll Claim
This card shows the tamed lion—the courage you'll claim, the strength you'll embody, the fear transformed into power.
Questions to ask:
- What courage will I claim?
- What will my tamed lion give me?
- What strength awaits me?
Sample Reading Interpretation
Question: "How can I find the courage to leave my unfulfilling job?"
Position 1 (You Now): Four of Pentacles - Currently holding on from fear of loss
Position 2 (Your Lion): Five of Pentacles - Fear of financial hardship and insecurity
Position 3 (Your Courage): Strength - You have the inner power to face this fear
Position 4 (Gentle Approach): Temperance - Approach the transition gradually and balanced
Position 5 (Inner Power): The Star - Your hope and faith are your source of strength
Position 6 (Patient Path): Eight of Pentacles - Build skills and prepare patiently
Position 7 (Tamed Lion): Ace of Pentacles - New opportunity and financial security
Overall message: You're currently holding on from fear (You Now), afraid of financial hardship (Your Lion). But you have inner strength (Your Courage) and can approach this gradually (Gentle Approach). Your hope is your power (Inner Power), and patient preparation will help (Patient Path). The result is new opportunity (Tamed Lion).
Variations of This Spread
Quick 5-Card Version
Use only Positions 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 for faster courage guidance.
Specific Fear Spread
Adapt for specific fears:
Position 2 becomes your specific fear
Position 7 becomes your specific courage
When to Use This Spread
- When facing major fears or challenges
- When seeking to cultivate courage
- When needing to tame something with love instead of force
- When feeling weak or self-doubting
- Monthly courage check-ins
- When embodying Strength's energy
Tips for Deeper Readings
Journal after reading: Write about each card's message and how it relates to your courage.
Compare approaches: Positions 4 and 6 show how to cultivate strength—use both.
Trust your power: Position 5 shows your source—draw on it.
Tame with love: Use this spread to approach fears with compassion, not force.
After the Reading
Take action: Within 24 hours, take one brave step toward taming your lion.
Use gentle approach: Follow what Position 4 revealed.
Draw on inner power: Connect to what Position 5 showed.
Be patient: Follow the path Position 6 revealed.
Closing Wisdom
Strength doesn't fight the lion—it tames it with love. This spread shows you how to do the same. Your courage is real. Your gentle strength is powerful.
May your reading be clear.
May your courage be gentle.
May your lion be tamed.
May you remember that you are Strength.
The lion is before you. The courage is within you. The only question is: are you ready to tame with love?
To explore this theme of inner power even further, consider how a focused 30 day tarot practice workbook could help you build a daily dialogue with your own resilience, or use the profound questions in our tarot journaling prompts 100 questions for self discovery to uncover the hidden layers of your strength. For those ready to do the deeper work of reclaiming your agency, our shadow work tarot internal locus practice guide offers a powerful path to understanding how true power is cultivated from within.
