The Tarot of Eli 2-LLC: Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- Key 8-Strength & The Triple Goddess Tarot -Key 8- The Mother-Strength

Strength tarot meaning, courage, Leo-Teth; integration of the Beast.

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We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face...we must do that which we think we cannot.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

The Path of Teth

In the Western Hermetic Qabalah, the Path of Teth (ט) links Chesed (Mercy) to Geburah (Severity) on the Tree of Life. This path mediates between divine compassion and divine strength — the two polarities of the Solar Soul. Teth literally means “Serpent,” representing the coiled solar fire of Kundalini and the alchemical “Lion-Serpent” (the fusion of the red and gold forces). This is the Fire of Spirit disciplined through Love.

The Lady and the Lion

The Lady represents the Shekinah, the Divine Feminine aspect of God, and the Lion her alchemical counterpart — the raw solar power of Sulfur (the Emperor, Tiphareth in its fiery aspect). The Lady’s gentle control of the lion’s jaws shows that spiritual mastery is not achieved through repression but through love-born mastery of instinct. She is the Magus’ feminine polarity — the receptive soul that channels and directs force through compassionate control.

In this sense, she is Binah’s daughter, the Wisdom of Understanding acting upon the solar fires of Geburah and Tiphareth. Her touch transfigures desire into devotion.

The Lemniscate and the Philosophical Mercury

Above her head floats the lemniscate, identical to that of the Magician. This symbol denotes the eternal interplay of Will and Love, Spirit and Form — the infinite rhythm of divine creation. Here, it marks her as the vessel of Philosophical Mercury, the subtle mind that unites Fire and Water, Spirit and Flesh, Will and Desire. The serpent of Teth is not the venomous snake of Eden, but the awakened current of life-force redeemed through love.

Alchemical Union: Sulfur and Mercury

In Alchemy, Sulfur (the Red Lion) represents the active, masculine, solar principle — the Fire of Spirit. Mercury, the fluidic, reflective principle, is the Feminine Mind that shapes that Fire into form. The Lady’s calm presence over the Lion reveals the formula of all true alchemy: The Heart’s mastery of the Fire within. This is the completion of the Magus’s work — the “Taming of the Red Lion” where the creative will serves love, not ego.

The Crown of Roses and the Wreath of Victory

Her crown and girdle of roses express love in action — the power of Venus to transmute passion into compassion. In Hermetic terms, the rose is Netsach made manifest in Geburah; it is the beauty of restraint. Her wreath echoes the final card, The Universe, suggesting she is the prefigurement of completion — the love that perfects creation.

The Inner Solar Mystery

The Strength card reveals that spiritual mastery is not repression of desire but the transmutation of energy. The serpent-fire of Teth rises through disciplined love, not ascetic denial. Hence, this is the formula of the Solar Serpent awakening in the human heart — the reconciliation of the lower animal will with the Higher Self, or Ruach Elohim.

“Love is the law, love under will.” — Liber AL vel Legis

The Path of Teth: The Lion-Serpent of Solar Fire

In the Western Hermetic Qabalah, Teth (ט) forms the vital channel between Chesed (Mercy) — the sphere of Jupiter, Divine Majesty and expansive creative power — and Geburah (Severity) — the sphere of Mars, Discipline and Dynamic Strength. This is the 12th Path, often called The Path of the Serpent of Fire. It is here that the masculine current of creative power from Chesed pours into the feminine vessel of Geburah, where force is refined into will.

This outpouring, like the descent of pure Fire becoming Light, is the process by which Divine Energy becomes perceptible as both radiant Light and the electromagnetic web of manifestation. Thus, Teth is the Serpent of Light, the Kundalini current, weaving the invisible microwaves of Spirit into the visible frequencies of Form.

Leo and the Lion-Serpent

In both the Rider–Waite–Smith Strength and the Thoth Lust cards, the sign of Leo dominates. Leo is ruled by the Sun and expresses the radiant creative self in its most unrestrained form. The lion represents the solar libido — that primal will-to-create which underlies all manifestation.

On the RWS Key VIII, the Lion’s tail tucked between its legs recalls the phallic serpent, the coiled Teth-force within the base of being. The gentle hand of the Lady symbolizes not suppression, but guidance through love — the divine feminine shaping the solar serpent.

In the Thoth Tarot, this same Path becomes Lust (ATU XI), where the feminine principle is no longer controlling the lion, but riding it in ecstatic union. The Lady, now Babalon, is fully surrendered to the Fire of the Beast — no longer restraining desire, but sanctifying it. Crowley identified this as the formula of Love under Will — the Holy Spirit transmuted through ecstasy.

Teth as the Lion-Serpent

The Hebrew letter Teth, meaning “serpent,” fuses with Leo’s leonine solar imagery to form the ancient concept of the Lion-Serpent — a symbol older than civilization itself. In Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Gnostic lore, the Lion-Serpent was the solar draconic power, the Fire of the Sun within matter.

This composite creature — half serpent (energy, continuity, wisdom) and half lion (courage, solar will, kingship) — became the archetype for later Dragon and Chimera forms, and in esoteric Christian and Solomonic traditions, it corresponds to Asmodai (Asmodeus), the Archangel of Solar Desire. His nature is not demonic in the fallen sense, but rather the raw divine energy of creation, before it is refined by understanding.

Alchemical and Inner Meaning

Where Strength (RWS) shows the control of the Fire by Love, Lust (Thoth) depicts the consummation of that Fire by Love. Both are aspects of the same Mystery. The serpent-fire (Libido, Teth) must be awakened, tamed, and ultimately united with the Solar Will (Leo). The Lady’s mastery in Strength leads to her ecstasy in Lust — the full embrace of the divine animal within, transmuted into Solar Consciousness.

“The Serpent and the Lion are one in the Sun.”
— Hermetic axiom of Teth

The Mother (Strength): Path of Compassionate Fire

The Healing Aspect of Teth

The Triple Goddess Tarot’s Mother reveals a more nurturing face of the Path of Teth (ט), where the fiery serpent of Leo is no longer about domination or passion, but transmutation through love. The woman’s outstretched hand over the wounded wolf channels the same Solar Fire that burns in Geburah, yet expressed as healing warmth rather than consuming flame.

This represents the inner alchemy where Severity (Geburah) becomes Compassion through the influence of the Divine Mother. The Serpent Fire has matured — its bite now a balm.

The Wolf and the Stream

The wolf, unlike the lion, symbolizes the instinctual and often wounded nature within — our inner “lone hunter,” the primal drives that have been isolated from the heart. The stream signifies the waters of Binah and emotional purification, while the Mother’s touch bridges fire and water — the alchemical union of opposites.

Thus, the scene portrays the reconciliation of instinct and empathy. The fiery Leo current of the Strength card is gentled by the Lunar current of healing. Where the Thoth Lust burns in rapture and the RWS Strength restrains in love, the Triple Goddess Mother heals through understanding.

The Solar Feminine Principle

In Hermetic symbolism, this Mother corresponds to the Solar Feminine — the Shekinah as Healer, the same current seen in Isis, Sekhmet transformed into Hathor, or Mary as Mater Salvatoris. She channels the light of the Sun through the heart, making her the true Lioness of Leo: radiant, protective, and sovereign through compassion.

This version of Strength teaches that true mastery of Fire is not power over, but power through — the warmth that revives, not the blaze that consumes.

Esoteric Meaning

Whereas the Thoth Lust card reveals the ecstatic surrender to divine energy, and the RWS Strength card shows willful self-control, the Triple Goddess Mother expresses the healing integration of those two polarities. She does not conquer the beast; she heals it into wholeness.

“The Mother of Strength teaches that all power is borrowed from Love —
and all healing is Fire tamed by the Heart.”

The Three Faces of Strength: A Hermetic Synthesis of the Fire Mystery

The Path of Teth (ט): From Control to Ecstasy to Healing

The Path of Teth, joining Chesed (Mercy) and Geburah (Severity), is the fiery bridge upon which Divine Power becomes Divine Compassion. Through this channel, the Solar Fire of Will descends into the vessel of Love, transforming instinct into virtue and passion into radiance.
In Western Hermetic Qabalah, this path manifests in three essential modes, embodied respectively by the Rider–Waite–Smith Strength, the Thoth Lust, and the Triple Goddess Mother. Together, they reveal a complete alchemical cycle: Control → Union → Healing — the three stages of Fire’s redemption within the soul.

I. The Rider–Waite–Smith Strength: The Discipline of the Heart

In the RWS deck, the gentle woman taming the lion symbolizes the Will guided by Love. The lemniscate above her head marks her as a vessel of the infinite current of Philosophical Mercury, capable of directing the raw Sulfuric Fire of the lion (Leo) without force or repression.

This stage corresponds to Geburah’s training of the soul — the awakening of spiritual will through compassion. The aspirant learns that domination is illusion; control is born of understanding. The Fire is bridled not through fear, but through Love under Will.

Here the Adept is the Healer of Instinct, learning to transmute desire into devotion. The lion’s phallic tail tucked between its legs represents the libido sublimated — the serpent coiled and awaiting conscious direction.

II. The Thoth Lust: The Ecstasy of Union

In the Thoth Tarot, the same Path becomes Lust, where the tamed lion has become the Beast of Revelation, and the woman — now Babalon — no longer restrains, but rides the Fire of her own awakening.

This stage corresponds to Tiphareth’s illumination through the ecstatic Will. The aspirant no longer fears the Fire but merges with it. The Kundalini serpent uncoils as the Lion-Serpent of Teth, symbolizing the complete marriage of Spirit and Flesh, Will and Desire, Sulfur and Mercury.

Babalon’s Cup of Abominations receives every current of experience, transmuting them into divine nectar. Thus, what began as the control of passion becomes the consecration of passion — the Solar Fire now self-aware and self-luminous.

“For I am divided for love’s sake, for the chance of union.”
— Liber AL vel Legis I:29

III. The Triple Goddess Mother: The Compassion of the Solar Feminine

In the Triple Goddess Tarot – The Mother, the alchemical Fire has become radiant warmth. The woman’s hand outstretched over the injured wolf in a stream shows that the once-violent fire is now gentled into healing light.
This represents the completion of the Path of Teth — Fire transformed into Compassionate Strength.

The wolf, the untamed self, is no longer feared or dominated, but healed. The Fire (Leo) and Water (Binah) currents merge, producing the true Gold of the Soul: Compassionate Courage. This is the Heart fully awakened — Geburah reconciled with Chesed, Severity becoming Mercy.

Here, Strength is no longer about power at all — it is presence. The Adept, now the Mother, radiates healing through being. The serpent-fire circulates freely, shining through the aura as Solar Love embodied.

The Hermetic Arc of Fire

Conclusion: The Serpent Crowned in the Heart

Through the trinity of Strength cards, we witness the complete metamorphosis of Fire:

• From Desire Controlled (RWS),

• To Desire Sanctified (Thoth),

• To Desire Healed (Triple Goddess).

This is the work of Teth — the Serpent that becomes the Lion, the Lion that becomes the Sun, and the Sun that becomes the Heart of Compassion. In the Adept’s journey, this is the moment when the Fire of the Magus bows before the Love of the Mother, and the Will of the Soul shines as the Healing Light of God.

“She is the Fire that heals what it burns;
the Serpent crowned in the Heart of the Sun.” — Book of the Serpent Fire

The Lion–Serpent Mystery of Teth: The Secret Fire of the Soul

The Hidden Doctrine of the Serpent Fire

The interchangeability of the Lion and Serpent symbols upon the Path of Teth is one of the most closely guarded teachings in both Eastern and Western Mystery traditions. It represents the mystery of the inner solar fire — the Kundalini, known in Hermetic Qabalah as the Serpent Power of the Soul.

In its serpent form, this energy lies coiled at the base of the spine, in the realm corresponding to Malkuth and Yesod — the root of physical and astral vitality. In its lion form, it expresses itself as solar radiance and courage, manifesting through the heart (Tiphareth) and the Will.

The interchange between serpent and lion is not arbitrary symbolism: it encodes the alchemical transformation of latent lunar potency into radiant solar force — the ascent of the coiled Moon into the Crown of the Sun.

Feminine-Moon and Solar-Male: The Androgynous Fire

This Kundalini Fire is dual in its nature — simultaneously Feminine–Moon and Solar–Male.

• As Serpent, it is Lunar, magnetic, and receptive: the Mother Current, the creative matrix of Binah that nourishes and protects.

• As Lion, it is Solar, electric, and projective: the Father Current, the power of Geburah and Tiphareth to manifest form through radiant Will.

These two are not opposites but polar complements within the same current. Their union along the spine mirrors the Caduceus of Hermes, the entwined serpents of Ida and Pingala, which rise around the central pillar — the Sushumna or Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life.

When these polarities merge through conscious Love and disciplined Will, the Adept experiences the “Crowning of the Serpent”: the Kundalini ascends, touching the Crown (Kether) where the Lunar becomes Solar, and the Serpent becomes the Lion — Spirit awakened in the Heart.

Guarded Knowledge in the Western Mysteries

Waite was correct that this teaching was carefully veiled within the Western Hermetic orders.
Both Arthur Edward Waite and Aleister Crowley inherited fragments of the same esoteric current — the Rosicrucian–Qabalistic doctrine of the Secret Fire — yet each expressed it through different veils.

Waite’s Strength card conceals the mystery beneath imagery of gentleness and moral virtue, yet the lemniscate above the Lady’s head and the lion’s phallic tail disclose the true initiatory secret: the bridling of the serpent–fire through the will of the soul. This is the first stage of the Fire’s awakening, a symbolic “raising of the serpent” through compassion rather than passion.

Crowley, conversely, unveiled the mystery in Lust (ATU XI), where the coiled serpent has become the Lion–Serpent of Ecstasy, and the Adept no longer represses but rides the Fire. Thus the Thoth image shows the second stage of the Fire’s evolution: the “Marriage of the Beast and the Scarlet Woman,” symbolizing the ecstatic fusion of the Solar and Lunar currents into one radiant flame.

The Lion–Serpent as the Inner Sun

In both cases, the teaching remains the same: the Lion–Serpent is the Inner Sun of the soul — the Christos, the Adam Khadmon, the Solar Logos awakened within the individual microcosm. When the serpent-fire rises, it opens the Seven Seals — the chakras — revealing the sevenfold rainbow body of the Adept, the perfected human as the living Tree of Life.

This, then, is the hidden meaning of Strength:
 

The woman is not taming a beast — she is awakening the Sun within her own body. The serpent-fire of the Moon ascends to the Heart, where it becomes the Lion of the Sun, and the Adept becomes a vessel of the Divine Creative Will — the Solar–Lunar Androgyne in human form.

“The Serpent coils in the womb of the world until Love lifts its head to the Sun.” — Hermetic Commentary on Teth

As previously stated, the Lemniscate, the horizonal 8 as symbol of the 0=2, a symbol often associated with infinity, is also a symbol of the unbroken line between the male and female forces of this universe and is shown above the head of the human figure on the RWS-Strength and Magician cards.

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In numerology, the number 8 is often associated with concepts of power, ambition, and material success. It is considered a highly influential and dynamic number with both positive and challenging attributes.

Key Characteristics:

1. Ambition and Leadership:

   • Individuals influenced by the number 8 are often natural leaders. They possess a strong desire to achieve their goals and are driven to attain positions of authority and influence.

2. Financial Acumen:

   • The number 8 is closely linked to wealth and financial prosperity. People under its influence tend to have a keen sense for business, investments, and money management.

3. Efficiency and Organization:

   • Efficiency, organization, and a practical approach to problem-solving are hallmarks of the number 8. These individuals excel in structuring systems and processes to achieve optimal results.

4. Karma and Balance:

   • In numerology, 8 is associated with karma, representing the principle of cause and effect. It emphasizes the importance of balance between the material and spiritual realms.

5. Resilience and Determination:

   • The number 8 embodies resilience, persistence, and the ability to overcome obstacles. Individuals influenced by this number often display remarkable determination in the face of challenges.

Challenges:

• Workaholism:

  • A strong focus on career and material success can sometimes lead to neglect of personal relationships and well-being.

• Rigidity:

  • The pursuit of goals may result in rigidity and an inability to adapt to changing circumstances or perspectives.

• Power Struggles:

  • The desire for control and authority can lead to conflicts and power struggles with others.

Gematria

Gematria is a traditional Jewish system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, based on its letters. The number 8 in gematria carries various symbolic meanings and is often associated with concepts of abundance, eternity, and balance.

Key Associations:

1. Infinity and Eternity:

   • The number 8 resembles the infinity symbol (∞) when turned sideways, symbolizing endlessness and eternal cycles.

2. Balance and Harmony:

   • In gematria, 8 represents balance between the spiritual and material worlds. It signifies the harmony achieved when these realms are in equilibrium.

3. Regeneration and Renewal:

   • The number is linked to cycles of renewal and transformation, reflecting the continuous process of growth and regeneration.

4. Abundance and Prosperity:

   • 8 is often associated with abundance, wealth, and the successful manifestation of desires and intentions.

5. Divine Order:

   • In some interpretations, 8 signifies divine order and the manifestation of higher spiritual principles in the material world.

Examples in Hebrew Gematria:

• חַי (Chai) - "Life":

  • The Hebrew word "Chai" (חי) means "life" and has a gematria value of 18 (1 + 8 = 9), but the number 8 itself can symbolize the duality and balance inherent in life.

• חָכְמָה (Chokhmah) - "Wisdom":

  • While "Chokhmah" has a different numerical value, the number 8 can still be connected to the wisdom needed to balance material pursuits with spiritual understanding.

Symbolic Uses:

• Rituals and Celebrations:

  • The number 8 appears in various Jewish rituals and celebrations, emphasizing themes of renewal, covenant, and divine connection.

• Architectural Significance:

  • In sacred architecture, the number 8 may influence design elements to reflect balance and harmony.

Comparative Insights

While both numerology and gematria assign profound meanings to the number 8, their contexts differ:

• Numerology focuses on personal traits, life paths, and individual energies associated with numbers. Here, 8 emphasizes personal power, success, and the balance between material and spiritual pursuits.

• Gematria delves into the symbolic and mystical significance of numbers within language, particularly Hebrew. The number 8 symbolizes eternity, balance, and the manifestation of divine principles.

Understanding the multifaceted nature of the number 8 across these systems can provide deeper insights into its influence on personal development, spiritual growth, and the interpretation of sacred texts.

Cultural Significance of Number 8

Beyond numerology and gematria, the number 8 holds varied meanings across different cultures:

• Chinese Culture:

  • The number 8 is considered highly auspicious, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. It is often associated with good fortune and success.

• Christianity:

  • The number 8 can represent new beginnings, resurrection, and regeneration, aligning with the concept of renewal after chaos.

• Buddhism:

  • The Eightfold Path is a fundamental teaching, outlining the path to enlightenment and ethical living.

Understanding these cultural perspectives can further enrich the interpretation of the number 8 in both gematria and numerology.

Conclusion

The number 8 is a powerful and multifaceted symbol in both numerology and gematria, embodying themes of balance, abundance, authority, and eternal cycles. Whether interpreted through the lens of personal development or mystical tradition, the number 8 offers profound insights into the interplay between the material and spiritual aspects of existence.

In numerology, the number 8 is often associated with traits such as ambition, power, authority, material success, and balance. It is considered a number of achievement and accomplishment. People influenced by the energy of the number 8 are often seen as determined, goal-oriented, and capable of handling challenges with resilience.

The primary meaning of the Strength card is to stay focused on self-power and you can overcome any challenge. You just need to Know Thyself!

When the RWS or the Triple Goddess Tarot Key -8 Strength card is thrown during a reading, it means the querent:

• Is relying on spiritual powers to manage the situation at hand and is receiving the strength to overcome. 
• Following one's own inner light, doing what their "heart of heart". inner self, says is right.
• There can be an experiencing of a "gut level" driving force, instinctual and compelling for protection or survival.
•  Also, possessing the courage of one's convictions.
• The strength of Passion, in Higher Nature, is power, courage, energy, action and magnanimity.
• One is experiencing the Law of Self-Domination, self-rule, and self-control.
• Resort to magic.
• The use of Magical power.
• Showing compassion and tenderness towards one's animal nature, thereby making oneself whole. 

If reversed, it implies:

• Weakness
• Lack of sexual fulfillment.
• Depression.
• Aggression, perversion, and addiction because of repressed instincts.

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