Finding Strength

Leo season, with its penchant for playtime, childlike enthusiasm, creative sparks and lusty pleasures, brings many reasons to celebrate this wild ride we call LIFE!! In tarot, the Major Arcana "Strength' is ruled by Leo / The Sun. It brings all the benefits of playful and dynamic Leo energy, along with the responsibility of adulting and having agency over the Higher Self. Leo the Lion-Hearted is always an operative phrase wth this Arcana, and notice the three orbs of light in he above image (courtesy of Pinterest) which shows a woman in her cosmic bad-ass vibe with a celestial lion looking upward; his two light orbs transmitting energy to the matching light orb over her heart.

Oftentimes, we think of having Strength as something we must drum up from inside ourselves; we "dig deep" to handle life's demands and rise to any challenge by way of telling ourselves "I got this!" But we would should remember that everything that manifests in the physical realm has origins in the ether realm -- be it relationships, health issues, manifesting abundance, opportunities, etc. Therefore, finding Strength is more than simply an inside job; it's a divinely inspired pathway with open doors so long as we take the initiative to become more spiritually aware and seek guidance. Our Spirit Team wants to fortify us!! Our Souls crave the joyful release and creative drive that's native to Leo energy, but we also want to feel safe and know that we are capable of handling any and all personal, family or business related issues or goals.

This image of Strength from the Mary-El Tarot offers a helpful tip for how to connect with Source and your Spirit Guides. Here, a woman straddles the Lion, a much larger and more physically powerful being that could easily shake her off. But notice the beads -- a mala or rosary? Notice the pearl ring, a symbol of nurturing, the divine feminine and gentleness. The Lion enjoys her presence, her calm and her essence. To find our Strength, we have to search our hearts for ways to move through life with more power and less aggression --and ever to equate the two. If it's true that we are co-creators with the Universe, and that what shows up in our lives is a reflection of an "inside job" of some sort, it stands to reason that Spirit wants to assist us to develop the wisdom, knowledge and character to become strong and free. We can operate on the principal of "as above, so below," meaning we can and should accept the reality that we are not here to play small but rather to live fully and soulfully!!

Try to set aside some time this Leo season (and beyond!) to get in touch with what lights your fire! Imagine you can be or do anything you'd like for as long as you'd like. Get creative and have fun with it! While meditative moments like the one pictured above can seem very quiet, still and reflective, the energy grid created by the fire can stir the soul to action, to visualize so deeply and convincingly that the Universe matches the vibration and begins to send whatever is needed to advance your cause or desire. Finding Strength is as simple and enduring as accepting your innate worthiness as a human expression of the Divine Masculine or Feminine. As the saying goes, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

I hope you spend some time this Leo season to work and play, all while dreaming of your next chapters and the Strength that is always available to you!!

--Afefe 7/24/24