Strength Isn’t Always Loud: A Tarot Journey Through Leo Season

July 15, 2025By Sheila Ellis

Discovering the revolutionary power of gentle confidence, inner radiance, and the courage to be authentically yourself in a world that often rewards performance over truth.

When Leo season arrives around July 22nd, many of us expect fanfare—dramatic gestures, bold proclamations, and the kind of confidence that fills every room it enters. But here's what I've learned through years of working with the Strength card, Leo's guiding tarot archetype: true strength often whispers rather than roars, glows rather than blazes, and draws people in through authentic presence rather than demanding attention through force.

This understanding completely transformed how I relate to my own power—and it might revolutionize yours too.

Smith Waite Strength Card Our culture has sold us a narrow story about what strength looks like. We're taught that powerful people are the loudest voices in the room, that confidence means never showing vulnerability, that leadership requires dominance rather than service. Even in spiritual circles, we sometimes glorify the dramatic breakthrough over the quiet, daily practices that create lasting transformation.

But the Strength card tells a radically different story.

In the traditional Rider-Waite imagery, we see a woman gently closing or opening the mouth of a lion. She's not wrestling the beast into submission—she's working with it through patience, understanding, and what appears to be genuine love. Above her head floats the infinity symbol, suggesting that this kind of strength is both eternal and cyclical, renewable rather than depleting.

This is the essence of Leo's highest expression: power that comes from inner radiance rather than external validation, confidence that lifts others rather than diminishing them, and strength that grows stronger through use rather than burning itself out.

As we transition from Cancer's protective emotional mastery into Leo's expressive confidence, we're invited to explore a revolutionary question: What if your greatest power lies not in how loud you can be, but in how authentically you can shine?

Leo season asks us to step into our own light—not the blinding spotlight that seeks constant attention, but the warm, steady glow that helps others find their way in the darkness. This is leadership through inspiration rather than intimidation, influence through authentic example rather than forced persuasion.

The Mythology of Inner Fire

Leo is ruled by the Sun, our solar system's life-giving center. But notice how the Sun operates: it doesn't chase planets around demanding they orbit. It simply shines so consistently and powerfully that everything in the solar system naturally revolves around its light and warmth. This is the model for authentic Leo energy—becoming so aligned with your own truth that you naturally inspire others to find theirs.

The lion, Leo's symbol, is often called the "king of the jungle" (though lions actually live in savannas—even our metaphors about power sometimes miss the mark). But what makes a lion truly powerful isn't aggression; it's presence, patience, and the calm confidence that comes from knowing exactly who you are and what you're capable of.

I remember a reading I did during my first Leo season after starting Writual. I was struggling with how to show up authentically in my growing business. Everyone seemed to have advice about being more visible, more confident, more "out there." The pressure to perform strength was overwhelming me.

When I pulled the Strength card that morning, I initially felt disappointed. I wanted The Emperor or The Magician—cards that felt more traditionally powerful. But as I sat with Strength's imagery, something shifted.

I realized I'd been trying to embody other people's versions of confidence rather than discovering my own. The woman in the card wasn't trying to prove her power to anyone—she was simply working with the lion from a place of genuine understanding and compassion. She knew something that the lion needed to hear, and she was patient enough to communicate it in a way he could receive.

That reading changed how I approached my work. Instead of trying to be the loudest voice in my industry, I focused on being the most authentic one. Instead of pushing my message onto people, I trusted that the right people would find me when they were ready. Instead of performing confidence, I began cultivating genuine self-trust.

The result? Everything became easier. Not easy—but easier. My work felt more aligned, my relationships deepened, and I discovered that quiet confidence actually has far more influence than I'd ever imagined.

In a world that often rewards aggression, noise, and dominance, choosing gentle power is actually a radical act. When you refuse to play power games, when you lead through inspiration rather than intimidation, when you trust your inner authority more than external validation—you're modeling a different way of being that gives others permission to do the same.

This is why the Strength card is so revolutionary. It suggests that:

True confidence doesn't need to prove itself. When you know your worth, you don't need constant external validation.

Real power serves rather than dominates. The strongest leaders create more leaders, not more followers.

Authentic influence attracts rather than pushes. People naturally gravitate toward those who are genuinely comfortable in their own skin.

Sustainable strength grows through practice. Like the infinity symbol above the woman's head, this kind of power renews itself rather than burning out.

So how do we embody this revolutionary approach to power? Here are some ways to work with Strength energy during Leo season:

In Communication:

Speak from center rather than reaction. Take a breath before responding to challenging situations.
Trust that your authentic voice is enough. You don't need to be louder; you need to be clearer.
Listen as a form of leadership. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is create space for someone else's truth.

In Relationships:

Lead with curiosity rather than judgment. Approach conflicts with genuine interest in understanding.
Set boundaries from love rather than fear. Protect your energy because you value it, not because you're afraid of others.
Celebrate others' success as evidence of possibility. Secure people aren't threatened by others' shine.

In Work and Creativity:

Create from joy rather than obligation. When you love what you're doing, your enthusiasm becomes magnetic.
Trust the process more than forcing outcomes. Some things grow better in their own time.
Share your gifts without apology. The world needs what you have to offer, even if (especially if) it's different from what everyone else is doing.

In Self-Relationship:

Practice self-compassion as a form of strength. Beating yourself up takes more energy than learning from mistakes.
Honor your needs without justification. Taking care of yourself isn't selfish; it's sustainable.
Celebrate small victories as much as big ones. Sustainable confidence is built through consistent self-acknowledgment.

A Strength Practice for Leo Season

This month, try working with this simple daily practice:

Morning Intention: "How can I shine my authentic light today without dimming anyone else's?"

Midday Check-in: "Am I operating from genuine confidence or from the need to prove something?"

Evening Reflection: "Where did I choose gentle power over force today? How did it feel?"

Notice how this approach affects your energy, your relationships, and your sense of personal power. You might be surprised by how much more influential you become when you stop trying so hard to be powerful.

Leo season, which runs from approximately July 22nd through August 22nd, is governed by the Sun—our chart's representation of core identity, creative expression, and life purpose. This isn't about ego (though ego gets involved); it's about the deep spiritual work of discovering and expressing who you truly are beneath all the roles you play and expectations you carry.

The Sun in astrology represents:

Your essential self beyond conditioning and outside expectations
Your creative life force and what brings you genuine joy
Your leadership style and how you naturally inspire others
Your relationship with recognition and healthy pride in your accomplishments

During Leo season, these themes become supercharged. It's an ideal time for:

Creative projects that express your authentic perspective
Leadership opportunities that feel aligned with your values
Celebrating your accomplishments without false modesty
Inspiring others through your example rather than your advice

Leo is a fire sign, but it's fixed fire—not the quick spark of Aries or the transformative blaze of Sagittarius. Leo's fire is the steady flame that burns in a hearth, providing consistent warmth and light. This is campfire energy: drawing people together, creating safety and comfort, illuminating what matters most.

Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) teach us about sustainable power—the kind that doesn't fluctuate with circumstances or depend on external conditions. Leo's lesson is that true confidence comes from inner alignment, not outer approval.

This makes Leo season perfect for:

Developing consistent creative practices rather than waiting for inspiration
Building sustainable confidence through daily self-appreciation
Creating reliable sources of joy in your life
Establishing your authentic voice in whatever medium calls to you

As we move through Leo season, the invitation is to experiment with a different relationship to power—one that's based in authenticity rather than performance, service rather than dominance, and inner radiance rather than external validation.

This doesn't mean becoming passive or invisible. The Strength card woman is actively engaged with the lion; she's not backing down or hiding. But she's working with the situation through understanding and patience rather than force and manipulation.

Ask yourself:

Where in your life are you trying to force outcomes that might respond better to patient persistence?
How might your authentic self be more powerful than the version of yourself you think you should be?
What would change if you trusted your inner authority more than external validation?
Where could gentle confidence serve you better than aggressive pushing?

The lion in the Strength card isn't being suppressed—it's being integrated. This is crucial. Leo season isn't asking you to diminish your power or hide your light. It's asking you to work with your power consciously, to channel your fire toward what truly matters, and to let your confidence come from inner alignment rather than outer achievement.

Your inner lion might represent:

Your creative passion that wants expression
Your leadership abilities that want to serve something meaningful
Your desire for recognition balanced with genuine humility
Your capacity for joy that lights up everyone around you

The woman's job isn't to eliminate the lion—it's to understand it, work with it, and help it express its power in ways that serve the highest good.

Looking Ahead: Integrating Fire and Earth

As we prepare for August's shift toward Virgo season, we're building toward an integration of Leo's confident fire with Virgo's practical earth energy. This month's work with authentic confidence and gentle power sets the stage for manifesting your creative visions in concrete, sustainable ways.

Next week, we'll conduct a powerful mid-year reflection that helps you integrate everything you've learned and discovered since January, preparing for the second half of the year with clear vision and renewed purpose.

Deepen Your Understanding of Authentic Power

If this exploration of the Strength card resonates with you, you're ready to dive deeper into how tarot can guide your journey toward authentic self-expression and conscious leadership. In Tarot for Transformation, we explore cards like Strength not just as divination tools, but as maps for spiritual and psychological development.

This comprehensive course teaches you to work with tarot as a practice for building genuine confidence, making aligned decisions, and developing the kind of quiet power that changes everything around you simply by being authentic. Students often discover that learning to read tarot intuitively is actually learning to trust their own inner wisdom—the foundation of all real strength.

[Discover how Tarot for Transformation can deepen your relationship with your own authentic power and guide you toward more aligned living.]

How are you being called to embody quiet strength during this Leo season? What would change if you trusted your gentle power more than your need to prove yourself? Share your reflections in the comments below.