The card of the year for 2024 is Strength. We arrive at this card by adding the numbers: 2+0+2+4=8.
In the Rider Waite Smith edition of the Tarot, we see a woman in a flowing white dress handling a lion. She is adorned with flowers and there’s an infinity symbol above her head. Far off in the distance is a mountain.
What do we make of this card for this upcoming year? Let’s look at the colors first. This is a vibrant card. The sky is bright yellow, indicating hope and illumination. The white robe suggests purity and the red flowers represent courage and passion. The green grass shows growth and health. The burst of color on this card makes it feel overwhelmingly positive.
Next, we’ll look at the infinity symbol (which we also see on The Magician). This represents the constant flow of energy and wisdom. When you stop learning, you stop living.
So what is happening in this card? We see from the woman’s stance and expression that she’s not afraid of this lion. In fact, she practically has her hands in its mouth. This card is all about our inner strength and courage.
For 2024, I see this as a very powerful card.
First, I always align this card with healers. Whether you’re a massage therapist, Reiki master, dental hygienist or vet tech, this card is for you. It’s about the challenges you’ve faced in life that make you good at what you do. I believe 2024 is going to be an incredibly important year for all healers. We were asked to step up our game in 2020/2021, but this year is going to be pivotal. This card suggests that you stay connected to your true purpose. Don’t get sidetracked by the hustle and don’t get pulled down by the nay-sayers. This is the year you’ll be called into quiet action.
Speaking of quiet, the visual on the card suggests that even the lion’s loud roar doesn’t shake the woman. In 2024, silence and quietude will be your friend. You don’t need to respond to people or situations that don’t align with your values. Not that you need to come at things from a defensive stance– it’s not that at all. It’s standing in your own space of integrity without having to explain yourself. You can tame the wild with your love and compassion.
This is all the rainbows and sparkles of this card. But there’s another side to it. I’ve said since the start of the pandemic that those who do the work will be fine; those who don’t will suffer. We’re seeing this now. Notice how there are a lot more angry people on the road these days? Have you seen an uptick in addictions, divorces, domestic violence, horrific diagnoses? People are epically unhappy right now because it’s all too easy to slide into the lower vibration energies of sadness, anger, fatigue, laziness, selfishness. It takes work to move out from under these emotions into the higher frequencies of joy, contentment, selflessness and gratitude. How do you do that? Well one way to find a healing modality that resonates with you. It can be anything: yoga, meditation, exercise, dance, singing, chanting, talk therapy, drawing, hiking … tons of options. The Strength card calls on us to engage in these high-vibrational activities this year. I suggest marking off one day a week on your calendar to make sure you’re giving yourself this gift.
The takeaway for the Strength card in 2024: as long as you stay in a place of integrity and compassion, you’ll be just fine. Reach out to healers that you align with and take care of yourself. And if you’re a healer, start with the heart and stay in the frequency of love, knowing that we are all one.
Happy 2024!