Death of the Lion Queen

In which I discuss Death, Strength, and Angela Carter

A couple of days ago, I finished writing up a Year of Strength reading for a client. (One of the first lessons I learned in the new year was that I took on too many of these readings to get them done in a timely fashion). I used Strength as a querent card for these readings, and one of the cards I drew for this client was Death. This is someone I’ve been working with for a long time. She already knows much of what I have to say about Death. One of the challenges of reading Tarot for someone for a long time is finding new things to say about cards they’ve seen before. (I’m not complaining. This is what keeps it interesting for me.) The only way I could see to bring something fresh into my analysis was to focus on the relationship between Death and Strength.

I’ll admit that, at first, I was having some trouble eavesdropping on whatever conversation this pair might be having. All I can say is that my sense of these two cards is very different. So, I sat, and I listened, and I waited to see if these two would let me in on their tête-à-tête.

I found myself thinking about Angela Carter’s “The Tiger’s Bride,” one of my favorite stories by one of my very favorite authors, and that was my way in.

Staffordshire Pottery figure of Victorian lion tamer Ellen Bright, who was killed by a tiger in 1850. She was 17.

In A Postmodern Witch’s Guide to Strength, I talk a lot about Rhea and Cybele, two Classical goddesses who represent—among other things—wilderness and wildness. Both share a kinship with animals, particularly lions. Sometimes they are depicted riding a lion. Sometimes they are depicted riding in a chariot drawn by lions. This connection is the reason why what I know about these deities informs my understanding of Strength.