A look at Force (Strength)

Jean Noblet Tarot by JC Flornoy

What's the most effective thing I can do to make today a successful day? 

Subdue the beast and keep my gaze to the future.

What else is here? Her hat reminds me of the tail of a beaver. The beaver is industrious and persistent. Beavers build dams. We have the saying, 'beavering away' when we mean to work on something, to exert oneself, to continue with the work at hand until the goal is reached. There's an answer in that. Don't quit before you're through.

The top of her head reminds me of the teeth in the beast's mouth. She has more teeth in her crown than he has in his mouth. She has the fiercer determination. She can overcome him. Another answer -- remember I have the upper hand. I have more tools at my disposal, I have more options.

Eva Green as Vanessa

Her face reminds me of Vanessa Ives (from 'Penny Dreadful') when she is beset by something. The beauty with the intense expression. The figure in the Noblet Tarot does not have the demure expression often seen on the face of Strength in some tarot decks. This struggle is not serene. It can't be pleasant to have your hands plunged into the mouth of a beast -- it's slick, smelly, the teeth are sharp and it's no doubt struggling against you and trying to bite. Still, the task does not require her to look down into the mouth of the beast, and it's probably best if she doesn't. Instead she keeps her eyes focused on the progress she wishes to make. 'When you look into the abyss, the abyss looks into you,' as the saying goes. The beast is already looking up directly at the figure. If she were to lock eyes with it, what might happen? No, best to keep eyes forward. Answer three: don't make it personal. It isn't.

There's a job to be done, I'm in a good position to do it, and I should keep my emotions out of it and just get on with it.

What job do you have to do today? How do you need to keep your eyes forward? Have you identified the teeth in your crown? How can you wrangle the beast today?  In what ways do you need to draw back from the situation and keep it impersonal?