The Nine of Wands represents a moment of pause.
You might need a reprieve from a busy, chaotic period. Maybe you’ve overcommitted or focused too hard on a goal; you’ve got to stop, take a breath, and recenter before you face the final stretch.
The exhaustion of the Nine of Wands can also be circumstantial. I’ve seen this card pulled when people are dealing with violence, bullying, and lawsuits and need to seek solace and protection.
Your troubles may be less severe but still worrying. You could be dealing with accusations, gossip, or injustice. This card’s guarded energy encourages you to step away from the toxic situation, whether it’s big deal stuff or the smaller things irking you.
If you can’t step away from the grossness or take a hard pass, the Nine of Wands encourages you to watch from the sidelines. Things might work themselves out on their own. And if not, you’ll find the solution when you’re less enmeshed in the moving gears. Be still.
The watchful, vigilant energy of this card could encourage you to keep something secret. A project or development might need safeguarding. Figure out what you need to feel secure, emotionally or physically. If you’re working on something creative, consider trademarks, patents, or other ways to protect your work.
Sometimes this card appears when people are overly anxious and uncertain about the future. You might have faced disappointment in the past; you’re sticking to what’s safe to avoid a repeat scenario. While it’s good to take things slow, make sure your hyper-vigilance isn’t steeped in irrational fear.
If this card is drawn reversed, you might find anxiety getting the best of you. You could be paranoid, feeling like the worst will happen, or that people are out to get you. You might be reeling from past difficulties and unable to grasp what’s real. This results in missed opportunities and connections.
When drawn in the right way, the Nine of Wands represents caution, care, and fortification as a necessary part of the process.
Sources
Greer, Mary. Archetypal Tarot. San Francisco, CA: Weiser Books, 2011.
Greer, Mary. Tarot Reversals. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2002.
Pollack, Rachel. Tarot Wisdom. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2008.
Snow, Cassandra. Queering the Tarot. Newburyport, MA: Weiser Books, 2019.
Tea, Michelle. Modern Tarot. New York, NY: Harper Collins: 2017.
Wen, Benebell. Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2015.
Video
Tarot Spread
If you are drawn to the Nine of Wands and want to dig deeper, get them outta your deck, make them your mascot, and draw some cards from the rest of the deck with this tarot spread I created!
