Nine of Wands Keywords: Defensive, Persistence

Nine of Wands Tarot Card Description

An injured man stands watchful, holding a wand in both hands. Behind him are eight wands standing in a row. They form a boundary, or palisade. It’s obvious that the man has been through a tough time, but we can see that he is still standing strong and ready to fight.

What The Nine of Wands Means In A Tarot Reading

Life has been tough for you lately. You’ve had to deal with setback after setback. But you’re not someone who’ll be kept down. When the going was tough, you kept going. This strength of character serves you well. You have the strength and resilience to stand your ground. You might be surprised at just how strong you really are.

You’ve been through a hard time, but you’re still standing. Despite being knocked back you get up and keep going. You’re more than a match for life’s setbacks. However, this has put you in defensive mode. You’re wary of everyone and everything. You feel that you need to be alert and ready to fight at any time.

You’ll eventually realise that it’s ok to let your guard down, however. If you look at the card, you can see that there are gaps in the palisade that can’t be defended. You can’t defend against every eventuality.

While the guy in the card is in this defensive mode, he’s not free to explore his surroundings. Translate this to your own life and you’ll find that, if you’re constantly worrying about every little thing, you won’t be free to explore and develop. You’ll be trapped in this cycle of worry and anxiety. However, we can see in the card that there is no danger present. You’ve been through the battle and the danger has passed. It’s ok now to ‘put down your weapon’ and relax a little. That said, you know now that you have the strength to deal with problems and difficulties when they arise in the future. You have the endurance to see things to their conclusion, even when you’re faced with strong opposition.

The Nine of Wands Love And Relationships Tarot Meaning

You will need to acknowledge and deal with some difficult emotions when you see the Nine of Wands in a love reading. It’s very likely that you’ve been hurt in the past and this has made you overprotective, defensive, wary, and perhaps even jealous. These negative emotions and thought patterns aren’t helpful at all in your current relationship. Sure, you don’t want to be made a fool of again and you’re perfectly right not to allow anyone to walk all over you, but throwing up defences that keep your partner from getting too close to you is just going to kill your relationship in the end. Sharing our vulnerabilities is part of what makes our relationships strong and valuable. If you simply can’t do this in your current relationship, then, perhaps, you need to rethink your situation.

It may also be that it’s this current relationship that’s causing you to be hyper-vigilant and defensive. If this is the case, then you really need to consider the toll that this relationship is having on you. Is there some way that you can reach a better understanding as a couple? In any event, this relationship needs a lot of work. You need to be honest with yourself here and acknowledge the toll that this relationship is having on your mental health. A remedy needs to be found, or, perhaps, this just isn’t the right relationship for you.

Are you jealous and trying to keep control over the situation? This isn’t good for you and it’s detrimental to your partner. Please be honest with yourself here. If you have the foresight and personal insight to read tarot and to truly try to understand yourself and the energies around you, then you’re certainly strong enough to acknowledge when your actions are potentially damaging others and yourself. If any of this resonates with you, then now is the time to own it and to work on it. Your happiness, and the happiness of those around you, depends on it.

If everything I’ve said so far seems very negative, please remember that you have the power to change this situation. Try being more open and trusting, and see how much happier you and your partner will be.

If you’re single, then you also have work to do. Past hurts and disappointments have led to you throwing up defences in an effort to protect yourself. But the thing is that, in order to attract a partner and develop a relationship, we need to be open and trusting, which also means being vulnerable. Your defensiveness served you well in the past and got you through some very difficult times, but the time has come now to let others in and to trust again. You can’t control how others behave, but you can allow yourself to experience the joy of trusting and loving again.

The Nine of Wands Career Tarot Meaning

When the Nine of Wands shows up in a career reading it very often indicates that you’ve been working very hard on a project and you’ve finally almost completed it. The experience has taken an awful lot out of you, but it has also taught you a lot about the resilience and endurance you’re capable of, especially when under serious pressure. You have the strength to keep going and to be successful despite the odds being stacked against you.

The Nine of Wands can also indicate that for some reason you feel that you need to protect your territory at work. Perhaps your colleagues are encroaching on your territory. Your abilities aren’t in doubt, however. Be aware of the rivalries and power-plays that are happening around you, but remember also that you have earned your right to be in the position you have at work. You’re more than a match for rivals and competitors. Stand your ground, but be careful not to let fear and anxiety take hold.