“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ― Charles Darwin
I always pick my Tarot of the Week card randomly, and have been often surprised at how often is matches my life, and the energy around the people I know. So many people are talking about this defensiveness bubbling up, or feeling solitary, alone, battling, or a feeling of being protective, or on edge. There is a lot going on in the Nine of Wands, and it is not bad in the slightest. This Nine, I have found in my experience in readings, validates this feeling, and helps give a positive view of the next phase of their lives.
Tarot writers often call the Nine of Wands the Defense card. It is easy to see why. The Nine of Wands stands at the ready, head bandaged, leaning on his staff. He is guarded, weary, clearly tired. Without any Tarot knowledge whatsoever we can discern a few things about this lad from the start. He's been through a battle, but not quite through the war yet. His posture is decidedly defensive, but there is positivity throughout this card. The sky is clear blue, the wands are sprouting saplings, symbolizing new growth. All is created for survival here. As Darwin said, "“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” The Nine of Wands has adapted to his circumstances by building a wall of Wands, and standing in a position that has been successful before.
We know the Nines are the numerological equivalent of the end of a cycle. We saw it in the Nine of Pentacles, and the Nine of Swords. But Nines never show a proverbial end with champagne, confetti, and a vacation, rather they show us at the penultimate point, or the point before the end. As Tarot writers often say about this card, you may have won the battle, but the war is not quite over. The Wands are the suit of Fire--creativity, work, passion, enterprise and action. Often this card arrives when work or your creative endeavors are feeling like a battle royale. Sometimes this card comes around reputation and family, but I often find it in my readings around the workplace, and workplace politics. This card shows a man bandaged, acknowledging that he has scars and bruises. This conflict hurts him. Remember scars grow on people who survive, not on the dead. It is a strange way to say something that is supposed to be positive, but the Nine of Wands acknowledges how hard won your successes are. It is often said, the war is not about winning, but about surviving. And in this case, there is a victory in still standing. But we also know more battles are coming. This man is a survivor. His defensiveness has helped him. He is ready or prepared.
So, in the upright, Spirit reminds you that you should be defensive and ready for another battle. That standing up for yourself is an important aspect of this time. You have gone through a cycle of this, and are preparing for another cycle of it, but this time you are more prepared. If you are reading for someone's health, the Nine of Wands can indicate that the person is strengthening and fighting, and they are victorious about some aspect of a serious health crisis. When I read for chakras, I often see this card as a blocked heart chakra. And I often say to the person that this is a good thing. The heart is a gift you give to people. We must think of our vulnerability as a precious gift we only give to those who deserve it. So, to block the chakras to another can be very protective, and important. We must learn to shield our energies when we encounter someone unworthy of its value.
But this is the issues we encounter in the challenge position, or the reversed position. Is the defensiveness now working against you? We have all met defensive people, and it can be more than off-putting. It raises your own defenses. So, the reversed Nine of Wands tells us that our defensiveness is not longer serving our Highest Good. It also appears for those who are so bruised and scarred from the past, that they are unable to put their defenses down and trust another person. Not just the heart is blocked, but the entire chakra system from chakras 1-4 are blocked. The throat is not, however, which can mean that someone is getting into battle with their words, and no connection to their heart. See how dangerous that can be?
Let me know about your experience with the Nine of Wands, and what you think of these Tarot posts. I cannot believe I have been writing here for a year. Can you? Maybe I need a little blog celebration? Weeeeeee!!