Nine of Wands: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
Upright Nine of Wands Meanings
‘Nine of Wands’, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
Keywords
Resilience, Perseverance, Last Stand, Defensiveness, Stamina, Courage
Generally
The Nine of Wands signifies a final test of resilience and perseverance before reaching a conclusion. It represents the weary but determined energy of someone who has been through many battles but is prepared to face one last challenge. This card speaks of stamina and the courage to hold your ground when you are bruised but not broken. This is the energy of a marathon runner pushing through the final, painful mile; a student staying up all night to finish their dissertation; or a defender holding the walls against a final assault.
In a Love Context
In matters of love, this card often points to a relationship that has endured significant challenges and is now facing one last test of its strength. It can represent a couple who, after a series of arguments or external pressures, must show a final burst of resilience to save their partnership. This card can also signify a person who is battle-scarred from past relationships and is now defensively protecting their heart, wary of being hurt again but still standing.
In a Money/Career Context
This card represents the final, exhausting push to complete a long and difficult project or to see a business through a challenging period. It might be working through the weekend to meet a final deadline, defending your project against a final round of criticism, or a business that is battered but still standing after a market downturn. It is the card of professional stamina and the resilience needed to see a difficult task through to its conclusion.
In a Spiritual Context
This can signify the final test on a long spiritual journey, often referred to as a "dark night of the soul." It represents a period where your faith and discipline are pushed to their absolute limit. The Nine of Ws is the energy of the weary pilgrim who, after a long and arduous journey, sees the temple on the horizon and must summon the last of their strength for the final ascent.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Do not give up now. Hold your ground. Persevere. This is the final test.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A final, exhausting struggle. A hard-won but weary victory. A successful defence of your position.
As Obstacles
Burnout. Battle-weariness. A defensive attitude that is preventing a resolution. Paranoid defensiveness.
As Hidden Energy
An untapped reserve of resilience. The strength to face one last challenge is available.
As Resources/Alliances
Your own stamina and grit. A well-defended position. Past experience of overcoming challenges.
‘The Nine of Wands’ Reversed
Keywords
Giving Up, Exhaustion, Paranoia, Being Overwhelmed, Refusing to Compromise
Generally
Reversed, the Nine of Wands can point to a complete and utter exhaustion that leads to surrender. It signifies a point where you have no more fight left in you and are finally giving up. This can also represent a stubborn, paranoid defensiveness where you are fighting a battle that is already over or refusing to compromise. This is the energy of a soldier deserting their post, a project abandoned at the final hurdle, or a paranoid refusal to let anyone in.
In a Love Context
This card often signifies giving up on a difficult relationship. It can be the moment when a couple decides they are too exhausted to keep fighting for their partnership. It may also represent a person who is so defensive and paranoid from past hurts that they are completely unable to form a new, healthy connection, seeing threats and potential betrayals everywhere.
In a Money/Career Context
This can mean complete burnout at work, leading you to quit a job or abandon a project just before completion. It might represent a stubborn refusal to adapt or compromise in a business negotiation, leading to a complete failure. It is the energy of a "last stand" that is based on paranoia and inflexibility rather than courage.
In a Spiritual Context
This can mean a complete collapse of faith due to spiritual exhaustion. It may represent abandoning a spiritual path that has become too difficult or a paranoid, dogmatic mindset that cuts you off from any new spiritual insights. It is the energy of a spiritual fortress that has become a prison.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Surrender. The fight is over. It is time to lower your defences. Do not be so paranoid.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
Defeat through exhaustion. A project will be abandoned. A stubborn refusal to compromise will lead to failure.
As Obstacles
Paranoia. A defensive attitude that is alienating others. A refusal to admit that a battle is lost.
As Hidden Energy
A secret desire to give up. An unacknowledged paranoia is sabotaging the situation.
As Resources/Alliances
Help comes from finally admitting defeat. The wisdom of knowing when to surrender.
Additional Notes on The RWS ‘Nine of Wands’
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings of The Nine of Wands
"The card signifies strength in opposition. If attacked, the person will meet the onslaught boldly; and his build shews that he may prove a formidable antagonist. With this main significance there are all its possible adjuncts--delay, suspension, adjournment. Reversed: Obstacles, adversity, calamity." (The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911)
RWS Nine of Wands Symbolism
A.E. Waite’s Nine of Wands depicts a weary but determined figure, leaning on a staff. He has a bandage around his head, indicating he has already been through a battle. Behind him stand eight other wands, planted in the ground like a defensive wall or fence. His posture is one of vigilant waiting; he is looking over his shoulder as if expecting another attack. The scene is an allegory for resilience, the courage to face one last challenge, and the stamina to defend what you have already built.
Meditations On The Nine of Wands
Am I preparing for a real threat, or am I being paranoid and overly defensive?
Where do I need to draw on my reserves of resilience to see something through to the end?
Is this a battle worth fighting, or is it time to lay down my arms?
