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Nine of Wands Meaning in a Tarot Reading

The Nine of Wands Minor Arcana Tarot card is one of resting and recuperating, of gathering our reserves of strength for the final stretch ahead. We’ve been through a lot and may be feeling a little worse for wear or battle-worn, but the Nine reminds us that it’s OK to rest; that indeed it is better to learn how to rest rather than quit.

Read on for a full Tarot card description including its Astrological and Numerological correspondences as well as what it can mean if it shows up for you as a reversal and in a general, career, or love Tarot card reading:

Meaning of the Nine of Wands

The Nine of Wands often comes to us when we are feeling bleary-eyed and weary. We may have had a lot on our plate recently (especially coming from the busyness of the Eight!), and now it is time to take a breather and stop for a moment; don’t fall at the last hurdle.

The Nine of wants is an invitation to lower our guard, breathe a sigh of release, and to lay down our Wands for a while.

Life may feel particularly busy, it may be starting to get on top of us (after the excitement of the Eight it can feel like a downer), but the end is in sight and it is safe to let go of something for now.

In the Smith Rider Waite Tarot deck, we see a worn out and wounded figure resting on their wand, surrounded by a wall of them. Naturally, this begs the question for me, are you keeping others out or yourself in? From whom or what exactly?

Whereas the eight wands previously were flying through the air, now they have landed (or been forced) into the ground upright, like a cage.

This is also a so-called stage card as it looks like the figure is standing on a stage, further raising the question if things are really as bad as they may seem. Sometimes we build walls and barriers when really the upkeep is more tiring!

There is a hole in the Wands wall where the figure seemingly took the wand they are leaning on, is it just for support or are they expecting to continue fighting?

As the Tarot tells a story, an arc line, we can look to the cards before and after for clues as to what may happen if we don’t take heed the current messaging. In the Nine, if we don’t allow ourselves to pause, we get the burnout of the Ten…

Nine of Wands Upright Keywords

Rest, weariness, exhaustion, tiredness, feeling cornered, battleworn, recuperation.

Generally, an upright Nine of Wands is an invitation to lay our heads down awhile and trust that everything is all right, to stop fighting and striving. Sometimes, especially with the momentum gained of the Eight of Wands, it can be difficult to break before it’s too late (and we reach the overwhelm of the Ten). In this, it can be useful to remember that time is not running out and that it is more efficient and kind to rest, than heal after burnout in the long run.

Astrology of the Nine of Wands

Astrologically, this is a Moon in Sagittarius card, the traveller. For me this card is one of the ones where there is a mismatch here. The Moon in Sagittarius is endlessly curious about the world around it, eager to learn and explore, it is the eternal optimist on a quest for truth and adventure.

Here I think the Astrology comes more as a warning: the grass is not always greener. The energy of archetypal Sagittarius can get itchy feet, unable to stay still in one place for long periods of time (as I know too well). Here, the invitation is to stop whatever it is we are doing awhile and be present in the stillness of the moment. No easy feat for the boundless voyager.

Numerology of the Nine of Wands

Numerologically, the 9s are a number of spiritual growth and culminations. Here, we are at the end of the cycle, the end is in sight; it is important not to burn our last reserves of fuel before the finish line!

The nine also connects it to The Hermit, one of introspection, solitude, and self-reflection.

I think this can help us to fill up our cups. When we are busy at the frontlines, sometimes all it takes is a moment to ourselves to reconnect. We may not be completely refreshed and energised, but we have come back to centre and can be more present and grounded.

The Hermit also has wisdom to teach us about how things went the last time we were in a similar situation, did they end well? We can learn from past mistakes.

Ultimately, if the Nine does come up for us when we are burning the candle at both ends (or just after a period of busyness in general), apart from the invitation to rest that we can take, there is also the solace that as a Nine it will be over soon!

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Nine of Wands Reversed Meaning

If you choose to read reversals, a Nine of Wands reversed suggests either a stronger invitation not to resist resting and to look at things from a different angle- perhaps we don’t need to be striving so hard; or it can be a message that we are approaching the end of this cycle sooner than we may have thought, take courage!

Nine of Wands in a Relationships Reading

In a love reading, the Nine of Wands can represent a tiredness and weariness about the way things have been going, a partner’s actions, or the general energy of a situation. It can be an invitation to take a breather and regroup at a later date. Similarly, it could also be a reflection that either partner(s) are feeling overloaded and may need some support. Perhaps you need to give yourself or your partner(s) a break.

Nine of Wands in a Career Reading

In a career reading, the Nine of Wands can be a message to lower your workload! To ease into rest and the slow periods. Not only is it more productive in the long run to factor in fallow moments (especially in the creative or healing fields), but also simply as a living human being: it is your birthright to rest. The Nine of Wands invites you to take a break.

So those are some Nine of Wands Tarot card meanings, I hope they’re insightful for you! Let me know in the comments section below if you have anything else to add or any questions.

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