Nine of Wands

Nines in the tarot symbolize the penultimate act before a journey comes full circle; the Nine of Wands is no different. Against trials of fire, you’ve reached home stretch, albeit fatigued and near-empty. Receiving the card upright is a nudge to press on even when we are battle-worn, for success is on the horizon. Lean into your inner power. You’ve witnessed what your grit, courage, and resilience can do even after much difficulty. But take heed, too: Though you must persevere, the card also means honoring our limit to safeguard our well-being. Stay firm with your boundaries. Say no when needed.

The reversed Nine of Wands takes the resilience and determination associated with the card in a negative light. Weary from hardships, you find yourself so overwhelmed or depleted that you lose the drive to push forward. You may feel trapped in fears, a defeatist mindset, old patterns, or an inability to assert boundaries, stripping away your personal power. Conversely, it may signal being unyielding to compromise, to your own detriment. A reversal asks us to move past self-limiting beliefs, take courage, and firmly protect our boundaries, to see our goals through. Let go of what you must and stand with tenacity. Growth lies on the other side.