Nine of Wands Upright: Facing many challenges and still persevering. Feeling a bit beaten up after a prolonged process. Standing your ground. Endured some opposition. Can indicate a sense of being fenced in, tired, hanging on. You have accomplished much but there is still more to do. Hanging on until you can get to the end. Demanding much of yourself or others demanding much of you. Can reveal a sense of defensiveness or wariness. There may be a number of complex issues at work in the current situation.

Nine of Wands Best Course of Action: Hang in there! Hold on, stand your ground. Don’t give up even if you are feeling defeated. This may be a call to hang in there until reinforcements arrive. Muscle through this point of the process. Protect yourself as you push through to completion. Be aware of your surroundings and the energies around you.

Nine of Wands Reversed: Feelings of being overwhelmed by what is still left to do. Selfdoubt as the whether you have the strength to persist. Feeling that you are losing your grip. Someone who is unable or unwilling to stand up for what they believe. Either being overly defensive or giving up completely. Experiencing difficulty “reading” a situation accurately, perhaps because you are overworked. Consider whether you are engaged in defensive behavior as learned behavior from a past experience.

Nine of Wands Reversed Best Course of Action: It may be time to relax your defenses. Take the time to heal from numerous recent tasks or projects before you regroup to push through to the end. Explore whether a position you have been clinging to truly serving you. Explore whether this situation is truly winnable.