This version of the Nine of Wands is so poignant. There is one last battle to face. The man is likely exhausted, battered (at least he appears so in other images). He cannot count on his physical strength and so he turns to his deity, the one who feeds his passion, his soul. On this power he must depend. It is all he has left.

The 9 of Swords is one we are all familiar with. While it can sometimes represent plain old insomnia, as a Swords card, it represents the sleeplessness caused by obsessive thinking. That hamster in a wheel in your brain running and running over the same paths, getting nowhere. Yeah, that’s this card.

In old texts, the 9 of Cups is called the Wish Card. Whenever it comes up, I squeal and get excited. I really do think of it as the Wish Card. It represents a full satisfaction with one’s life at that moment.

Next to the High Priestess, I see more female tarot readers identify with this card, the 9 of Pentacles. This image is a perfect picture of an accomplished, independent, successful woman. Not only has she achieved a lot, she doesn’t even look stressed. Hmmm. Maybe this should be my new Wish Card.

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Written by Barbara Moore
The tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over a decade. In college, the tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, and history. Later, she served as the tarot specialist for Llewellyn Publications. Over the years, she has ...