Card Meaning: IX of Wands
Keywords: stamina, determination, perseverance, follow through, weary, exhausted, cautious, leery, strength, courage, resilient, persistent, not backing down, keep calm and carry on
Reversed: unmotivated, giving up, lack of determination, hesitating, wavering, unsure, to tired to continue, resting, taking a break
Associated Major Card: Strength
The IX of Wands is a card of stamina, determination, perseverance, and follow through. Life will test you with the IX of Wands. There are many challenges in store for you. In fact, you most likely already know what those challenges are and have been struggling with them for a while. But you are not beat down. You can deal. Anything worth doing generally doesn't come easy. You know what your end goal is, you have your eye on the prize, and you will continue. Nothing will stop you now when you are so close and so clear in your intentions. You can feel it in your bones, but mostly you can feel it in your spirit. It will not be quieted. You need to focus on carrying on, even when fatigued or unmotivated. The IX of Wands promises success for all those who accept its challenge not to throw in the towel just yet, but pull on through even against the odds.
This card is the Minor Arcana echo of the Strength card, as it reminds you to find you inner resolve, trust in your ability to accomplish whatever it is you set out to do, and keep going. If you're not a naturally competitive person and have a tendency to let things go that do not come easily to you, the appearance of this card is a wake up call. Tell yourself that you are worth it. Tell yourself that your ideas should be pursued. You can change, make a difference, creative something, reach your goal. You will need to push yourself though, to not just let go of what doesn’t come easily, and to struggle for what you're passionate about creating. The IX of Wands indicates a need to focus on follow-though, even when faced with all possible setbacks and difficulties. It will be worth it in the end.
The IX of Wands reversed:
When the IX of Wands comes up reversed, it's time to get real with yourself about whether or not you have abandoned your goals. Did you give up on your dream? Did you get beat down by the odds? Were there so many setbacks that your goal seemingly grew farther and farther away instead of ever making progress? You know what, sometimes that happens. It's ok. Just because you aren't making progress or putting your dreams on the back burner for a while, doesn't mean that you are a failure. Your priority now is to take care of yourself. We humans feel a drive to always be moving forward, but that isn't reality. Life moves in cycles. Our energy ebbs and flows just like the tides pulled by the waning and waxing moon. If now is a low time, a sad energy time, an introspective static time, be cool with that. Don't berate yourself for taking a break. Rejuvenating and relaxing now could help you make leaps in bounds when you finally do have the energy to proceed.
Oh the other hand, if you check in with yourself and realize that you're just a big lazy pants, it might be time to give yourself a kick in those pants to take action. Sometimes the biggest challenge we face is resistance. Or it's a lack of drive. Or it's the fear of the unknown. Something in our human psychology doesn't want us to change. We like to play it safe and do the same old thing because even if we hated it all along, we lived through it and could live through it again. But is that any way to live? Don't you want to break down your walls? Don't you want to reach for your dreams? Wouldn't it actually be wonderful if you stopped fearing success and just went for it? You will survive something new, believe me. Let the IX of Wands be the gentle push, or the huge kick in the ass, you need to get back on track toward your dreams, overcome your resistance to change, and get going!