9 of Wands. Holding the line.

 The nine of wands can tell a story. It is one of those cards that could have been pulled out of any story book scene. You see the hero before a wall of staves planted in the ground and a bandage upon his brow. He looks wearily off to the side trying to catch his breath while he rests on his staff.
    But like any scene pulled out of a book, it is missing a vital context. We place the context upon the card by the very fact that we try and ascribe meaning to a picture of situation.
    Taking the time to look at this card and using a little bit of imagination you can actually see different possibilities within. The band around his head may in fact be a sweatband rather than a bandage. The staves may actually be budding branches and not a wall to keep something in or out.
   Regardless of these minor details there themes within this card that speak of its real meaning. He has obviously completed some great task or trial, whether it is the planting of the staves, the defense of a barrier or the ascent of a mountain path. The number of staves is reaching its limit and is close to completion. Even though the task is not yet complete, the bulk of the work has been done and will be complete with one final push.
   The suit of wands is a fiery passionate story. It begins slowly like any fire and like the nature of fire encompasses battles, victory and strife. The previous cards are of movement and battle and speed and this is the card in the deck that is a little bit of a breather.
     The figure in the card wears the clothes of a labourer and with his sleeves rolled up he looks ready to work. You can see from his worried look to the side that he doesn't quite believe that his work is done. He has one final rod to plant, then his work will be complete. This is the most important rod as it covers the gap in the wall in which he has his back to. This may mean that you are unaware of the final step you need to take to fully complete the process, but it isn't far and you will soon be done.
  This card has appeared for me in several recent readings and has come up time and time again in the past. It signifies a battle that is not yet over, but one that you will ultimately win. In all likelihood it points to a situation that has occurred numerous times but in this instance you have the past experience to really move past it for good.
    For me it is the financial issue. Today Zoe also heard back from a job, so we are now both employed. We both have a few expenses we need to pay for, which for us symbolises the final push for which we are already prepared.
  Ultimately this card is a positive one as it means the closing of a chapter which has been painful and which has left you battered and bruised.