A weary and wounded man guards Nine Wands. He stands up for what he believes in and protects what he has fought for. He is prepared and ready to do battle again, if necessary. 

 

The Nine of Wands shows us a situation where we are so close, almost there... but faced with adversity or slowing progress just before reaching our goal. Giving up is not an option here; we'll lose everything and walk away with nothing. We have no choice but to find a final reserve of energy and strength inside ourselves, and push on. 

 

It's tempting to get a cynical after investing so much energy for so long, and still not having reached the end of the journey. We may have the tendency to think that we've not come very far, and fear that all that work has been for naught. But cynicism is antithetical to appreciating the very real progress we've made thus far, and to hoping for a better future. We should not give in to it. On the other hand, there is the danger of getting worn out by the struggle - we need to know when to take a rest, take care of ourselves.