Standing your ground is not that simple.
Looking at the wounded healer on the nine of wands tarot card, he does look a bit defensive as he stands there holding one wand in front of him with eight more wands standing upright behind him. Is there also perhaps a bit of stubborn rebelliosness?
In readings I often say stand your ground but try not to be over defensive. It hadn’t occurred to me that rebelliousness is another way we defend ourselves from others telling us what to do, or what to think. And why the advice of the nine of wands in a tarot reading is to make sure you have solid boundaries. Draw a line in the sand and say this far and no further.
I rather like the idea of rebelliousness. For me it has a wonderfully spirited image, of Elizabeth Taylor as the girl in ‘Black Beauty’ who tosses her curly head of hair and defiantly kicks her pony into a gallop. You can tell which generation I grew up in.
Although rebelliousness can just look sulky, and reminds me of how Archie, five years old, glowers at me from ferocious wrinkled brow, jaw stuck out, determined to resist my urgings when he wants to do something that perhaps I am discouraging him from. His expression makes it hard not to laugh. Although sulky on an adult isn’t a good look
Trying to be protective of your ideas, your way of coming at life, without being over influenced by others and perhaps with a feeling of needing to protect yourself from past disappointments, hurts, are all aspects of the nine of wands. And standing your ground is easier said than done without offending others. A generalisation. People prefer it when you agree with them.
It is worth bearing in mind that at then nine of wands stage, you have come from the seven of wands, You’ve already fought your corner and got onto higher ground in order get a proper perspective of the situation and decided to be opportunistic and do what YOU want to do. And now nearly at the 10 (goal accomplished) you have every right to stand your ground. You are closer than you think to success.
Even so, it might also be an interesting moment to examine whether some nine of wands behaviour is actually serving you. Under close scrutiny I can see there’s a stubbornness verging on withholding that I need to watch out for. And by that I mean, sometimes when I find it difficult to fully express an idea, a belief even, I just don’t express it. Ok I may not have fully formed my idea, ideas, I’m at the 9 level, not the 10, and I certainly don’t want them to be knocked back, nor do I want to get it wrong, so I’ve noticed a tendency just not to voice them at all. Rebelliousness, defensiveness, cowardice, hmmm?
Pondering the nine of wands for this blog, has been interesting and opened up some awareness and possibility of loosening some of my justifications for doing things, and for not doing things. I’m not going to mention my particular bad habit. Still I wanted to include these ideas when considering the 9 of wands in a reading in case they resonate.
All that aside, I still say stand your ground, and don’t let others tell you how to live your life. Which is exactly what my Dad said to me many years ago after he observed that I had lost ‘my sparkle’. He actually said ‘Don’t let the f***** get you down!’ And then hooted with laughter, a great big head thrown back raucous laugh. More of a cackle actually. It made me burst out laughing. Great advice I thought at the time and still do.