Robin Wood Tarot - Nine of Wands
Robin Wood
Deck: Llewellyn
Book: Livingtree Press

Description:
A young man stands on the bare ground against a gray, cloudy background. He is shirtless and barefoot and a bandage is tied around his head, with a smear of blood on it. He's holding a crystal-tipped staff and appears to be leaning on it just a little and he looks contemplative to me. Eight other staffs are arranged upright behind him, like a barrier.

From the book:
Key phrase: Wait for it
Upright meanings: Waiting for difficulties, changes, new challenges. Hidden foes, deception, temporary cease-fire in struggle.
Reversed: Obstacles, problems, calamity, illness, disability.

My thoughts:
The man shown on the card has obviously been fighting and he just as obviously knows the fight isn't over. He's in a moment of temporary respite and you can almost see him gathering his thoughts and his strength for the next round of the battle.

When I see this version of the 9 of Wands, I think of things like the scene from the movie "The Karate Kid" where the main character has been injured, but insists on finishing the tournament and I see the moment when he's gathered his strength and is balanced on one foot, waiting for what he knows will be his only real chance to triumph. I picture soldiers in foxholes trying to find a few minutes of calm before the next battle. I picture something as simple as someone pausing outside a door to take a deep breath and calm their thoughts before walking into a room where they know an emotional struggle will take place.

This card would remind me "Take a deep breath; it's going to be a bumpy ride."

Deb R.