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With the Soul of a Lion – The King of Wands

Today I drew the final King to complete my collection. First came the King of Swords, with his analytical and objective mindset, shortly followed by the calm self-assurance of the King of Cups, then they were joined by the hardworking and conscientious King of Pentacles and last but not least, the King of Wands made his grand entrance. In a monarchy, the King is the supreme ruler of his society who is responsible for maintaining the welfare and happiness of the inhabitants of his kingdom. Because of this, Kings represent success, expressed by their position, power and social responsibility. And in the Tarot they represent an outward mastery of their suit.

The King of Wands, being of the suit linked to fire, represents a strong minded individual, who is both creative in his approach to life, and inspiring in his relation to others. He belives in himself above all else, knowing that his methods are best, and it is this firm belief in himself that grants him such power. He is an incredibly charismatic person, inspiring others to follow his lead, and like a magnet, attracting people to him with no effort on his part. He has a deep respect for others and knows how to bring the best out of them, empowering them to succeed in whatever they pursue. He is forceful when pursuing his own goals, never balking at a challenge or risky endeavour, with such a commanding presence, naturally taking centre stage wherever he goes, and carries his authority with a natural grace and a bold and daring strength.

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The King of Wands – Shadowscapes Tarot

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Posted on by thefoxandtheotter

Perservere through the Obstacles, and you will reach Success – The Nine of Wands

I think it’s funny how as soon as I feel my drive return I draw a card from the suit of Wands. Not only that, but it’s the first Wand I’ve drawn all month! As I said in my post yesterday I’ve been feeling a bit low in energy and lacking enthusiasm and drive to write. I feel like it’s slowly coming back now, and today I drew the Nine of Wands, which I see as the card of perseverance and stamina. I think this is a good sign :).

The Nine of Wands traditionally shows a slightly jittered and weary looking individual holding onto a stave with eight others forming a wall behind him. It is unsure whether this is a defensive wall, keeping enemies out, or whether the wall is in fact the enemy closing in on him.  Either way though, it is evident that he has been through some tough times, but more importantly, he hasn’t allowed them to knock him down! He has a bandage on his arm, representative of physical tribulations, and one upon his brow, representative of psychological/emotional hardships. Linking the psychic wound to his posture, we can deduce that this is someone who is frightened and can think of nothing else in life but the conflicts around him. He has been through so much hardship, that he is always on the defensive, looking for the next fight, even if the enemy is long gone. This is another aspect of this card, the sense of paranoia that grows when you are always assuming ill will.

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Nine of Wands – Shadowscapes Tarot

In the Shadowscapes interpretation above we see a vigilant sentinel on watch. He sits there, upon his mount, waiting for the next challenge to come. He is an image of vigilance, perseverance and stamina, waiting there day and night, for an unknown enemy, preparing for the next challenge to come. To me this image suggests that we must always remain vigilant, hold onto a core of strength and keep our energies in reserve for the moment they are needed. I see this in the golden orb the sentinel’s mount holds in his tail. He keeps it there, ready for the coming battle.

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