Transcription
Welcome to the Memorizing Tarot Cards podcast, your three-minute lessons to learn and memorize each card using symbolism. I use the Rider-Waite Tarot. If you listen and see the card using your own deck today, we are diving into the meaning behind the Nine of Wands.
We will start with a simple breakdown of the suit and number. The second part will dig into more symbolism to help you look at this card, remember it, and tell a story. First, let's start with the suit and number. The suit of Wands represents our emotions, fire, and passion. Examples are new ideas, creative projects, having new hope in a situation, recognizing potential, and feeling motivated. The Wands are a suit called the Minor Arcana. It is structured like a deck of playing cards and has cards numbered 1 to 10. Each card is stepping through a journey in the life of the person you're reading for. The Ace is the start of the journey, and card 10 is the completion of the cycle. The number nine represents completion, near the end of a cycle.
Next, let's take the symbolism a step further to help you memorize the meaning of this card. In the Rider-Waite deck, you see a person who is alone after what appears to be a battle, symbolizing endurance. The Wands are standing behind the person, showing struggles are now in the past. The fight is now over. Look at the sky and the ground. The sky is blue, showing that the environment around the situation is good. Also, the ground is stable but gray, which means that the querent has stability now, but the gray indicates that it feels uncertain even though it is solid. Putting it all together, the Nine of Wands reflects that the querent is nearing the end of a rewarding yet challenging journey.
Next, let's cover the astrology associated with this card. The Nine of Wands is associated with the Moon in Sagittarius. This pairing combines the introspective qualities of the Moon with Sagittarius's adventurous spirit and endurance for the final push to the last step in the journey.
Now that we have covered the basics, symbolism, and even a bit of astrology, how do we apply this knowledge to a reading? Well, looking solely at this card, you would take its meaning and apply it to the meaning of the position in the spread. For example, when the Nine of Wands appears in the current position, it suggests that the querent is near the end of a journey. If their passion project was about school, they have finished final exams and submissions. If they are selling their business, they are getting the final paperwork done and negotiating terms and conditions. They are at that final push, but remember there is still the Ten of Wands, so they are near completion but not quite done.
When I was learning Tarot, how did I memorize the Nine of Wands, truly? Instead of memorizing the divine meaning of a card, I memorized the symbols we discussed, which helped me memorize many cards, and of course, I kept practicing. Also, I memorized the number on the cards that are associated with the journey; in other words, the nine represents completion, nearing the end of a cycle. This is similar for all suits. Also, remember the symbolism for the sky and the ground: the blue sky versus a gray sky shows a positive outlook; the solid ground versus bumpy ground; the Wands behind him on the battlefield mean the situation is behind him. Make memorization more about the symbols and less about the cards. I also memorize that Wands are feelings, not logic. Feelings are passion, our ideas, and creative pursuits; logic is more weighing the facts and deciding something. Memorizing the symbolism takes repetition. As well as you listen to these three-minute lessons, you will have the consistent reminders of symbolism that apply across different cards and series in the deck.
Thank you for listening. Join us for more three-minute lessons to memorize more cards.