For once I can see a similarity between Margarete Petersen’s image and the RWS-based decks. A figure rests his head on one hand and – although it might be my imagination – I see his other hand on his head! A fire rages in the background – more focused than in previous cards, more reminiscent of the Ace’s flame.
I can also make out a faint outline of a feline, but nowhere near as
defined as in the Six, Seven, and Eight. It’s as if the energies of the
previous cards have been internalized (for want of a better word) in the Nine –
which could be seen as inner strength, my usual take on this card - using our
internal resources to keep on keeping on, and perhaps defending what we hold
dear. Margarete Petersen calls this the ‘fire of healing and maturing’; having learned
how to handle fire through experience we can now ignite and direct the fire
ourselves.
Astrologically, there’s a link to the Sun in Sagittarius - Fire
and Fire!. The Sun rules Leo, the lion, which we often see in traditional
RWS-versions of Strength. The Sun also
suggests a sense of the individual; here in the Nine of Wands the focus is using
our strength to stand up for what we belief in - and perhaps holding a more
optimistic philosophical view of the world (through Sagittarius and its ruler
Jupiter).
Fire rages within,
Creating and
destroying:
Strength controls passion.
Strength controls passion.
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