Shadowscapes Tarot

NINE of WANDS

The Sentinels keep watch from above, ever wary, ever vigilant. They are the Eternal Guardians. They defend against the unknowns that lie hidden in the abyss - perhaps it is just light and mist and the edge of the world, but they have not yet ventured beyond to see with their own eyes. They know only that they have been charged to watch, gaze glued to the west, from where the light fades each dying day.

When the last rays shoot forth and the green flash bids the sun farewell, what will come from night's abyss? Can their forces withstand the assault? They have not yet been tested. Each day when the dusk fades to black they wait for their unnamed foe and strain their eyes to the western darkness and wonder if this will be the night he comes. It is easy to be proud, tall, and at attention when the strength of the sun shines upon their shoulders. It is much harder to keep that through the silence of the twilight hours. And yet, they hold true, for they know one day they will be needed.

Vigilance is the watchword for the Nine of Wands. It urges you to keep strength in reserve and to always be prepared for any eventuality. Retain a core of power; even more importantly know what that inner strength is, for sometimes we possess an ability to endure through travails that is not evident until put to the test. It is easy though, to become lax and to lose the edge when the challenge does not rise as quickly or as often as expected. Maintaining that acuity can be the most difficult challenge of all.