9 of Cups

The 9 of Cups has a man sitting on a wooden bench, a row of cups are displayed on an elevated covered table or bar.  He sits proudly showing off his accomplishments.  Sitting is a symbol that can mean taking time to reflect or relax - in this card it could mean taking time to reflect on the past and contemplate the things that worked and examining areas that could be tweaked.

Many books call the 9 of Cups "the wish" card - I disagree with this interpretation because it is in having and executing a plan do dreams and wishes become fulfilled.  As the "good book" says, "...faith without works is dead..."

Yellow/gold is also the dominant color in this card - it's a happy color, reminds me of a gold medal or the phrase "let the Sun shine in".  The man is wearing a white robe, symbolizing celebration and purity, however there appears to be touches of grey so perhaps there was a bit of trickery involved in making his achievement?  Not all trickery is bad - in sports a trick play can be used to score points while passing a few bucks under the table in a business situation is certainly unethical, if not illegal in some instances.

The man to me represents a dominant energy not necessarily a male.  So when this card appears in a reading, generally I would say there was a plan that succeeded and there was great pride taken in the successful execution of the plan - depending on what the other cards and the question is, this could be good or bad.