9 of Wands, reversed

Today's card, 9 of Wands, shows us a person who has survived a fight or two and he's behind a wall that he's erected, while holding a wand.  He's built a wall for protection from the outside, and he appears to be in a defensive mode.

We build walls inside ourselves when we feel vulnerable or under attack.  When this occurs we shut people out, we certainly are not kind to people who have hurt us, and we're alone and left to wonder what the hell happened, why is the world against us, or what's wrong with us.

The reverse of this card can mean these same things mentioned above but to a lesser degree.  Do not get trapped behind a wall of defense - look beyond the wall and confront the adversary and deal with the issues that separate you and the other party.  Be confident and speak your grievance but also listen to the other party as you might be doing something subconsciously add strain to the situation.

Five of Wands, reversed

The Five of Wands shows us a group of people fighting or struggling on a hill.  Turmoil, strife, struggle, anger, war-like all come to mind here.  Struggling for position, difficulty making an impact, crowded field are also other meanings.

The reverse position would indicate that the struggle or fight may be more noise than anything else.  Observe the situation and see if this is really something you need to become involved with.

The Emperor

The Emperor sits on his throne watching and sizing up all that is going on.  He's watching, he's waiting, he's ready for battle - if the situation is worthy of a fight, but he's also approachable as symbolized by the soft, red garment.

He's passionate about his beliefs and he has years of experience full of triumph - he's solid, like the mountain range behind him.  He's unmovable and secure in his place.

The Emperor reminds us that while we need to be ready for a fight, we also need to pick our battles and let the little stuff go.  Be steady in our beliefs but also be open to new ideas and avoid becoming set in our ways.

Knight of Swords

The Knight of Swords shows a soldier dressed in battle armor riding a horse riding very fast and into a head wind.  His sword is drawn ready to fight and ready to attack.  His eyes are focused on the fight ahead, however the horse seems to be looking back at the rider as to question the decision to fight this particular battle.

Certainly there's nothing wrong with fighting for what is right and just or to protect that which is yours or what you have worked for.  Sometimes the question is does the fight require guns blazing?  Or does this fight require overwhelming force?

The birds circling above the riders head represent the "higher thinking" or Spiritual thinking.  Before adding up those past experiences as "facts" and rush to a quick decision to and pummel a person or a situation.  Stop and think for a moment, is the wrong that you have rationalized in your mind really something that requires you to take someone to task?  Perhaps to get the result you want may require no words at all, some times the unspoken is more powerful than the spoken.

Knight of Swords, reversed

The Knight of Swords shows an armored soldier with sword drawn and heading into a fight.  We can also see a strong headwind blowing him in his face, as seen by the swayed trees and fast moving clouds.  This is someone taking a challenge head on or who could be quick tempered and causing a raucous without having all of the facts.

In the reversed position, however, the opposite meaning would hold true - patience and levelheadedness should prevail.  Analyze all of the facts before rushing into judgement, there could be obvious details that might be missed by making a quick or rash judgement.  Take a few steps back or leave the situation for a moment or a day then come back and look at things from a refreshed prospective, you just might find that what was assumed may not be what is.