Still. Not. Done.
IX of Wands Spell
Steady waters and wind ahead,
I am not held down or filled with dread—
I'm still standing, still ready,
still facing the sun.
Still. Not. None.
My ships are long-coming,
rowing by knowing
that they'll arrive safely
whether anyone else is going.
My ships' sails are long-blowing,
billowing by growing
the courage inside
that keeps them blowing.
Follow me now,
through the waters—
that aren't so deep,
but still not so shallow.
Light leads the way
through what darkness has to pay—
but without the dark,
the light wouldn't have
anything much to say.
Night's coming,
we better get to shore—
we might not be taken in,
but there's a place to stay for sure.
We'll hold on tight
to what we've got—
let's go give this...
One. Last. Shot.
Keywords & Card Content
Keywords: GRIT, LAST STAND, DETERMINATION, RESILIENCE
IMAGE
Choppy waves lick at Eight’s legs. Behind her, a dark cloud fuels her fiery conquest. In front of her, the sun shines—but isn’t easy to face.
Eight Viking longships embark with the cargo of 8-shaped birthday candles, their flames flickering as they push forward. Eight holds the last of the Nine of Wands on top of her scepter—her oar—the final wand of magick that will make her landing possible.
Not an easy feat to go where nobody has gone before, but Eight moves the ocean forward towards her landmark. Her eyes set in determination, fixed on her prize. A bandage worn over her wound tattoos her in remembrance of what her final stand means.
DIVINATORY MEANING
Nines in tarot mark the final stages of the quest. In the case of the Nine of Wands, your ships are sailing at full-mast, as fast as they can, cutting through every wave that rises against them. No ocean wave or hot sun will deter your path.
Even your old, broken heart can’t prevent you from where you want to end up—in fact, it’s your survival of your past that has given you this raw determination to succeed. What once hurt you now pushes you forward.
Nobody can defeat you when you’ve got the power of newfound self-confidence built from years of holding yourself back. You’re exhausted. You’re winded. But the winds are still moving, and so are you.
You’re making it happen with your inner grit, your resilience, your art.
EIGHT’S INSIGHT
You look at yourself and you’re still seeing something tired and broken. But those wounds already healed. That bandage is a patch of honor that you earned from thriving in situations most people would just give up.
Chin up, chest high—you’ve still got a little energy left, don’t you? Quitting now isn’t an option. Those candles still have plenty of wick. Keep them burning with the lingering flames inside you.
Don’t let the clouds water down your desire at the last moment. They might still be full of strong emotions—but you can cry later. Don’t douse yourself and create new obstacles just so it’s easier to walk away. Regret doesn’t make a very nice pillow. When you make landfall, you will have time to rest. Rest with earned exhaustion—instead of suffering in a pillow of tears.