The VIII of Wands shows eight golden Wands flying rapidly toward the earth, flying so rapidly that golden sparks are flying. Papers swirl around in the wind created by the rapidly flying Wands. The keywords for this card are message, action, speed, and excitement.
The image on the IX of Wands shows a pure white wolf crouching defensively and aggressively with teeth bared and ears laid back in a threatening manner. Behind him almost like a protective wall are nine white beech trees. Around the wolf in the shadows are several arrows with points in the ground, as if someone had shot them at the wolf. The keywords for this card are wary, guarded, mistreated, and persevering.
We have the VIII and the IX of the same suit, so we are being presented with a progression. The VIII of Wands is one of the few numbered Minor Arcana cards that usually does not contain a person within its image. This card is traditionally all about receiving news that creates action and excitement, and the True Black image certainly does shout this message. Most of the time, the energy of this card represents something positive, however it tells us that we can’t think too long about our next step. Now is the time to adapt to what we have found out, and to act accordingly. We go from action (the VIII of Wands) to defense (the IX of Wands). The white wolf may be injured, but he is strong enough to aggressively protect himself, and the spent arrows indicate that self-protection is necessary.
Of course, the suit of Wands represents the element of Fire, and here we have the Elemental Dignity of Fire affecting Fire (because both cards are Wands cards). When Fire affects Fire, we have increased manifestation, with the potential for things to get out of control. Fire is not a stable element, and it has a transformative power when it comes into contact with the physical world, literally transformative. Combustion rearranges the atoms of a substance irreversibly, which means that once something is burned, it can never be un-burned. That is something to be considered when examining the progression presented here.
In the Tarot, the number 8 represents an attempt to postpone the pause and approach of stagnation that is the number 7 by deliberately choosing to take some action. The number 9 represents the completeness (not completion; that is represented by the number 10) of manifestation within a particular cycle. Both of these numbers are affecting the suit of Wands, so they can be considered as Numerical Dignities.
We do see a common symbol in these two cards: the pointy Wands (which look like arrows) in the VIII of Wands and the spent arrows in the IX of Wands. The arrow is a symbol of flight, penetration and direction. An arrow travels from one person to another, representing a flow of energy with one person sending and the other receiving. An arrow can be used to determine direction. It even can be seen as a phallic symbol, and an image of a heart pierced with an arrow represents the alchemic process of conjunction. The wielder of a bow and arrow is a symbol of physical strength, as well as courage, concentration, psychological prowess, and a sharp mind. The arrow can be seen as a Symbolic Dignity.
These two cards tell of some exciting news that could bring an explosion of enthusiasm, but I need to not allow that enthusiasm to have free reign. Perhaps I can see the arrows as a hint to keep the outburst of energy focused toward a specific goal, rather than allowing it to just flow and expand on its own. It might be better if I try to keep things at least a bit more controlled. Yep, I do get this. There have been many times that I have allowed excitement and passion to blind me to consequences by allowing things to ignite without being careful. Hopefully I won’t do that this time.
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