Nine of Wands as Love Outcome (Upright & Reversed) Tarot Card Meaning

The Nine of Wands is the card of resilience, persistence, courage, and boundaries. The card shows an injured man clutching a wand. He looks anxious and weary. He’s already been through a lot, but he is very close to reaching his goal.  

The Nine of Wands reminds us that challenges are a part of life and every relationship. Nothing is perfectly good or perfectly bad. Everything has its own challenges. Our endurance and persistence shows the strength of our character. Additionally, this card also reminds us that healthy boundaries are necessary for successful relationships. 

Upright Nine of Wands as Love Outcome

If you are asking about what is the outcome of a relationship, and you draw the Nine of Wands, that means your person is on guard, but also determined. This card is astrologically associated with the Moon in Sagittarius, which indicates your or your person is deep in their feelings. You or your person could feel weary and beaten down by past experiences, but you’re determined to make things work. Sagittarian energy may indicate issues with spiritual beliefs, religion, philosophies, and long-distance travel. There could be fundamental differences when it comes to those issues, leaving you guarded. You may worry that some of your differing core beliefs or life philosophies could become an issue in the future.

The Nine of Wands as love outcome is a sign of resilience. This is the card of overcoming relationship challenges. Whether you’re dealing with external factors, circumstances that are out of your control, or each other, you’re ready to fight for your relationship. This can be anything from the opposition of your relationship, distance, or dealing with your differences. Your person could even be fighting with their inner demons, such as a tendency to be unfaithful. They know that they need to heal. They’re extremely determined to fight their bad habits for the relationship’s survival. 

If you are wondering about a potential relationship, the Nine of Wands as love outcome means being on guard. Maybe you both start off a bit suspicious of the other. The chemistry and attraction are there, but you don’t quite trust each other yet. This is perfectly normal, but remember that we also manifest and create our own realities. If you’ve been hurt in the past, honor your lived experience, but also remember that you need to create new experiences too. Don’t let past hurts or traumas ruin the great potential this relationship has.

If you are in a new relationship, the Nine of Wands as love outcome means one of you is feeling guarded, although not necessarily defensive. While it’s normal to not fully trust a new person, drawing the Nine of Wands in a reading may indicate that the defensiveness has gone overboard. This card also speaks of boundaries. Is your person crossing certain boundaries too soon? Or, are you afraid of setting boundaries because you’re afraid of putting them off? Here’s a consideration: if they’re put off by your boundaries, are they worth being in a relationship with? 

If you are in an existing relationship, the Nine of Wands as love outcome means feeling exhausted from fighting. Perhaps you’re emotionally drained because you argue a little too often? If this is the case, maybe it’s time to get to the root cause of these never-ending arguments. Are they solvable, can you agree to disagree, or are they irreconcilable differences? Another possibility is the two of you are tired of external factors constantly attacking your union, and you need to get some privacy.

If you are currently in separation with each other, the Nine of Wands as love outcome means fighting for what you want despite challenges. If you are separated by distance, this card may indicate resilience in facing the challenges of being in a long-distance relationship. You and your person do a very good job managing time, energy, and resources given the circumstances. If you’re inquiring about an ex, they are trying to show courage on the surface, even if they’re really hurt by the way things ended. They haven’t healed yet, but this is a card of persistence. If you’re interested in reconciliation, it would be worth asking your ex if they want to give the relationship another chance.

Reversed Nine of Wands as Love Outcome

If you are asking about what is the outcome of a relationship, and you draw the Nine of Wands reversed, that means that you or your person could feel so beaten down by circumstances that you’re ready to give up. Perhaps you’ve been facing a load of challenges: external factors, circumstances, and the issues you have among the two of you. You’re mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually exhausted. You’re so worn out, you don’t even bother arguing back or defending yourself. You, your person, or both could also have lost the will to work on the relationship or fight for it any longer. If this isn’t what you want, a discussion needs to be had to salvage what you had together.

The Nine of Wands reversed as love outcome is a sign of defensiveness. Perhaps you or your person feels judged by the other? This could leave you and your person feeling insecure, paranoid, and defensive. This is a card that speaks of boundaries, but in the reverse, it can indicate a lack of boundaries or being overly strict with those boundaries. It’s great to have standards, but make sure that it’s not just one of you setting the standards for both parties. Good relationships are democratic.

If you are wondering about a potential relationship, the Nine of Wands reversed as love outcome means one or both of you need to let your guards down. In the reverse, this card is all about extreme exhaustion. Alternatively, you could be bickering or in conflict too often, dampening the mood of the relationship, and draining both of you. Perhaps one or both of you feel overly guarded around the other for some reason. If one party has to walk on eggshells every time you’re together, perhaps one of you is being too hard on the other?

If you are in a new relationship, the Nine of Wands reversed as love outcome means pay attention to boundaries and limitations. The Nine of Wands in reverse can either indicate boundaries that are too limiting, or a complete lack of boundaries. It’s normal to want to please a new partner, but make sure that you’re not doing it at the detriment of your standards and values. Are you comfortable giving them what they ask of you? If not, you have to make this clear to your person early on in the relationship. Otherwise, it may come back to bite you in the future.

If you are in an existing relationship, the Nine of Wands reversed as love outcome means feeling like you’re ready to quit and just let go. You or your partner could feel paranoid, insecure, and even jealous. The topic of your arguments may be a recurring theme in your relationship, not a one-off occurrence. Are there any behavioral patterns that need to be changed in order to make the other person feel more comfortable in the relationship? Is there a lack of trust that needs to be developed or rebuilt? No good relationship can survive unless it’s built on a foundation of trust.  

If you are currently in separation with each other, the Nine of Wands reversed as love outcome means your person feels your future together is not built on a solid foundation. If you are separated by distance, your person could feel like the future is too uncertain for them. Perhaps they’ve been struggling with their own life issues, their career, or health. Something could have thrown them off balance from their plans to relocate and be with you. If you are inquiring about an ex, your person is still very guarded around you. They’re still hurt, disoriented, and haven’t moved on from your break up. If you’re interested in reconciliation, it would be best to wait for them to fully heal first.

Conclusion

For love readings, the Nine of Wands represents resilience and boundaries. Both of these qualities are necessary for any successful relationship. Even if they may not lead to the most fun conversations, they are necessary for success. The Nine of Wands reminds us that great relationships are built on the persistence of the everyday, not just big ideas or fleeting feelings of desire. 

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your relationship matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on love & relationships, as a neutral and objective third party.