Nine of Wands 

Artist: Atzin Montes Sosa

The Nine of Wands represents overcoming adversity. The Aztec pyramid represents a goal that is achievable but requires perseverance, whereas the wild cat represents obstacles. Trees with purple, pink, and yellow flowers symbolize growth and femininity. The canoe and paddle, as the ninth wand, represent transformation and overcoming adversity. The landscape reflects the balance of stability and change. Marmolejo describes it as "the power to confront obstacles with resilience" and "the ongoing struggle that leads to transformation.”(Christopher Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 348)

The Nine of Wands card I designed incorporates personal and cultural symbolism to convey resilience and perseverance. The high grassy lands leading to the pyramid maintain the original card’s connection to growth and progress, suggesting that each step forward is significant. The use of plain sand or concrete emphasizes the stark reality of the journey and underscores that meaningful progress often happens in unremarkable spaces. Eight wooden trees adorned with purple, pink, and yellow flowers act as guardians, representing development, femininity, and change. A wild cat, linked to St. Catherine’s mascot, symbolizes challenges, embodying internal and external fears that must be confronted! The central Aztec woman, depicted in traditional attire and holding a paddle, stands on a canoe coming ashore, signaling movement from stagnation to growth. The canoe’s design, featuring Aztec symbols and the university’s fleur-de-lis, ties the imagery to St. Catherine University, emphasizing learning and transformation through resilience!