Nine of Wands/Saguaro

The Nine of Wands is a card about strength in reserve, and biding one’s time to ensure success. I picked the saguaro cactus to represent this because they flourish in desolate environments, with a deep tap root and wide network of secondary roots, and symbolize resourcefulness and patience. In addition to being its own reservoir of water, the flowers of the saguaro attract many pollinators through out the desert. 

The wands on this card is an atlatl with dart and spear projectiles, which were used by the people who originally lived in what is now Southwest America, including the Cochise. The atlatl works by being a weighted sling, of a sort – giving a projectile vastly more momentum than if just thrown by hand. 

(From Botanica, my upcoming tarot deck with Beehive Books, featuring magical herbs and plants that broke publishing and tarot records on Kickstarter)

6x8x.5″, acrylic and ink on wood