Nine of Wands
In the "Nine of Wands," it's as if we've been given a glimpse into the life of the man on the card, catching his breath during a possibly brief respite from whatever he's been fighting for. All you have to do is see his bandaged head wound to know the battle has not been an easy one. And yet, Robin was sure to draw blood stains on his pants (minus any wounds there) in order to, "...show that he gave as good as he got in the struggle." This man, like the figures depicted in the Five of Wands and Seven of Wands, is brave, determined and ready to go the distance towards making known his beliefs and standing up for them.
The only wand radiating sparks and energy in the Nine of Wands is that which the figure is holding. He's not gripping it as a weapon just now; it's almost as if he's using the wand to rest on. In fact, Robin wrote that the key words for this card are, "Wait for it." The guy is in no hurry, but he'll be ready when the time comes again to take a stance.
The other wands, once again as shown in past cards in the Wands' suit, are topped by crystals of various colors and shapes. To me, as they stand in a line behind the gent, they often look as a wall of defense...not as the enemy(ies). As defense, it's as if the man has many people who are behind him and will come to his aid should he need them. If the wands seem like foes, then he'd do best to look behind him...ie. watch his back. Though perhaps he knows the adversaries are there, but he's not worried about dealing with them until the time comes when he must.
The man seems pensive and resolute...thinking hard over what's happened and what's to come. If this set of emotions seems important in a reading, I might advise the querent to also think long and hard over what it is they are fighting for. No matter what, the situation at hand is no laughing matter and should be taken seriously. Perhaps the querent needs to ask themselves if the fight IS worth fighting?
I got a kick out of Robin's explanation for not having drawn loops to hold the man's belt up...a precarious situation at best! Robin said, "It's possible that the Seeker's help will fail at a most inopportune time." Ha! I can't help thinking about my youngest son's attire...HUGE pants with often no belt at all. How DOES he keep them up? Wonder how many times my son's pants failed at inopportune times?!!