Sherlock Holmes Card of the Day: 9 of Evidence

The Sherlock Holmes Card of the Day is:

NINE OF EVIDENCE

(9 of Wands)

In The Sherlock Holmes Tarot by John Matthews and Wil Kinghan (Sterling Ethos), the suit of Evidence (represented by a shoe print) is comparable to the suit of Wands. The quotation chosen to represent the entire suit of Evidence is from The Copper Beeches: “Data! Data! Data! I can make no bricks without clay!”

The Holmesian Wisdom for this card is a quote from A Study in Scarlet: “…where there is no imagination there is no horror.”

On the Nine of Evidence we see Holmes and Watson preparing to set out across the bleak, inhospitable moor towards Baskerville Hall, on the trail of the phantom hound of the Baskervilles. (See The Hound of the Baskervilles.) This story is one of my very favorites from the Sherlock Holmes collection.

Keys for this card, upright, are: “enduring strength, great reserves, obstinacy, defensiveness, dedication to intuitive purpose, the wisdom to prepare against adversity.” Reversed, the card can suggest: “obstacles, delays, imminent disaster, bad luck, displeasure.”

The book that accompanies this deck also provides interpretations for each card under the headings “The Game” and “The Fog.” The former elaborates on the upright keys, while the latter expands on reversed meanings. Examples from “The Game” for the Nine of Evidence: “A dogged opposition when in unfamiliar terrain… Protecting others against attack… Recognizing the enemy or saboteur within.”

Examples from “The Fog”: “Expressing nothing but hostility in a situation… Looking for subtle ways to overcome a strong opponent rather than wasting your energies… Laying down the fight and allowing others to proceed.”