As a reminder, the suit of swords is driven by masculine energy and channels the power of the intellect and mind, including all the concepts, knowledge, and beliefs that it holds. Scholars and academics have connected the suit of swords to the classical element of air, and most of the cards from that suit embody the symbolic attributes of this element, one way or another.
Upright: cruelty, warning, need for protection, and despair
Reversed: torment, personal torture, and insomnia
Furthering the series of negative concepts regularly found within the suit of swords, the Nine of Swords represents helplessness, nightmares, and great anxiety. In a professional reading, this card might also be the bleak echo of some long-lasting depression or illusions about a perceived lack of self-worth. Alone against their environment, the subject of the Nine of Swords meaning will be the architect of their own despair and, usually, require help from some outside source, like a spiritual advisor, coach, therapist, or psychiatrist.
The Mythic Tarot (1986/2008)
The Haindl Tarot (1990)
Osho Zen Tarot (1995)
Law of Attraction Tarot (2011)
Spellcaster Tarot (2016)
Ostara Tarot (2017)
The Rider-Waite Smith Tarot deck once again provides a depressing and bleak scene for one of the numbered cards in the suit of swords. This Minor Arcana card shows a woman sitting up in bed with her head in her hands. The background is black, and the nine swords are displayed on a rack on the wall.
We can easily imagine the woman struggling to sleep or waking up from a dire nightmare. Several astrological symbols are hidden in the decorative squares of her blanket.
Continuing the negative theme of the Swords suit, the Nine of Swords offers nothing positive, whether drawn upright or reversed.
The core meaning of the Nine of Swords in a tarot reading echoes what the image suggests: depression and nightmares. These nightmares can result from self-inflicted doubts or regrets, or they can express guilt felt by the subject of the reading.
The Nine of Swords in a tarot reading focusing on love is just as bad as in any other context. The most common interpretation might be a slow erosion of any currently active relationship in the Querent’s life. It might also represent a particularly bad and painful relationship, leading to the kind of depression and nightmares that were mentioned above.
This is particularly true for many people who suffer from a toxic relationship, where their own lack of energy or despair keeps them stuck in a vicious cycle and taints their own perception of their relationship with falsehoods.
Career encompasses school and education, necessary work that is not a career path, and your actual career path. Regardless of your current stage, the Nine of Swords represents cruelty and the need to protect oneself.
As a student, this card indicates you need to overcome unfair treatment interfering with your education. Guard yourself against people in power who want to see you fail.
For those doing necessary work that is not a career, you may be a target for blame or scapegoating. When facing cruel and unfair behavior, leave the job or leverage workplace protections.
In your career, the Nine of Swords warns of jealous competitors who will stop at nothing to see you fail. Be aware of these threats and protect your career. Remove harmful elements in your company or business to preserve your success.
When a reversed Nine of Swords appears in a tarot reading, the feeling of intense torment and depression is even stronger. This should be taken very seriously. Additionally, it could represent the slow erosion of hope within the subject’s mind, gradually sapping their self-worth.
A reversed Nine of Swords can also represent a literal interpretation of the illustration on the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck. It may signify either insomnia or nightmares.
Reversed, this card indicates that you know there is cruel behavior occurring between you and your lover and you cannot turn back the tide. If you remain together, the negative energy will keep reinforcing both of you and more and more pain will ensue. You need to break away and seek compassion before you become a lost soul regarding love.
When this card appears reversed in a question about school, work, or career, then you may be facing something as severe as identity theft, or an improper lawsuit, or something with similar negative and cruel energy that you cannot win against, leaving you to need to break away completely and start in a new school, job, or career.
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