Nine of Swords: modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
‘The 9 of Swords’, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
Upright Nine of Swords Meanings
Keywords
Anxiety, Guilt, Fear, Nightmares, Despair, Anguish
Generally
Often called the "nightmare card," the Nine of Swords represents deep mental anguish, anxiety, fear, and despair. The figure in the card is awake at night, head in their hands, consumed by worry. The nine swords on the wall represent the recurring, oppressive thoughts that plague them. This card signifies a "dark night of the soul," a moment where fears and anxieties feel overwhelming and inescapable. It is important to note, however, that this is a card of mental, not physical, suffering: the fears are not always based in reality.
In a Love Context
In a love reading, this card points to intense anxiety about a relationship. It can signify sleepless nights spent worrying about a partner, the stability of the connection, or fears of betrayal or loss. It can also represent profound guilt, shame, or remorse over something that has happened within the relationship, leading to self-inflicted mental torment.
In a Money/Career Context
This card signifies extreme stress and anxiety related to work or finances. You may be lying awake at night, consumed with fear of job loss, financial ruin, failure of a project, or being overwhelmed by responsibilities. The pressure feels immense, and your thoughts are spiraling into worst-case scenarios.
In a Spiritual Context
Spiritually, the Nine of Swords can represent a profound crisis of faith or a period of deep existential dread. You may be tormented by feelings of guilt, shame, or a sense that you have been abandoned. It is the mind attacking itself with negative beliefs, leading to a feeling of being utterly alone in the dark.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
You must find a way to talk about your fears; do not suffer in silence. Acknowledge that your thoughts are causing you pain, but question whether they are based on reality. Seek help from a friend, therapist, or confidante.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A period of intense mental anguish, worry, and sleepless nights.
As Obstacles
Your own negative thoughts and fears are your biggest obstacle. Catastrophizing is preventing you from seeing the situation clearly.
As Hidden Energy
Deep-seated fears and anxieties from the subconscious are driving the situation, even if you are not fully aware of their source.
As Resources/Alliances
The courage to confront your deepest fears. The understanding that you have the power to change your thoughts.
‘The Nine of Swords’ Reversed
Keywords
Release from Fear, Facing Reality, Recovery, Hope, Finding Help
Generally
Reversed, the Nine of Swords signifies that the nightmare is ending. It is a card of recovery and release from a period of intense anxiety. You are beginning to see that your fears were exaggerated or unfounded. This card represents the process of facing reality, seeking and accepting help, and finding a path out of despair. The worst is over, and you are moving towards the light.
In a Love Context
In a love reading, this card reversed signifies the end of a period of intense worry. Open communication may be clearing the air, or you are realizing your fears about the relationship were not based in reality. For those recovering from heartbreak, it shows that the healing process has begun in earnest.
In a Money/Career Context
This can signify finding solutions to the work or financial problems that were causing so much stress. The pressure is easing as you begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. You are actively dealing with the problem rather than just worrying about it, and you are starting to regain control.
In a Spiritual Context
Spiritually, this card reversed represents moving through a dark night of the soul and emerging on the other side. You are releasing old guilts, finding self-forgiveness, and embracing a more compassionate spiritual perspective. The mental torment is ending, and hope is returning.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
It is time to face your fears head-on. Seek external help and perspective. Let go of the guilt and self-blame that have been holding you down.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
Recovery from anxiety. The release of mental anguish and the return of hope.
As Obstacles
A refusal to let go of old worries and a tendency to wallow in despair. You may be resisting the help that is being offered.
As Hidden Energy
The beginning of hope is emerging. A subconscious desire to heal and move on from the pain is finally taking root.
As Resources/Alliances
The support of therapists, friends, or family. The dawning realization that things are not as bad as they seemed.
Additional Notes on The RWS ‘Nine of Swords’
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings of The Nine of Swords
"Death, failure, miscarriage, delay, deception, disappointment, despair. Reversed: Imprisonment, suspicion, doubt, reasonable fear, shame." (The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911)
RWS Nine of Swords Symbolism
A.E. Waite’s Nine of Swords depicts a figure sitting up in bed, head in their hands in a gesture of utter despair. Nine swords are mounted horizontally on the dark wall behind them, symbolizing the oppressive weight of their negative thoughts. The quilt on the bed is decorated with roses and astrological symbols, suggesting that even in the midst of mental anguish, life, passion, and a connection to the wider universe still exist, even if unseen by the suffering figure.
Meditations On The Nine of Swords
What specific thoughts are keeping me awake at night?
Are my fears based on evidence and reality, or am I creating worst-case scenarios in my mind?
Who can I reach out to for help to shine a light on these dark thoughts?
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