The Nine of Swords is about being overcome with worry and grief.
This card reflects life’s tougher moments. You might be going through a breakup, struggling to make ends meet, or dealing with loss. You could be supporting a loved one or taking on what feels like a thankless task.
What haunts you may be real, but you have some choice in how to cope. Are you calling in your friends and family? Are you in therapy or seeking out other resources? Are you eating well, exercising, meditating, and doing things you love?
The Nine of Swords can warn of wallowing in despair or staying stuck, albeit unconsciously. There’s a lot of energy bleeding out–and not enough replenishing. To regain your footing and get moving, you must step into self-care and give yourself some love.
While your problems are real, you might imagine things are worse than they are. Your brain might be stuck on a loop; your replaying conversations or events on repeat until they no longer make sense.
The Nine of Swords reminds us that worrying doesn’t help. Let go of what you can’t control and focus on what you can control–you. What gives you a sense of power? It could be something small, like cooking for yourself or gardening. Or, you could organize an outing or enroll in a workshop.
Restoring power might be looking at what’s been taken away and calling it back.
The ache and sorry of the Nine can also relate to loneliness. I’ve seen this card drawn when the Seeker is sick of being single or is feeling out of touch. The dating world is a nightmare, and yes–love is hard. Can you step back and focus on carving out your own corner of happiness? Waiting on someone or something else to complete you leaves a hole; you carry a feeling of lack.
The darkness of this card brings up the night. You might be struggling with insomnia, nightmares, or consumed by stress, which hits after sundown. Seek out resources that can help you process and heal.
In asking about ventures or pathways, the Nine of Swords warns of headaches, problems, and challenges. Can they be overcome? Perhaps, but get your game face on and prepare.
As the last of the root numbers (1-9) in the Suit of Swords, this card speaks of a chapter closing or a resolution arriving soon.
Swords are element Air, which thrives on academic, ordered thinking and clear communication. It might be helpful to explore the psychology behind the players in your life and your feelings and to get bookish with solutions and insight. Research gives you the context to understand and improve your situation.
Swords ask you to carry courage in the face of conflict and to use their power for protection. Metaphorically, swords ask you to draw boundaries around yourself.
When drawn reversed, the Nine of Swords suggests that your anxiety is off the rails or, alternatively, on its way out. You might also be denying the level of stress, trauma, or burden you’re carrying. Something’s gotta give.
The magic offered by the Nine of Swords is that of release. Life is tough, but so are you. Lean into your power and step away from the riddles keeping you separate from yourself.
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Tarot Spread
If you are drawn to the Nine of Swords and want to dig deeper, get them outta your deck, make them your mascot, and draw some cards from the rest of the deck with this tarot spread I created!
