In tarot, the Nine of Swords card represents extreme worry, being up all night, nightmares and intense fear.
The Nine of Swords card can signify the presence of extreme worry and severe anxiety.
Element: Air (Gemini).
The Nine of Swords is ruled by the planet Mars.
This card has different meanings when interpreted upright as it does reversed (upside down, not the same as face down).
| Upright | Reversed |
| Worry, nightmares, severe anxiety. Severe nervousness. | Being terrorized by stress. |
| (Yes/No?): No | (Yes/No?): Yes or No (Inconclusive) |
This card is an overall energy of being up all night, in a negative way.
The Nine of Swords indicates fear or anxiety so debilitating that it may cause nightmares.
The troubles that occur with this card are on the mental level, and they involve being terrorized by fear, anxiety, stress or worry.
It's an extremely negative card.
There is nothing positive about the Nine of Swords card.
Meaning of the Number 9
Numbers have various associations in numerology.
The number nine correlates with wishes and fulfillments.
Like other odd numbers, the number 9 is considered to be a masculine number.
Nines are a sign of manifestations about to come to fruition, whether good or bad; positive or negative.
Nine of Swords Description
In the original Rider-Waite tarot deck, The Nine of Swords card depicts a woman sitting upright in her bed.
Her head is buried in her hands and she appears extremely distraught. She cannot even sleep.
She appears fearful and may have just awoken from a nightmare from which she appears she may not feel she can recover from.
Nine swords hang from her wall behind her, next to her bed side.
On her wood bedframe, is a figure, carved in the frame, of someone who has been defeated by sword.
Her quilt depicts roses and astrological symbols.
Tip in a reading: When pulling this card, be aware of the overall energy, as well as the surrounding cards to interpret this complex card.