The Nine of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The Nine of Swords is one of the most important cards of the Minor Arcana.

Below you will learn everything about its meaning both in the upright and reversed position.

In addition to the general interpretation, the topics of love, health, career, finances and destiny are also explained in detail.

Nine of Wands Tarot Card Meaning

The Nine of Swords Keywords

Upright: Worry, Guilt, Agony, Fear
Reversed: Secret, Balance, Solve Fear, Brave

The Nine of Swords Tarot Card Description

The Nine of Swords Tarot card shows a woman sitting upright in her bed, hiding her face in her hands. Her posture looks despondent as if she has just woken up from a bad nightmare.

No one is by her side to stand by her in this difficult hour and she is left alone with her worries and fears.

She wears a white robe as an expression of her innocence and purity. However, the robe does not protect her from her own anguish of soul.

Perhaps she has great guilt upon her, waking her up every night and reminding her of the burden still on her shoulders.

Above the woman, on a black wall, hang nine heavy swords. These symbolize the weight of her torments and fears, which she has loaded on herself. The swords hover dangerously like a sword of Damocles over her head and are omnipresent around her.

On her bed is depicted a scene in which one man conquers another, as an expression of physical and psychological violence that we humans experience or have experienced in our everyday lives.

Such agonizing memories seem to be part of the woman’s everyday life, which she cannot avoid even in her sleep, and upon awakening finds the same scenes engraved on her bed.

Her bedspread is decorated with many roses, which at first glance are a symbol of beauty, but at a second glance can torment the viewer with their thorns.

Upright Nine of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The Nine of Swords Tarot card reveals that your everyday life is determined by great fears and worries. These can be fears of the future or past events that catch up with you again. Your thoughts only revolve around escaping from these worries. Therefore, you would like to withdraw from the world.

But the more we surrender to our fears, the more they will influence our thoughts and actions. Be brave and face your fears and question what should happen to you in the worst case at all.

Most fears are only strongly threatening in our imagination and in reality, have a little negative impact on our daily lives.

By calmly contemplating and reflecting on your thoughts, you will realize that your fears will vanish as quickly as a nightmare upon awakening.

The Nine of Swords represents deep fears that can become self-fulfilling prophecies in your mind. If you keep telling yourself: “I don’t dare, I can’t do it.” your mind will eventually take these phrases for real and prevent you from daring to do new things.

Self-fulfilling prophecies often have little to do with your true abilities but are only a product of your fears. They remind you to be mindful of your thoughts, as they influence your actions.

Fortunately, you can also program yourself in the other direction by rephrasing your negative sentences into courageous and self-confident phrases, like “I can do it, I am courageous.”.

Another characteristic of the Nine of Swords is that a great feeling of guilt leaves you no peace and plagues you. The more you run away from your responsibilities, the more lasts the emotional burden on you.

Every human being is burdened with guilt and makes mistakes in his life. It is important to recognize when we have behaved wrongly and apologize and make amends accordingly.

On the one hand, this gives us a clear conscience and we can sleep peacefully and live our daily lives. On the other hand, we practice humility and care for our fellow human beings when we admit our mistakes and take responsibility for them.

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Upright Nine of Swords Tarot Love Meaning

Single

In a love tarot reading, the Nine of Swords reveals to you as a single that great fears regarding finding a partner plague you. Your fear of rejection is omnipresent and prevents you from getting closer to other people.

Be aware that rejection can happen to anyone and is part of life. The more you try to connect with other people and honestly reflect your behavior, the more positive relationships will arise for you, some of which can lead to a deeper partnership.

The Nine of Swords also shows that past events torment you and impede your search for a new partner.

First of all, confront your torments of the soul that bother you and try to dissolve them in such a way that you have a clear head again and your feelings are free of fear and worry.

Only when you have a pure and open heart inside you, free of fear and anguish, will you be able to engage in a new love again.

Relationship

In a partnership, the Nine of Swords symbolizes serious worries about the future of your relationship. You are possibly in a deep relationship crisis, from which no way out seems apparent so both partners are stuck in their worries.

To save your partnership, it is essential that you get together again and at least talk about your fears with each other. Only together you can find a way out of your crisis and develop the courage to walk this path together.

The Nine of Swords also shows that a deep feeling of guilt towards your partner plagues you. You have said or done something in the past that caused you to feel heavy guilt without apologizing to your partner or even disclosing what happened.

Honesty and trust are the two most important pillars in a relationship. Only if you confide in your partner and reveal your guilt, you will be able to free yourself from your burden.
Your relationship then has the chance to regain its stable foundation, characterized by mutual trust.

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Upright Nine of Swords Health Meaning

In health matters, the Nine of Swords stands for severe mental stress. The spectrum ranges from depression to anxiety, limiting your everyday life.

Get professional support to help you reduce your stress significantly. However, you should be prepared for a longer treatment to regain your mental health in the long term.

Another meaning of the Nine of Swords is that you are very concerned about your health. Your fear of serious diseases makes you go to the doctor at the slightest symptoms.

Such hypochondria makes your everyday
life very difficult because everything revolves around diseases. Rather focus on positive health aspects that you can actively shape, such as sports or nutrition.

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Upright Nine of Swords Career Meaning

Professionally, the Nine of Swords reveals that you suffer greatly from a bad working atmosphere at work. Bullying by colleagues can cause strong anxiety, making you afraid to go to work.

You can only change your situation by finding allies at work. Otherwise, changing jobs may be the best option.

Furthermore, the Nine of Swords shows that you are very worried about your professional future. You may be facing a performance review or a wave of layoffs at your company.

Do not let your fear rule your life. The worst thing that can happen to you is a dismissal, but after that, you can apply for new jobs, which may bring you more advantages than you imagine.

Do you want to know how your professional situation develops? Draw your Career Tarot Card now for free!

Upright Nine of Swords Finances/Money Meaning

Financially, the Nine of Swords represents great fears for the future that plague you. You are worried about whether you will be able to pay your bills in the future because of high financial burdens.

Think about which things you really need to live and where you can perhaps save something. Often this means reducing your lifestyle, at least for a while.

Another aspect of the Nine of Swords is that you have high debts that cause you sleepless nights. However, fear and self-doubt will not help you solve the cause of your problem.

You should rather actively contact a friend or a professional debt counselor so that you can enjoy your financial freedom again in the foreseeable future.

Do you want to know how your financial situation is developing? Draw your Finance/Money Tarot Card now for free!

Upright Nine of Swords Destiny Meaning

As a destiny card, the Nine of Swords reveals that heavy fear plagues you. To get rid of it, you must first allow and accept your anxiety.

Depending on what the trigger for your fears is, you should best approach and resolve it with an experienced companion (therapist or friend).

Do you want to know what your destiny has in store for you? Draw your Destiny Tarot Card now for free!

Upright Nine of Swords Personality

The Nine of Swords describes an anxious personality. She worries about not being able to cope with many challenges in life and imagines the worst scenarios.

Furthermore, a character with a pronounced guilt problem is meant here. The person blames himself for all failures in life and has little appreciation for his own successes.

Upright Nine of Swords Tarot Past/Future

Past

You are still carrying around debt from times gone by. It is about time that you face your responsibility.

Worries from your past still weigh heavily on you. But do not give them the power over your life, which you have shape yourself.

Future

Again and again, you are afflicted with fears concerning your future. But most of the time, they are not as bad as you think.

An upcoming challenge causes you real agony of the soul. Entrust yourself to other people to alleviate your suffering.

Upright Nine of Swords Tarot Card – Yes or No

The Nine of Swords is a clear indication of a no answer. You have fears before the upcoming decision, which cloud your judgment. Don’t torture yourself unnecessarily and instead say no.

That will allow you to devote yourself to other things and not let your worries determine your everyday life.

Reversed Nine of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

Reversed Nine of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The Nine of Swords Reversed reveals that you are guarding a secret that is causing you sleepless nights and weighing heavily on you. Some secrets we keep to ourselves because we don’t want to hurt other people unnecessarily.

But if you feel that the burden of keeping secrets is getting heavier and heavier, you should look for ways to free yourself from it or at least lighten it a bit. For example, you can confide in a good friend who is not involved in the secret.

On the one hand, you can relieve yourself emotionally by sharing your burden with someone.

On the other hand, a conversation with a trusted person can sometimes lead to new solutions as to how you can deal with the secret in the future without it continuing to be a burden for you.

Another aspect of the Nine of Swords Reversed is that you should create a balance to the currently stressful things of everyday life. If you focus only on your worries, there is a danger that you will burn out inside and feel low on energy and depressed.

By creating a balance in your everyday life to regain your strength, you will always be able to face your fears with courage and energy. Small time-outs in your everyday life, such as meditation, sports or tarot will help you to find your inner center again and gain new power.

In addition, you are well distracted from the stresses of everyday life so that your thoughts can come to rest.

The Nine of Swords Reversed encourages you to be brave and not let yourself be defeated, despite the great fears that plague you. Free yourself from your fear by realizing that your fears are nothing more than thoughts.

As soon as you start to reinterpret your fears and see them as an opportunity for personal growth instead of a threat and learn from them, you will approach the challenges ahead with courage and energy.

The more often you face your fears, the stronger your courage and confidence will grow within you. You will experience how much influence you have on your thoughts and thus your path in life if you trust in your inner strength.

Reversed Nine of Swords Tarot Love Meaning

Single

The Nine of Swords Reversed card shows you in the love tarot to be courageous in your search for a partner.

Do not be afraid of failure or rejection, but consider every failure in dating as an opportunity to learn and improve your flirting behavior.

By actively daring to approach other people and ask them out, for example, your courage will greatly impress your counterpart, so that the chances of a date will increase significantly.

The Nine of Swords Reversed also encourages you to take a relaxed approach to dating and free your mind of unnecessary fears.

Realize that your life has many other facets that make you happy and recharge your batteries by devoting yourself to your hobbies, family and friends.

The less pressure you feel to need a partner to be happy, the more relaxed you can be when choosing a partner.

Relationship

In a relationship, the Nine of Swords Reversed reveals a secret between the two of you that is putting great pressure on your life together. However, a secret does not necessarily have to be bad, having only harmless consequences on your partnership.

If a secret causes great anxiety in you because it could be revealed, it becomes a constant companion in your everyday life, putting a heavy strain on the relationship.

Confide in someone close to you and share your secret so that you at least experience initial relief. Consider whether and if so how you should present the secret to your partner.

Another aspect of the Nine of Swords Reversed is that you are too focused on your partnership and neglect other areas of your life.

Balance yourself by meeting friends or pursuing a hobby independently of your partner. Gather new ideas and impulses by spending time outside the relationship and enriching it with new experiences.

Reversed Nine of Swords Health Meaning

The Nine of Swords Reversed reveals that you have the power to influence your fears. Fear arises only in our heads. Therefore you can actively change it yourself.

It is inevitable that you face them and do not push them away. With time your fear will become smaller and smaller until it disappears.

In addition, the Nine of Swords Reversed stands for information about your state of health, which you consciously withhold.

You do not want to burden your environment with your health problems, so you keep them secret. But this also prevents you from receiving social support, which can speed up your own recovery process.

Reversed Nine of Swords Career Meaning

The Nine of Swords Reversed stands for finding a balance from stressful office life. If you always work overtime and push yourself to the limit, you run the risk of burnout.

Good prevention against this is to learn something new like an instrument or a language. Or find a hobby where you can relieve stress and recharge your batteries.

Another meaning of the Nine of Swords Reversed is that there is a lot of pressure off you at work.

You may have finally been able to successfully complete a difficult project or experienced a significant reduction in your tasks. Use your newly won freedom to regenerate and do your job with joy again.

Reversed Nine of Swords Finances/Money Meaning

The Nine of Swords Reversed encourages you to bravely go through financial difficulties. Although your path to financial freedom is still long, you can already see light at the end of the tunnel.

Only if you remain steadfast, your money worries will gradually become smaller. Have the courage to make unpleasant decisions so that your finances recover faster.

Another aspect of the reversed Nine of Swords is that you should not let your finances rule your life. While money is important, constant preoccupation with it can lead to worry and anxiety.

Instead, focus on areas of your life such as family or hobbies where you don’t have to be the “best” or “wealthiest” but can be who you are.

Reversed Nine of Swords Destiny Meaning

The Nine of Swords Reversed encourages you for your destiny to remain brave even in times of greatest need. Even if your worries and self-doubt plague you, do not lose heart.

Because in you is much more strength than you realize. But only if you dare to go beyond your limits and try the impossible you will grow beyond yourself.

Reversed Nine of Swords Personality

The Nine of Swords Reversed stands for someone who can face his fears courageously. He does not treat them as a burden but as an opportunity to rise above himself.

At the same time, the card describes a character who carries a lot of secrets. But the latter can quickly become a big burden if you only shoulder them alone.

Reversed Nine of Swords Tarot Past/Future

Past

A secret from your past is catching up with you. You are afraid to reveal it, but it will soon come to light without your help.

If you have current fears, a look back can be worthwhile. You have already mastered similar situations that made you even stronger.

Future

Due to many upcoming tasks in the future you should pay attention to building up a balance to all the stress in your free time.

If you bravely face your fears in the future, they will lose their terror. Be brave! There are more powers slumbering in you than you have suspected so far.

Reversed Nine of Swords Tarot Card – Yes or No

It requires some bravery to formulate a clear yes to this question.

But by courageously facing the challenges ahead, you will feel that your decision was the right one. Your worries will gradually disappear into thin air.

The Swords Tarot Card Meanings