Tarot Arcana Nine of Swords: Nightmare Card

Description: a man is sitting on a bed, covering his face with his hands, behind him, perpendicular to this man, nine swords hang in the air.

Main meanings of the card in the upright position:

• suffering;
• doubts, hopelessness;
• separation from a loved one;
• denotes a person who takes on other people's problems (they do not concern him in any way);
• feelings of shame, guilt;
• bad conscience;
• overwork at work;
• jitters before an exam;
• unpleasant discovery;
• fear of being «abandoned»;
• suffering due to loneliness;
• surgical intervention;
• health problems;
• sensitivity to criticism;
• celibacy, virginity;
• priest, monk, hermit;
• religion, piety;
• bad omen;

The main meanings of the card in the inverted position:

• good news concerning your beloved;
• hope, consolation;
• unreasonable worries;
• help in the near future;
• the period of suffering is over;
• hard work;
• isolation;
• bereavement;
• suicide;
• imprisonment;
• well-founded suspicion. apprehension;
• purity, shyness;

A woman sits in bed, covering her face with her hands. In the dark space behind her, nine swords hover in the air. Life has become a nightmare, this card says. The whole world is heading for the abyss. Your fears and worries are so great that it seems that life is not worth living any longer.

In the Aquarius Tarot (and some other decks), this card depicts a man instead of a woman.

But this nightmare only seems to him (or her): none of the swords touch the figure depicted on the card. Your fears and worries are understandable, this card says, but they do not directly affect you. You think too much about problems that do not directly concern you. Meanwhile, you also have things that require attention. Do not worry, this card says, do not worry about the «world's problems», whatever they may be: take care of pressing matters, and your condition will stabilize.

This card is similar to the Ten of Swords in that it foretells the imminent end of the «black streak». However, the Nine points rather to a bad mood and pessimism as «residual effects» from past or even imaginary problems, than to the problems themselves.

In the inverted position, it means that the «black streak» is not ending as soon as we would like, but there is still not much time left.

In the «Egyptian Tarot», this Nine, like others, points to the Gurdjieff enneagram as a symbol of the need for internal and external harmony or as a call for it.

(E. Kolesov «Azbuka Tarot»)

DESCRIPTION: A woman is sitting on a bed, clutching her face in her hands in despair. Her blanket is decorated with patterns from the Zodiac, and a woodcut next to her bed depicts a fighter defeating an opponent in combat. Element: Air.

EXPLANATION: Called the «Lord of Despair and Cruelty,» this card represents suffering, cruel doubt, and utter hopelessness. Although primarily associated with the loss of a loved one through injury or illness, this card can also indicate separation in a broader sense. Additionally, the card can indicate that you are taking on someone else's problems, whether you can solve them or not. By drawing this card, you may be experiencing feelings of shame that need to be acknowledged and overcome.

REVERSED MEANING: You have received good news regarding your lover. The future holds hope and comfort.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LESSON: If you are sad, you must identify the source of your sadness, anger, or shame, because it is holding you back. This is a time for self-assessment.

( N. Drewry «Tarot. Step-by-step guide to studying»)

This image of sleepless nights corresponds to a state of deep anxiety and depression. There may be an unclean conscience that prevents you from sleeping, or a sense of some kind of danger to life, such as illness or a great loss. The card depicts night terrors, when we lie awake, tormented by our thoughts, and wait for the dawn. But it does not tell us what it is that oppresses us so: the feeling of our own guilt or shame that drives sleep away, the feeling of insecurity in our own strength before a difficult test or some real danger that threatens our lives. It shows only our despair, longing, anxiety, a sudden nightmare awakening, a sleepless night.
WORK: A gloomy, pessimistic mood because our work, boss, or the atmosphere in the team are depressing us. This could be a fear of not being able to cope with the task at hand, overwork due to increased workload, a sense of increased risk, or jitters before an exam, public speaking, etc. Or an unclean conscience that prevents us from sleeping because we made a mistake somewhere, were careless, and are now afraid that this will be discovered.

MIND: Our horizon is covered with clouds, we have lost clarity of vision due to fear, anxiety, or guilt. These feelings may or may not be justified, but they still interfere with our consciousness, confuse us, and deprive us of self-confidence. Or, perhaps, we made some unpleasant discovery for ourselves and are now afraid of the consequences.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: Fear of being «abandoned», the pain of separation. Depressed mood due to loneliness or fear of losing a loved one, plunging us into the abyss of mental anguish and doubt. It can also be our fears about loved ones — both justified and unjustified. Sometimes it is shame because the partner suddenly found out about us (or almost found out) such things that can lower us in his eyes.

Nines in Tarot

The number «nine» is associated with the Hermit card, the planet Neptune and the zodiac signs Aries and Scorpio, ruled by Mars. Neptune is the planet of compassion, charity, selflessness, mysticism, understanding and brotherly love, but also disorder, fantasy and self-deception. The appearance of nines in a layout indicates completion or ending of affairs. Perhaps you are letting go of the past and making way for the future. Cars and other equipment break down. Trade is favorable. Long trips are possible. You may become interested in charity or providing humanitarian aid. Nines represent Yang energy, which is associated with completion and ending. Now all attention should be paid to a successful ending. This is not the best time to start new projects and promises.

Nine of Swords Upright

Key words and phrases: Sad, sleepless nights. Worry. Extreme stress. Bad feelings. Threats. Guilt. Torment. Worries. Pain. Severe pain. Depression. Feeling worthless or broken. Demoralization. Thoughtfulness. Lack of confidence. Gloom and sadness. Agony of the mind. Wretchedness. Malice. Slander. Sadness. Hopelessness. Unhappiness. Tearful lamentations. Accusations. Self-loathing. Guilt. Illness. Surgery. Unfounded fears. A woman in pain. Health problems in women. Possibility of death. Nobody loves me. It's my fault. I am bad.

Situation and advice: The Nine of Swords is a nightmare card. It depicts a woman bedridden and driven to despair by a debilitating illness. And in fact, you may suffer from sleep disturbances, which may be the result of anxiety about the outcome of some matter. Someone's evil behavior may cause you mental and physical pain. You may be overcome with fear, experience guilt or doubt, experience anxiety that is, by and large, completely unfounded. You are too sensitive to criticism and disrespect from people around you. The difficulties that you paint in your imagination may not be so «black» in the light of day. Most likely, the situation is really quite problematic and you need to make a very difficult decision, but your worst fears still do not materialize. Your suffering is the consequences of those difficult circumstances that you experienced earlier. Sometimes this card can literally mean that there is a woman next to you who is suffering from mental or physical problems and needs your help.

People: People who are worried or anxious. Those who suffer from insomnia. People who are currently ill or preparing for surgery.

Nine of Swords Reversed

Keywords and Phrases: (Positive Meanings) Hope. Good news. Unreasonable worries. Faith. Trust. Promise. A ray of sunshine. Help in the near future. An end to suffering. A period of stress and worry is over. A new dawn. A sense of significance. Pleasant dreams. Nothing more to worry about. Light at the end of the tunnel. Time heals all wounds. The nightmare is over.

(Negative meanings) Hard work. Anger. Isolation. Constant sadness. Solitude. Depression. Depression. Imprisonment. Slander. Malice. Bereavement. Suicide. Death. Restriction.

People: (Positive meanings) Those who cherish hopes for the future. Those who have had to live through a nightmare situation.

(Negative meanings) Sad people. People who have suffered a heavy loss. People suffering from chronic insomnia.

The meaning and deep meaning of the Nine of Swords Arcana

The meaning of the nine of swords in the upright position:

• Bachelor, Celibacy, Virginity, Abbot, Priest, Monk, Hermit, Clergyman, Temple.
• Church, Monastery, Sanctuary.
• Cult, Religion, Piety, Piety, Rite, Ceremony, Ritualism.
• Recluse, Recluse, Hermit, Vestal.

Other meanings of the nine of swords tarot in the upright position position:

• death, defeat, disappointment, despair, betrayal, bad omen
• mental suffering, self-abasement, accidents
• hopelessness, extreme failure, delays and deception, implacable enemy, evil fate

The Nine of Swords Tarot card signifies extreme mental pain and suffering. The client is ready to take his/her own life and is afraid of what people are thinking and saying behind his/her back. Such fears — probably unfounded, but nevertheless real — cause severe anxiety, depression, nervous tension. The Nine of Swords Tarot card is traditionally associated with accidents and illnesses, violence and cruelty. If the Nine appears in a reading, the reader must be very tactful, and the surrounding cards can provide a vital clue to an accurate interpretation.

Reversed Interpretation:

• Fair distrust.
• Well-founded suspicion, Well-founded fear, Doubt, Suggestion.
• Discrimination, Intimidated conscience, Purity, Shyness, Modesty, Shame, Disgrace,

Other meanings of the reversed Nine of Swords tarot:

• the need to strengthen faith, expectation of changes for the better, new hopes
• deep despair, lack of self-confidence, shame, fear, doubt, suspicion
• an unreliable person influencing your situation

The reversed Nine of Swords tarot card is truly black. The client seems to have fallen into a vicious circle of despair and despondency, and this deepens and perpetuates the problems. Self-doubt paralyzes the client, and he cannot get out of this situation without outside help.

Inner meaning

In most interpretations, the Nine of Swords Tarot is considered the worst card in the deck. It predicts death, failure, extreme despair. Even surrounded by the best cards, it can mean illness, loss of money or property, misfortune. This means a ruthless enemy or just bad luck. Projects influenced by the Nine of Swords Tarot card inevitably end in failure. You can only hope for inner strength that will allow you to weather the storm. Note: if you have done (or are planning to do) something inappropriate, this card warns that you will be caught and punished; a ruthless enemy is not necessarily a villain if the Questioner himself commits an offense.

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