The Image
Woken from a dream, a figure on the card covers his face in a gesture signalling unsettling thoughts and feelings. The nine swords on a dark wall behind him depict numerous troubles and worries that hunt his thoughts and keep him awake at night.
Keywords
Feeling worried, experiencing fear and anxiety, doubting things will turn out well, feeling guilt, going over and over the same problem, sleepless nights.
The Meaning of the Card 9 of Swords
Worry is the dominant theme of the 9 of Swords tarot card. Anxious about your situation, uncertain how things will turn out, expecting and fearing the worst, you may find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep as the dark thoughts fill your soul with terror.
Expecting the worst is a human instinct tightly linked to our survival. Only by anticipating threats could we arm ourselves against them. Yet, the same instincts that kept our ancestors alive, are now plaguing our lives with the feelings of anxiety and stress. We are genetically programmed to view the potential problems through a magnifying glass. However these are just our projections of the future meant to alert us to possible dangers.
9 of Swords signals that you are excessively worrying about your work, your health or your relationships. Whatever the issue, the fear is likely stemming from your lack of security. However, the card comes to you as a message that the problems that keep you awake at night are largely exaggerated. Tarot’s message in your reading is clear: “Drop your worries and calm your thoughts. Things are not as bad as they seem.”
9 of Swords as Advice Card
9 of Swords tarot card will ask you to carefully examine how much of your worries stem from your fears and insecurities. Anxiety won’t make things better and will likely cause you to make rush decisions. Try to approach your circumstances with cold skepticism. When you put your emotions and fears aside, you will soon realize that your worry is exaggerated.