Nine of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The scene on the Nine of Swords card evokes a deep sense of sorrow, helplessness, and depression. A despondent woman, hunched over with grief, sits on an unmade bed, weeping bitterly with her face buried in her hands. Above her head hover nine swords, symbolizing the misfortunes that have befallen her. Although the swords do not touch the woman on the card—could it be that her fears and troubles are not as overwhelming as she believes? Yet, the woman is genuinely consumed by her suffering...

When the Nine of Swords appears in a Tarot spread, it often signals troubles in business, illness, injury, accidents, life-threatening situations, significant financial losses, business collapse, emotional wounds, and deep sorrow. It feels like the end of all plans and hopes, as if the world is spiraling into chaos, leaving you feeling utterly powerless—only grief and cursing fate seem to remain.

The negative events suggested by this Tarot card can be challenging to accept and endure. However, your inner strength, a clear understanding of the situation, and support from those around you can prevent you from being overwhelmed by emotions and giving up. The Nine of Swords encourages resilience—difficulties are temporary, and with time, pain will lessen, restoring hope for a brighter future!

Key Meanings of the Upright Nine of Swords Card

• A wave of anxiety and melancholy, suffering, pain, loss, fear of life, despair, exhaustion, despondency.
• A real threat to life—serious illness, death, accident.
• Misfortune, disappointment, devastation.
• Betrayal, deceit, guilty conscience, infidelity, an implacable enemy ready to strike.

The reversed Nine of Swords card encourages you to view life and its events from a positive perspective. There is light at the end of the tunnel, the difficult times are coming to an end, and you are once again learning to dream, filled with desires and energy for future achievements.

While the reversed Nine of Swords doesn't promise a completely smooth and calm situation, it signals that it's time to break free from the cycle of worries and failures. Gather your courage, stand tall, face your fears, stop endlessly feeling sorry for yourself, and dwelling on the past.

The reversed Nine of Swords urges you not to waste time on anxiety, panic, and despair, but simply to live. Often, looming threats are nothing more than a premonition or painful imagination. Don't break your heart—many things that trouble you in reality are unlikely to happen!

However, the appearance of the reversed Nine of Swords in a spread warns that your worries might still be justified, and some danger may linger, although its likelihood is much less than if the card appeared upright. So there's no need to put yourself at risk by making questionable acquaintances or rash decisions. Remember—the cautious are protected!

Key Meanings of the Reversed Nine of Swords

• Hope for better days, good news, consolation.
• A positive outlook on life, help from others, the end of a period of suffering.
• Suspicions, fears, uncertainty, hesitation, dubious offers.

In love readings, the upright Nine of Swords card foretells worries and distress connected to personal relationships. This may manifest as anxiety about your partner or intense passion, where someone might go to extremes—revenge, deceit, or causing harm—to win over their beloved.

The Nine of Swords can also speak to negative emotions that have taken hold due to loneliness and a single lifestyle—tired of being alone, with a growing sense of abandonment and unworthiness. If that's the case, it's time to break free from the chains of solitude and take decisive steps toward building personal happiness.

When reversed, the meaning of the card changes to indicate positive shifts in personal life.

When Divining About a Suitor or Beloved

In readings about a suitor or partner, the upright card suggests that your chosen one has had a challenging romantic history. Their life has included significant heartaches, possibly even betrayal or infidelity.

The reversed card indicates that your chosen one is a strong and courageous person. In love, they have endured difficult breakups or even betrayal but found the strength within themselves to overcome these challenges.

In business readings, the Nine of Swords card predicts professional setbacks, loss of assets, debts, and financial anxieties. Payments scheduled for this period may be delayed or disrupted, requiring a shift to strict budgeting.

Old property issues may resurface, and relationships with relatives and partners could become strained due to financial matters. The work environment feels negative, and thoughts of potential failure or reprimand weigh on your mind, robbing you of peace and sleep.

When reversed, the card's meaning shifts to indicate unnecessary worries and hassles—the problem is likely to resolve itself without much intervention.

When reading Tarot for someone, the upright Nine of Swords indicates a person who has endured a significant loss or challenging times. These emotional wounds have not fully healed yet; time is needed for them to mend.

In the reversed position, this card suggests someone facing a difficult life situation. They may lack the self-confidence and optimism needed to begin overcoming their challenges.

In its upright position, the card advises you to accept a situation or loss known to you with resilience and courage.

When appearing in a reversed position in a spread, the card suggests not to dramatize your troubles and avoid making a mountain out of a molehill.

If the card appears upright, the forecast for your situation isn't very favorable. You may face disappointments and challenges.

In the reversed position, the outlook for your situation is mixed. A pessimistic view of life and self-pity might hold you back.

With 0 The Fool card – Lack of moral support, paying for foolishness, depression.

With 1 The Magician card — Loss of spiritual balance, heavy knowledge, crisis, threat of bankruptcy.

With 2 The High Priestess card — Keeping an old secret, insomnia, nightmares, and insights.

In combination with 3 The Empress card — Learning about infidelity, midlife crisis, bad news from relatives.

With 4 The Emperor card — Prohibition from elders, harsh conditions, information starvation or propaganda.

With 5 The Hierophant card — Unlawful dismissal, moral suffering, forced decision.

With 6 The Lovers card — Yielding to the pressure of circumstances, oppression, losing to a competitor.

With 7 The Chariot card — False hopes, a missed opportunity, anticipation of troubles.

With 8 The Strength card — Bad omen, justified premonition, enthusiasm running out.

With 9 The Hermit card — Fear of intimate relationships, suffering from loneliness, a cycle of failures and obstacles.

With 10 Wheel of Fortune card — Instability, tension, will need to demonstrate resilience for a good result.

With 11 Justice card — Distrust, search for the guilty, shifting responsibility onto others.

With 12 The Hanged Man card — Religious ceremony, consolation, deep depression or serious illness.

With 13 Death card — Losses, crown of celibacy, losing a loved one.

With 14 Temperance card — Returning to the past, walking in circles, hiding from the vanity of the world.

With 15 The Devil card — Self-pity, extreme degree of selfishness, demanding attention.

With 16 The Tower card — Domestic violence, psychological exhaustion, undeserved punishment.

With 17 The Star card — Being rejected by society, recognizing the degree of hypocrisy, becoming introverted and living on hope.

With 18 The Moon card — Fearing the consequences, inventing problems, over-insuring.

With 19 The Sun card — Exposing, embarrassment or realization of guilt, repentance and forgiveness.

With 20 Judgment card — Receiving bad news, disheartening annoyance, fateful future or encounter with violence.

With 21 The World card — Malaise, bad dreams, nervousness or groundless suspicions.

With the Ace of Wands - Futile attempts to emerge from a crisis, emotional burnout, the need to hide or experience panic attacks.

With the Two of Wands - A bad omen, self-pity, underestimating one's own abilities.

With the Three of Wands - An unsuccessful approach, a project at risk, a state of depression or loneliness.

With the Four of Wands - Problems or debts within the family, psychological pressure from relatives, confiscation of property.

With the Five of Wands - Struggling with depression or overcoming a difficult situation, an unhealthy environment, constant attacks.

With the Six of Wands - Squandering one's energy, emotional breakdown, receiving a harsh lesson.

With the Seven of Wands - Losing something important, emotional anguish, confirming bad omens.

With the Eight of Wands - Emotional pain, a situation of misunderstanding in society, a rejection of the realities of this world.

With the Nine of Wands - Withdrawal from loved ones, nervous exhaustion, deep emotional experiences or fears.

With the Ten of Wands - Taking responsibility for past actions, realizing one's wrongdoing, worsening of health.

With the Page of Wands - Bad news, parting with a significant other, isolation, or loneliness.

With the Knight of Wands - Attempting to ignore problems, denying the obvious, feeling powerless to change anything.

With the Queen of Wands - Expecting troubles, maternal concern, depression or a decline in energy.

With the King of Wands - Recognizing one's mistakes, reaping bitter consequences, feelings of guilt.

With the Ace of Swords - Terrible news, a strike of fate, knowledge that contradicts familiar worldviews.

With the Two of Swords - Stress due to conflict or quarrel with a significant other, marriage at risk, suffering in loneliness.

With the Three of Swords - Unraveling an unpleasant past, overwhelming emotions, self-pity.

With the Four of Swords - Medical intervention, a period of uncertainty and suffering, an exhausting situation.

With the Five of Swords - Expecting failure, regretting a mistake, blaming oneself, or being overly harsh on oneself.

With the Six of Swords - A path to repentance or reevaluation of one's actions, hiding from the world, experiencing stress in solitude.

With the Seven of Swords - Concealing emotions, a mask of indifference, mistrusting others, hiding from loved ones.

With the Eight of Swords - A dangerous situation, confusion of mind, feeling guilt and heaviness.

With the Ten of Swords - Nightmares or a sense of impending doom, bad omens, nervousness, and mental distress.

With the Page of Swords - Suspicion, expecting failure, hysteria or provocative behavior, tearfulness and lack of restraint.

With the Knight of Swords - Impending crisis, approaching misfortune, defeat, a desperate move.

With the Queen of Swords - Going through loss or upheaval, a pessimistic outlook, expecting the worst, external pressures.

With the King of Swords - Legal problems, bureaucratic hassle, criminal or administrative punishment, persecution by authorities.

With the Ace of Cups - Anger and resentment towards a close person, self-pity, falling into depression.

With the Two of Cups - Neurosis, toxic relationships, developing complexes and unfounded fears.

With the Three of Cups - Unveiling an ill-wisher among close friends, realizing that a rival or competitor has appeared in your circle, feeling hurt by friends.

With the Four of Cups - Mourning your own obstinacy, regretting the past, feeling ashamed of your behavior.

With the Five of Cups - Inner turmoil, reflection, shocking news.

With the Six of Cups - Recalling past mistakes, getting burned by naivety, problems with female health and conception.

With the Seven of Cups - Loss of opportunities, rapidly changing circumstances, internal conflict or nervous exhaustion.

With the Eight of Cups - A closed loop in relationships, psychological issues, becoming fixated on one's own feelings.

With the Nine of Cups - Regretting arrogance in the past, loneliness, a complete mismatch between outward appearance and inner state.

With the Ten of Cups - Suffering from separation from someone dear, self-criticism, mental distress.

With the Page of Cups - Realizing the inevitable, very bad news, losing emotional balance.

With the Knight of Cups - A turning point in relationships, deep emotions, openly expressing suffering.

With the Queen of Cups - Yearning for past relationships, experiencing loneliness, finding oneself in non-standard conditions and getting entangled.

With the King of Cups - Becoming sentimental, giving vent to emotions, experiencing a nervous breakdown or emotional illness.

With the Ace of Pentacles - Financial problems or instability, worrying about property, a time of change that will cause nervousness.

With the Two of Pentacles - Nervousness and sleepless nights due to debts, losing peace of mind over money, dissatisfaction with the size of the salary.

With the Three of Pentacles - Annoyance over a terminated contract, a job order going to competitors, unfavorable conditions.

With the Four of Pentacles - Suffering from one's own greed, a clingy partner or admirer, whiner and overcautious person.

With the Five of Pentacles - Feeling sorry for oneself and one's miserable state, suffering from lack of funds or housing, mourning the loss of property.

With the Six of Pentacles - Awaiting assistance, being in a state of suspension, going through tough times, asking for a loan or setting aside one's own pride.

With the Seven of Pentacles - Neurosis over delays, attempting to regain what was lost, paying the price for carelessness in the past.

With the Eight of Pentacles - Danger of losing a job, worries about a salary cut, lack of opportunities for growth.

With the Nine of Pentacles - Unsuccessful investments, realizing it too late, losing part of the profit, danger of losing a significant other.

With the Ten of Pentacles - Problems with family and relatives, feeling nostalgic for home, being separated from loved ones.

With the Page of Pentacles - Failing exams, difficulties in obtaining a diploma, lack of education, discouraging news regarding money.

With the Knight of Pentacles - Financial crisis, losing peace of mind over money, concealing despair.

With the Queen of Pentacles - Limitations in resources or freedom of action, external prosperity, envy from enemies, a wealthy and lonely woman.

With the King of Pentacles - Money is not everything, shaken prosperity, a critical moment in managing a firm, fluctuations in leadership.