9 of Swords in Tarot: Meaning of the Card in Love, Work and More!

The 9 of Swords looks like a scary card when drawn, but it forces you to reflect on what is bad for you: whether secrets, guilt or fears. She points to the need to break free and leave the past behind.

It’s also the card that warns about serious health issues and, without it, maybe some serious problems go unnoticed, being considered just fatigue or fear, instead of being given due care.

Read the 9 of Swords as an alert for care in all aspects of your life, in particular, about mental issues about the physical body, as will be explained throughout the article.

In this first moment, it is time to understand the symbols of the 9 of Swords card, which will build the meanings described below: the history of the card within the Tarot, iconography, the suit and the corresponding element, air.

Swords is a card that talks about mental aspects of the querent and the situation. Within the cycle of the suit of Swords, this is the ninth step.

Much has happened up to this moment, your plans and creations have developed, several issues have changed in your life and there has been no lack of surprises. A moment ago, in card 8, his plans needed a revamp. Now, you want to see all that work pay off, and at this point, you reap what you sow.

The 9 is very close to closing the suit cycle, so it has a lot of expectations in it. One more step and card 10 arrives, when you will rejoice and prepare for a new cycle.

The art of the 9 of Swords features a person awakening from a nightmare. She seems to cry or be in a lot of emotional and mental pain. In the background, nine swords hang, representing painful thoughts.

Note also the bed on which the person lies. There is a notch of a duel and one of the duelists has just been defeated. The cover is decorated with designs of roses and astrological symbols. The choice of colors creates a contrast between the black background, the color of the swords and the person on the bed, giving an atmosphere of anguish, compared to the happy colors of other cards.

The person depicted on the 9 of Swords is perhaps the same as the one on the 8. He is free at last, but haunted by the past. The Sweet Twilight deck adds a moon to the abstractly drawn swords. Reinforcing the sense that these painful truths that the swords bring can be an illusion.

The suit of Swords is about the mental, the will to possess, the plans made, the ideas, everything very rational, based on the order and logic that each one is guided by.

For this reason, Swords is not presented as a suit about building goals or sentimental relationships, but about successes, communication failures and how each one deals with their fears and desires.

It’s a suit that doesn’t involve feelings, but ambition, courage and conflict, be it internal or with others. This may even involve important decisions that are being postponed and the pain caused by this impasse.

Like the air element, the suit of Swords speaks to issues of communication, logic, reason and intellect. About analyzing the surroundings and one’s own identity in a healthy way, or not. This excessive rationality leads to less compassion, forgiveness, and a lot of confrontation.

The 9 of Swords is a point of the suit that shows that unresolved issues come back to haunt the thoughts once more. We will unravel all the possibilities of this letter below, addressing anguish, worry, guilt, fragility, failures and nightmares.

Negative thoughts have gotten the better of you and you have spent a lot of time worrying and worrying. Even if your fears are well founded, the way you have been dealing with these situations is what will turn your fears into reality, even through self-sabotage.

Until these issues are resolved and there is an end point, it is possible that the problem will come back, even if only in your mind. This pain and anguish will never end without dialogue or even a request for help. There is always a chance to change, start over and prevent the worst from happening. Do not give up before trying to fix the situation and believe in the best outcome.

Unresolved situations are haunting you and you have chosen to continue with the guilt and suffering instead of dealing with the effects of the truth, but is it worth it?

It is possible that you are so immersed in guilt and negative thoughts that you cannot visualize the possibility of forgiveness. You need to focus on your development and change of attitude, forgive yourself before anything else. In this way, it is possible to ask forgiveness from others and deal with the consequences.

It’s the negative thoughts, anxiety and guilt that keep you from resting. Tension makes it difficult for the body to relax and does not let you enjoy sleep. Here, the mental aspect is starting to affect the physical.

The main meaning of the card, the one directly drawn from the iconography, is this: there are thoughts that hurt you and keep you awake at night.

Sometimes, what keeps you awake at night and haunts you are the unexpected attitudes of others. The discovery of some kind of betrayal can lead to a sense of failure. Several doubts are raised and there is a desire to have done everything differently.

The 9 of Swords points out that, despite everything that has happened, the worst is over. Now it is necessary to deal with this pain and stop it from doing you more harm.

You’ve been feeling lost, afraid and isolating yourself to try to get your head together. The fragility here can be mental or even physical, as anxiety attacks trigger reactions in the body. Insomnia is an example of this.

There is a possibility of unsurpassed trauma undermining your mental health. In this case, the 9 of Swords indicates the need for adequate professional assistance.

In love, negative thoughts are also taking over. They are likely to cause serious harm unless worked through with trust and dialogue. Understand better what the 9 of Swords says for committed and singles below.

For committed people, there are two main possibilities for the 9 of Swords to appear in a spread: guilt and lack of confidence. It is possible that you made a mistake that perhaps the partner did not discover, but the guilt is great for having broken that vow of honesty and trust between you. At the same time, you don’t believe in forgiveness.

In this case, you need to forgive yourself, be honest and commit to improving. Forgiveness is possible, but it must be earned. The other situation indicated by the 9 of Swords is jealousy. Insecurity, negative thoughts, lack of self-love is clouding your judgment and turning you against your partner.

In both cases, focus on reestablishing the bond of trust, on making room for dialogue that is obstructed by guilt or jealousy.

For singles, this card in the spread indicates some sexual or loving partner interest in you. Or, one of you has a desire for control over the other.

Another reading talks about the traumas of past relationships that leave you insecure, possessive and full of doubt. That is, in this case, you may be the controlling person who needs time to deal with these traumas, if you are thinking about leaving singleness.

Right now, invest only in yourself, in your mental health, in the people who love you and in your own well-being. A relationship started in a period of so much insecurity tends to be more troubled and may end up compromising your state of mind even more with the issue of possessiveness, control and insecurity.

At work, the 9 of Swords asks for a moment of reflection, a lot of conversation and support. Be prepared to make complicated choices and put yourself first, both in the case of employed people and for those looking to replace themselves in the market, as we will explain below.

This card indicates a lot of wear, anxiety, sleepless nights and stress. It is dangerous to continue at the same pace. If possible, avoid Burnout Syndrome by taking it easy and seek help, both professionally and from friends and/or your family, to deal with these problems.

In case the factors of your wear are impossible for you to manage by yourself or if stress is part of your job, it is worth thinking about a new placement that respects your health. Check the possibility of a new job and look for family and friends to support you in this transition.

For those who are unemployed, know that you have the ability to dedicate yourself to an activity, you just need the opportunity. Even if it’s complicated, reassess your options calmly, seek help, support from people close to you and don’t give up.

With this letter in circulation, there are high chances that you will not be called for that desired vacancy. The 9 of Swords here can represent a break in communication. In this difficult unemployment situation, it is important not to let negative thoughts get the better of you. Believing that it is possible to win a vacancy and be successful is the best option.

The combinations of the 9 of Swords, along with the card’s place in the spread, can indicate situations in which dialogue and help are needed. Paying attention to the suit and meaning of the major arcana will give good direction. Check out more below.

The 9 of Swords, in general, enhances the negative issues of the other card in the combination and readings with cautionary advice are the most common, but there are still positive combinations. One is done between the 9 of Swords and The Star, because it points to a healing process to end a period of nightmares.

The combination between the Moon and the 9 of Swords enhances the issue of isolation, loneliness and being surrounded by illusions. And many nightmares. Emotions here are muddled and foggy, to top it all off.

The Devil together with the 9 of Swords also negatively enhances the card. The combination points to a path of self-destruction and self-sabotage, because, as if the fears that the 9 of Swords were not enough, the way to deal with these issues involves looking for escapes and numbness, without solving the problem.

If you are Enamorados next to the 9 of Spades, the question that haunts you is a very painful choice, which can probably be defined between…