Minor Arcana · Swords
Nine of Swords
The long night
Upright meaning
Night-time worry magnifies everything. The real situation is almost always lighter than the imagined one.
Reversed meaning
Beginning to ease, or worry building to the point where you need help.
What is in the picture
Someone sits up in bed in the middle of the night with their face in their hands. Nine swords hang in parallel on the black wall behind — hanging on the wall, not in anybody. The quilt is embroidered with roses and zodiac signs, so the ordinary world is still entirely intact. What hurts in this card happens at three in the morning and not in daylight.
Love
Anxiety is damaging the relationship more than the actual problem is.
Career
Work stress is affecting your health. Deal with it now.
About this suit
Swords are about thought, truth and conflict. The suit of speech, decisions and what runs through your head — fear included.
One thing you can do
When you wake with the worry, write it down and make an appointment with yourself to handle it at nine. Almost every time, at nine it is smaller.
Is Nine of Swords a yes or a no?
No — but this card describes fear more accurately than it describes fact. Check whether the thing you dread has actually happened.
Beside another card
A card changes meaning according to what sits next to it. These are the two most common pairings — tap through to read the other card.
Want a reading of your own?
Pick a spread, hold your question, and draw for free.
Draw cards