Meaning of the Nine of Swords:

In the Nine of Swords card, a woman awakens from a nightmare, covering her face with her hands as she weeps. This woman appears as if she has just emerged from a terrible nightmare, and the card is dominated by a dark and negative atmosphere. Behind the woman, nine swords are displayed, all parallel and facing the east on a pitch-black wall. The woman's bed is adorned with roses and astrological symbols.

The Nine of Swords is the card of fears and nightmares. The bed is a place where we should feel most at ease, where we connect with the subconscious through sleep. However, in this card, we see that the anxiety and fears have crept into our bed. The woman either wakes up from sleep or never truly falls asleep. The Nine of Swords is a card dominated by negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and sorrow, primarily represented by the color black. It signifies the peak of worry and fear about a situation. The number 9, being the last of the single-digit numbers, represents culmination and heaviness, making the fear in the Nine of Swords extremely intense.

The nine swords hanging on the wall, all facing the same direction (east), remind us of the inevitability of the Ten of Swords, which comes next. All the swords point in one direction, meaning that the outcome is solely in that direction, and there is no second option. However, what lies in the direction indicated by the swords is uncertain. By interpreting the card that follows in that direction, the reader can offer insights into what awaits the person. The swords may be pointing to a beautiful and bright card, or they may signify the direction of the exit. The individual must incorporate this direction into their interpretation.

Since the number 9 is the last of the single digits, it also represents the culmination of a cycle, but the emotions felt at 9 are intense and heavy. All 9-numbered cards convey a sense of weight and slowing down because the number 9 is the heaviest among all single digits. Thus, the intense emotions felt in this card are emotions that are difficult to carry. However, it should never be forgotten that this card is on the brink of completion, and patience is required.

The Nine of Swords also indicates being stuck in a mechanism of denial, refusing to accept a truth and instead attempting to escape from that truth. This is a highly incorrect behavior; even though it may be painful, the truth must be accepted, and the person must free themselves from this mechanism of denial. This card is one of the saddest and most melancholic cards in the Minor Arcana, and the person who sees it must be patient because every darkness has an end. The person who sees this card must patiently await the arrival of this light.