Tarot Spotlight: Nine of Swords

Nine of Swords

Featured Tarot Card: Nine of Swords from Crow Tarot, created by MJ Cullinane

Artwork

Cullinane’s artistry imitates stained glass windows, featuring hard, straight lines amidst jagged skies and mountains. The harsh lines juxtapose the softness of watercolor detail. The cards display bright colors, which elaborates the crows’ stark imagery. The crow is said to be the messenger of the divine, representing the bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. They can represent knowledge, mysteries and the unknown.  

Imagery from Crow Tarot

A solitary crow wakes from a nightmare. His breath is heavy and his feathers fall slack against his dewy skin. Above him, a skull hangs from the nearest blade, reminding the creature of the morbid reality that one day he shall perish. He cowers with his fears permeating within his head. He must determine whether to stay trapped in a cage or endure a lengthy battle.

Upright Meaning

The Nine of Swords is a card that represents fear and anxiety. It embodies stress, burdens, negative thoughts and unhappiness. The querent could be feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope amidst difficult situations or life in general. The Nine of Swords is a card of mental anguish, remorse, regret and despair. It can also represent loneliness, insomnia or nightmares.

Reversed Meaning

When the Nine of Swords is reversed it represents coming out of a dark period of one’s life. It signifies recovering from depression or mental illness, letting go of negative and pervasive thoughts, releasing stress and learning to manage one’s emotions. Alternatively, it can also mean a worsening mental health condition, based on the cards around it. It can also indicate gossip or overwhelming negativity by those around you whether it is in your personal life or your career. The Nine of Swords reversed is a card of night terrors, hallucinations or psychosis.