Nine of Swords in the Rider Waite Tarot
Table of contents
Table of contents
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
Nine of Swords Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation
Minor
Air
In its general meaning, the Nine of Swords is the card of anxiety, insomnia, and mental suffering that we keep to ourselves. It represents a moment of inner crisis, when we feel overwhelmed by dark thoughts, stress, grief, or deep guilt. But this card is also a mirror of the mind: it shows that pain, although intense, is amplified by isolation and negative thoughts that go round and round in your head. It invites you to break the silence, seek support, cry if you need to, talk, write, and exorcise these frozen fears. The Nine of Swords does not herald an external catastrophe: it highlights an inner suffering that urgently needs to be heard. It is a card that calls for self-compassion and reminds you that every night has an end. Healing begins when you dare to open your mouth… or your heart.
RWS Tarot : Arcana Nine of Swords readings
Love / Sentimental reading
with the card Nine of Swords
In matters of the heart, the Nine of Swords evokes great emotional suffering, often experienced in silence or solitude. This card may refer to anxiety related to a break-up, remorse after a conflict, or persistent guilt that prevents you from sleeping. It reflects a period of deep sadness, sometimes fuelled by regret or irrational fears (fear of losing the other person, of not being loved, of repeating the same mistakes). For couples, this card signals an inner unease, often unexpressed, that is eating away at the relationship. You feel alone even when you are with someone, lost in your thoughts. For single people, it indicates pain from the past that has not yet healed. The Nine of Swords invites you to step out of your mind, not let your dark thoughts take over, and seek support to soothe your troubled heart.
Professional / Work reading
with the card Nine of Swords
Professionally, the Nine of Swords reflects intense stress, work-related insomnia, or a paralysing fear of failure. You may be overwhelmed by responsibilities, consumed by anxiety, or trapped in a situation that you dread but dare not talk about. This could be bullying, impending burnout, or a project that is causing you so much anxiety that you are becoming psychologically exhausted. This card is a sign that your mind is overloaded, that you need to lighten your load and put what you are going through into words. Sometimes, this card reveals irrational fears, exaggerated by isolation or a lack of perspective. The Nine of Swords urges you to reconnect with reality, ask for help, or take a healthy break. Don’t carry a burden that is too heavy for you alone.
Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card Nine of Swords
In the financial realm, the Nine of Swords represents extreme anxiety about money, often more mental than factual. You may fear loss, be obsessed with debt, or anticipate the worst without knowing if it will actually happen. This card speaks of guilt over past financial mistakes or a constant fear of not having enough, even if the situation is not as dire as it seems. Above all, it reflects an inner state of anxiety that blocks clear decision-making. It invites you to take back control step by step, make realistic choices, and avoid letting yourself be overwhelmed by catastrophic scenarios. Sometimes the worst is in your head, not in the numbers. The Nine of Swords encourages you to face your fears, take concrete action, and not let anxiety rule your financial choices.
Family reading
with the card Nine of Swords
In a family context, the Nine of Swords reveals deep concerns about a loved one, or great emotional suffering experienced in silence. It may be a family secret, a bereavement, or a conflict that haunts you. This card evokes the loneliness felt within the family, or the feeling of being misunderstood, rejected, or out of step. It can also reflect a constant fear for the well-being of a family member (a child, a sick parent, etc.) and the mental burden that this entails. The Nine of Swords speaks of pain that we keep to ourselves, out of pride or habit. It is time to break down this inner wall, to talk, to seek a listening ear or therapeutic support if necessary. This card reminds you that you do not have to bear the burden of family suffering alone.
Spiritual reading
with the card Nine of Swords
Spiritually, the Nine of Swords symbolises the dark night of the soul, that painful period when we doubt everything, even ourselves. It is a card of existential crisis, spiritual guilt, or feelings of inner abandonment. It can represent a time when you feel cut off from your light, overwhelmed by dark thoughts, karmic regrets, or a sense of spiritual unworthiness. Yet this card is also a gateway: it pushes you to move through your shadows to seek a truer, more stable, more authentic light. The Nine of Swords invites you to stop running from your pain and instead meet it with gentleness, offering it up as a gift, a point of humility from which faith can be reborn. It is in the deepest darkness that awakening begins — and this card reminds you that even if you cannot yet see the dawn, it is coming.
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
5-Card spread
Nine of Swords and its positions in a 5-card draw.
Want to better understand how to interpret the card Nine of Swords according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card Nine of Swords in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.
