The Nine of Swords

Waking up in a cold sweat.

Upright

Nightmares, anxiety, haunted, overwhelmed.

Reversed

Feeling trapped and powerless, but the healing will begin soon.

This is the card of ultimate anxiety. The figure on this card has woken up in the middle of the night, the illusion of nine swords floating above them and piercing through their head and heart. This person is overwhelmed, anxious, haunted. This is the card of literal nightmares, of waking up with anxiety. The source of the anxiety is often complex and involves things beyond our control.

When reversed, the Nine of Swords indicates feeling trapped and powerless, but it also heralds a time of healing. If the healing hasn’t started already, it will begin soon.

Note the similarity in theme of rest between the Nine of Swords and the Four of Swords. In the Nine, we face serious nightmares and anxiety that interrupt our rest. In the Four, we are in need of rest before things devolve to the situation in the Nine.