View Full Version : Nine of Swords: Ruminations re. Worry
Although this may sound odd, I consider the Nine of Swords to be one of my favourite cards in the RW. I find its imagery to be very much straight to the point, and I have always found myself drawn to this card. Not to mention the fact that it has been appearing as a regular in my daily-draw. Ha!
There is another thread on the Nine of Swords, but I wanted to start afresh and from a more general perspective, as the other thread seems to focus on the bedding depicted in the card.
Anyway, I was thinking about this card and how it can relate to worry and general-anxiety. I look at the image and I see the the figure sat in bed with her hands covering her face. I think: despair. The swords point to the bottom the bed, the hilt of the sword behind the figure.
I notice that the sword-points cannot be seen in the card. This suggests to me that what she worries about may be in the future... she does not know the outcome... she does not see the points, and therefore cannot know the outcome. This is a cause of much worry.
If we drag the figure back in bed, or lay her down so that her head is on the pillow, then the sword hilts would be directly above her head. This might also suggest that the figure may be worried about something that she has done, whether this be a misdeed, or whether she is involved in a situation which she feels that she cannot handle. What I mean is that, it is almost as though the position of the sword hilts might indicated that SHE is somehow the victim and perpetrator of her OWN anxiety... because it is as though she has sat up in bed and thrown the swords at whatever may be at the other side of the card.
I would also like to add that when we reverse this card, it is almost as though she is falling out of bed... waking up to the fact that her anxieties may be unfounded. The nine swords look almost like shutters to the world which she has to turn in order to let the sunshine in.
WalesWoman
31-03-2004, 10:53
I'm still trying to gain my own perspective on this card, but from what I gather, upright these are thoughts, perceptions that have created anxiety, there may be no real foundation, sort of paranoid worrying, making a mountain from a molehill. And that reversed, the question of unfounded worries is removed, there is a real problem or dilemma that has to be dealt with.
I see it very much like you describe it Centaur.
I also notice that when I have a 9 of Swords experience it often has to do with me trying to take on the pain of the world to try and protect others from it.
And of course no one can do that we all have to live our own story.
It's so much a card about projecting...
Projecting all the bad things that "could" happen in the future.
This card is a control freaks worst nightmare.
Because it's also about learning to give up that control and see the sunrise even in the dead of night.
About going with the flow and learning to trust.
And finding "peace" in that ability to let go.
The Golden Tarot has a wonderful 9 of Swords.
It's a man not a woman in the card.
And the swords look very much like the shutter on a window like you said.
The blanket on the bed is red.
Makes me think that his pain has alot of passion attached to it.
There is a black dog at the end of the bed with his front paws on the bed.
His red tongue is hanging out.
Was the dog alerted to his masters cries of worry in the night?
Adds a new dimension to the card for me.
Obssesive worry also affects those around us.
We aren't happy, they aren't happy and our worry causes them to worry, feel afraid, or change their life path to ease our mind.
And that is not fair.
Sometimes I have a hard time distiguishing between premonitions and my own fears.
This card reversed often tells me it's a premonition.
I've learned that no fear is attached to a premonition I may give it that emotion later, but at the time I recieve it it is non emotional "just fact".
How about:
the swords are pointing east, toward the light; this indicates new beginnings in the dawning new day.
Also stuggles are lessons and delays that you endure only as long as you attach yourself to them.
Grabbing for anything which gives you the feeling of anxiety because you are in knowing of the feeling. You do not feel right if you are not attached to the feeling. So you'll worry about anything just to have the feeling.
A cycle thing. Break the cycle with self control over emotions.
Originally posted by ros
How about:
the swords are pointing east, toward the light; this indicates new beginnings in the dawning new day.
I never thought of it like that before. I like that take!
Centaur
I see this card a lot when I have thoughts that are all-consuming for a time, be they good or bad thoughts. I've been seeing it a lot lately, but my all-consuming thoughts right now are all giddy and spring-like. The 9 of Swords to me is about obsession, the cards around it can indicate whether it is a good thing or bad thing. Therefore, I don't see a problem with it being someone's "favorite" card.
TemperanceAngel
03-04-2004, 19:01
And what about all the astrology signs on the blanket!!! XTAX
CreativeFire
03-04-2004, 23:58
Originally posted by TemperanceAngel
And what about all the astrology signs on the blanket!!! XTAX
LOL, TemperanceAngel! })
The 9 of Swords, always makes me think of stressing about something, your thoughts being overrun by worries, not being able to focus as you have "things" hanging over your head - like Swords, duh! :D
I noticed in Lark's post, that she mentions that it is a woman in this RWS card, which made me go and look at it again.
It's funny I have always thought of this figure as a man, just in an old fashioned type night shirt. I guess it is the shortish hair, but when I look at it, I think it is more so, the strong looking forearms, shoulders and neck which to me are more masculine looking.
CreativeFire
Originally posted by CreativeFire
I noticed in Lark's post, that she mentions that it is a woman in this RWS card, which made me go and look at it again.
It's funny I have always thought of this figure as a man, just in an old fashioned type night shirt. I guess it is the shortish hair, but when I look at it, I think it is more so, the strong looking forearms, shoulders and neck which to me are more masculine looking.
CreativeFire
Hum, I'm looking at the card and I see what you mean.
It sure could be a man
I guess I've always projected myself into the card so it was a woman in my eyes.
When it was a man in the Golden Tarot I was surprised.
Very interesting...
bellatrix
04-04-2004, 08:51
This card definately speaks to me about anxiety and despair, maybe even depression too with the former often being symptoms of depression. The swords remind me of a cage and being trapped. The darkness of the background reinforces the feeling of 'no way out'. I once pulled this card out when I was in floods of tears and going mindless with worry. It was a bit freaky but it definately looked how I felt.
However, aside from all the doom and gloom the bedspread with the yellow spuares and red flowers for me, sheds a bit of light on the card. Maybe if she took her hands away from her face, she could see things might not be as bad as she thinks and that there is light on the otherside of darkness.
Temperance mentioned the astrology signs on the blanket. Do these have any significance at all?
love bellatrix
Originally posted by bellatrix
. Temperance mentioned the astrology signs on the blanket. Do these have any significance at all?
Found this in "Spiritual Tarot" by Echols, Mueller and Thomson.
"The quilt covering her legs has red roses embroidered in the yellow squares, indicating passion backed by intellect, and astrological signs, standing for aspects of her personality, embrodered on its blue squares of awareness."
"The base of the bed is carved with images, possibly mythogical ones.
The scene on the base of the bed suggests that a myth or script we live by is an underlying factor in shaping our ideas about ourselves and whats ahead."
This book also suggests that the swords are hanging to represent "hang-ups" from the past.
Originally posted by bellatrix
However, aside from all the doom and gloom the bedspread with the yellow spuares and red flowers for me, sheds a bit of light on the card. Maybe if she took her hands away from her face, she could see things might not be as bad as she thinks and that there is light on the otherside of darkness.
I think that this could also represent the fact that there is comfort to be taken in difficult times: perhaps from friends, or family.
I was also thinking that the nine swords look almost like a ladder: the ladder of escalating anxiety and worry. Anxious thoughts usually start off as quite small niggling worries, and then manifest themselves into greater and greater worries, until they can overwhelm and make one's life a complete and utter misery. Perhaps the nine steps on the ladder of swords could signify this escalating thought-process?
Centaur
Yaboot001 has done a thread on 9 of swords a while ago.
It's good also, check it out!
so here, this is one other thread talking about the swords_IX http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=15934
i have drawn it as today's card and i confess that it corresponds to quite a lot of perspectives in my life. it reminds me of my sleeplessness and of sorrows which cant be resolved at once.
have you ever noticed the two persons being in a battle at the side of the bed? it seems to be a remaining picture of her nightmare.
sometimes i even think of the other part of the bed being a second peacefully sleeping (or snoring) person.