The 9 of Swords was yesterday’s card. For a change, I used the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck because I love the astrological imagery on it. It’s not the happiest card in the deck, and, in fact, it may be one of the most depressing. I find this card even more disturbing than the 10 of Swords because at least in the 10 you see the new dawn breaking.
This is a card I associate with nightmares—I feel it looks more like the person in the bed has been awakened by a bad dream rather than unable to fall asleep. Numerologically, nine is the last single-digit number, and often signifies the final results of development or bringing matters to a close. Nine is also a number of mysticism, and how could you not classify Astrology as mystical?
Speaking of Astrology, I did say I like the astrological symbolism of the card. The blanket on the bed is a pattern of roses and sigils of both planets and signs. The 9 of Swords is affiliated with Mutable Air sign Gemini which isn’t surprising because Air is the thinking element and dreams are transient. The person in the bed is clearly disturbed by something (I interpret it as a bad dream), but what they should remember is dreams are fleeting. Yes, times are tough at the moment, you just need to remember life moves on.
The swords on the wall are clearly for decoration and I wonder if they help the person on the card feel safer or less safe. On the one hand, they’re close in case of need; on the other hand, you can’t fight a dream with a sword. I feel like this person is despairing and doesn’t know what is coming next. In the “Future” position in a spread, I would probably draw a clarifying card to see how long it will last.
Peace and balance,
Erin
EsotericErin 