Nine of Swords
Today you may have to confront your fears or face the music about something that you’re not too comfortable with.
The Nine of Swords — this version from the beautiful Prisma Visions Tarot — speaks of needing to face your fears and acknowledging your own part in whatever predicaments you’re facing.
This is sometimes called the “nightmare” card. It refers to the apprehension and fear we experience upon waking up from a bad dream. And when we’re forced to confront a real-life situation that has taken on nightmarish proportions, it can be just as traumatic.
There’s a true sense of terror and foreboding in this card. A young boy stands in the the midst of a snowstorm, barefoot and unprotected from the harsh winter elements. Before him flaps a giant squawking bird, his menacing teeth bared and ready to strike.
He may not know how he’s called this situation to him, but it’s clear to him now that he must stand up and face it. He has no other choice.
Like the boy in this card, you may have created a situation — or contributed to one — that now has you terrified of the consequences. You may feel like running away from your problems, or pulling the blankets back over your head.
But you’ll find that not confronting your demons and tackling the situation head on only makes them more harrowing. While it may be hard to admit, avoiding responsibility for something you’ve created yourself will only exacerbate your problems.
The Nine of Swords is strangely empowering as it forces you to face your fears. There’s no more hiding or avoiding, as the circumstances in your life put them right in your path. You may have to remind yourself that it’s never as bad as it seems; that it was only a nightmare and that everything will look better with the dawn of a new day.