I’ll throw in my two cents, even if it doesn’t match what a lot of books or websites say. Hopefully it makes some sense!
One thing I’ve noticed is that different sources don’t always really disagree as much as they seem to. They just phrase things differently or lean on certain keywords. The core ideas are usually pretty consistent if you look deeper.
With the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (and others that follow it), the Swords suit is super dramatic. If you just go by the artwork, it looks like every Sword card is a disaster waiting to happen. But in reality, no suit is “bad” or “good.” Every card has both sides — light and shadow. The Swords just tend to get shown from their darker angle in the RWS imagery.
Take the Nine of Swords: people often call it “the nightmare card,” and sure, it can absolutely represent fear, anxiety, sleepless nights. Same with the Three of Swords always being “heartbreak.” Those meanings aren’t wrong, but they’re not the whole picture either. The images only show a slice of the possibilities. The positive side of a “bad” card, or the shadow side of a “good” one, is still there if you dig into it.
Now, looking at the Nines in general—they’re about being close to completion, almost reaching the finish line. Upright, that’s usually a positive, like near-attainment. Reversed, though, it’s like there’s something in the way: an obstacle, a mental block, or just plain stagnation. With the Nine of Swords reversed specifically, I see it as the mental/inner stuff that holds you back — self-doubt, despair, lack of faith, maybe even depression. That fits with the RWS imagery of someone up in the middle of the night, consumed by worry.
To me, it’s a reminder to figure out what’s actually keeping you stuck. Once you recognize the fear or negative thought pattern, you can work on rejecting it and pushing through. Kind of like the Devil card — breaking the chains is possible, but it takes willpower.
Just my interpretation, but I hope that gives you another way of looking at it!
