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The Tower tarot card
Nine of Swords Tarot Card

Card reading

The Tower

 
 
 

The Tower Tarot Card Meaning

When the Tower shows itself in your reading, consider it as a blessing in disguise. Change, albeit forceful change is being thrust upon you now and though it may feel like it is happening against your will you need to remember that this is for your own good. Often this card comes up when change has been in the works for some time and you have resisted or ignored it. There have been small problems that are increasing and situations are getting out of control. The Tower card represents the Universe telling you that you require this change to happen for your own spiritual growth.

The Tower card is actually a gift, even if it doesn’t feel like it at first. You see, up until this point, you have built your tower on a spotty foundation. The beams are rickety and termite ridden, the stone is old and falling down the mountain. You don’t want to keep living in a condemned building do you? Wouldn’t you rather move into the new mansion that is being built just for you? The metaphor that is the Tower card is clear: You are the rickety tower and it is time for you to rebuild. The Universe lobs fireballs at you and your original tower is destroyed so that you can begin to build again. The routines that you have created, the solace or stability that you think that you possess right now does not exist and it is time to create something more stable for you based on what you know now.

In our lives, we build towers constantly: The Tower of Love, the Tower of Friendship, the Towers of Right and Wrong. We build each tower with the information that we have at our disposal at the time, which is perfectly acceptable. But, as we grow up and we gather more information by bouncing ourselves around this planet, we find that sometimes old information is no longer applicable and new information must be applied. Sometimes the new can comingle with the old, but often times the old needs to be put to rest so that it may be recycled back into the Earth.

The image of the Tower in most decks is frightening. There is lightening knocking the crown off a building, bodies flinging themselves out to fall down into oblivion. It is not an easy image to feel relaxed about. But the image on this card expresses less the final result of the Tower and more the way that we feel when we are confronted with abrupt change. If you lose your home, if you lose your job, if your relationship ends suddenly or your partner dies; these kinds of circumstances can cause you to feel like your entire existence has been shaken like a snow globe. Your world is upside down and though you grasp, there is nothing at your disposal to save you. This is the way that we process change. It is cataclysmic and terrifying. But that is the process that we must go through in order to see the end result benefits of starting anew.

Sometimes, you are forced to start again, and recreate who you are now with the loss that you have experienced. If you can step up to the challenge, even if it is heart wrenching, the reward that is offered to you is eternal. For you will have developed personal strength of character, the knowledge of how to move forward even in the worst of situations and you will become more resilient than ever because you know that you can get through anything. This knowledge of personal strength that is bestowed upon you by the Tower will push you through many different scary situations in your life. You will fear less, and you will find joy more. With the Tower, your entire structure is rebuilt and you get to become brand new again. Trust what this card has to tell you. Consider what Towers you have built that are broken, and then ask yourself what causes you to hesitate about accepting that something is wrong and then begin to clear the slate. When you have identified why you do what you do, perhaps you will be able to allow yourself to heal from the broken and move onto the new.

The Tower in Love

When the Tower card appears in a love or relationship reading, then you must understand that the shape of relationship is no longer going to be able to keep the same shape as it always has. This means that one or both of you are going to go through something that is going to cause you to change every aspect of the relationship. This could be very positive in the sense that you may have been just dating and you are now moving onto a more monogamous feel in your relationship so everything will feel different. Or it could be that the time that you have spent together is no longer serving one or both of you. The Tower is not saying to break up, but it does instruct us to be aware of which part of the relationship is fantasy and which parts are based in reality. Make doubly sure at this time that you do not have a fantasy connection with your partner or potential partner, because fantasy blocks only build fantasy buildings and sometimes we are more attached to our fantasy buildings then we are real ones, but fantasies always bring the tower down when reality comes to light. Be honest with yourself; be honest with your partner. If you are not with someone and are looking, then you must consider the timing to be perfect to reconstruct who you think you are presenting yourself as while searching for your mate. Are you being honest with yourself on the type of person you desire to attract?

The Tower in Health

When the Tower presents itself in a reading dedicated to Health then you will find that bones that are broken are going to be on the mend. This is going to apply to any and all parts of the body that need assistance in reconstruction. Therefore if you are recovering from surgery or are wondering if the recovery for surgery is going to go well, the Tower card tells you that it is. Because the Tower clears out all of the possibilities for you to heal wrong, leaving only the possibility that the final outcome is that you will be well. Perhaps there is a possibility that you might have to confront the reality of your health situation first, but once you have done that reconstruction is always possible.

The Tower in Work and Wealth

Many of us live our whole lives striving to work in one place that will give us security into our old age. The economy is different in these modern times and does not always provide us the same security that we would like that emulates businesses of the past. Now we must be multi-taskers in order to function at the base level in business. The Tower tells you that you must make your entire life about your work, because if you build the Tower of ONE JOB FOR LIFE then you will have to go through the breaking down process should that job ever end. The Tower is telling you that it is time to focus on avenues of life that are not "money making" in nature.

Tower In Future or Outcome

The tower in the future position means what you have built will come crashing down, this could be a job or love. It is not necessarily bad, it is what you thought you were building has come crashing down and now you have a clear view and picture of some aspect of your career or love life. This is a “wake up call” and a false view was getting in the way. It's like a singer, who wants to be famous and quitting their job at the mall then wondering why things don't work out and they don't get that break. The tower can indicate that they are failing at auditions because they were under an illusion. Relationship wise, the tower in the future position could indicate that despite everything the relationship is not working and it is made or break time.

Tower As Action - Upright And Reversed

In the upright position, the tower can indicate that deep change is on its way and you need to go with the flow. There is something that needs to be determined internally and you may be going through a break-up or problems in a relationship. The tower upright can also suggest that out of a negative situation will be a positive outcome.

We all need “shaking up” at some point in life - and that is exactly what the tower gives you in the future position. This card in the future, can also mean that you will "want to feel" free going forward rather than stuck in rut and communicate something with someone that is worrying you that is constantly on your mind. The other element is that there is sexual tension when the tower appears. 

The tower reversed as action can mean that you should not give in and just start again. There is a temptation to just end something and begin something else. The reversal is a reflection of one's struggle internally and its best not to act with impulse. The tower as an action card can show the light (due to the lightening hitting the tower card). The other element of this card is understanding how you can avoid loss. 

If the situation has suddenly stopped or not been good the best advice is to not be quick to make any decisions. Wait! The advice of the reversal of the tower is to be patient. The tower reversed is also a card of over-reacting in a situation and you need to just keep with reality. It is also saying that you need to create the change. The reversal is in the results and that you can influence what happens from now on!

Reversed Tower

Reversed Tower in a reading

When the Tower is reversed, the process has already begun. Likely you are receiving a reading or looking for guidance because you can already feel that there is an aspect of your life, if not the concept of your entire life falling apart all around you. If you receive the reversal of this card, the most that you can do is cover your head and lay low until the building has come all the way down. The more that you fight it; the more hurt you are going to get. Therefore take this time as an opportunity to rest, and to ponder what you are going to create now that this tower has fallen.

Remember: The Tower fell so that you could start over with a new structure, do not attempt to rebuild the same tower. If you continue to move forth from this experience making the same choices and the same mistakes you will only end up back in this situation again and again until you learn your lesson. Take this opportunity to build something you have never built before. Seek out new experiences or push boundaries. What you are comfortable within your life may no longer fit. In love readings, the tower can mean that you have avoided a nasty relationship with someone who could show violence or unkindness. 

The Nine of Swords

 
 
 

The Nine Of Words Tarot Card Meaning

When the Nine of Swords becomes present in your reading there is an experience in your life that you are going to need to analyze very carefully.

Focus on your priorities and keep moving. This card is representative of ill tidings coming your way. Sometimes life throws us curveballs that exist for the purpose of giving us the experience of working through the problems that they create and this is the case for you at this time. Often this card is depicting some kind of loss that has thrown you completely off of your normal routine.

The image that is depicted in the Rider-Waite deck shows a woman waking up in the dead of night in despair. Her head is in her hands and there are nine heavy swords hanging over her head. This is symbolic of loss, suffering and sometimes misery or oppression. This card could be symbolic of a loss of a loved one either in an end in a relationship or a death. When you have gotten this card in your reading you will need to take a step back emotionally and take a look at your situations as they currently are.

If you are experiencing this level of loss and you are right in the middle of grieving this could be hard to do. But this card tells you that it is important for you to keep focused on your end goal primarily because for one thing it will help with your grief and for another you will find that even though this is a difficult time, much growth will come as a result of you having the strength to keep on moving. You will definitely need to prioritize because you will not be able to take on very much right now, so what you do take on needs to be gentle and easy for you to handle. When you prioritize then you are giving the pain something positive to transform into, and often times pain and suffering can be excellent motivations. You need a distraction that will help you get through your grief. Immerse yourself totally and trust that you know what you need to do to succeed. At this point, the higher mind can take the wheel, and you should allow it to. Healing is found when one connects to their higher source energy.

Right now the combination that can be found in Knowledge and in Wisdom should be treated as interrelated. You cannot carry out a responsibility without the knowledge necessary to do so and you can’t be truly informed or knowledgeable on anything without the assistance of responsibility. There is a copasetic relationship here that cannot be denied. At this point in the Suit of Swords, you must take the responsibility inherent in the Knowledge that is at your fingertips so that you might get through this devastating time unscathed.

The time to fine-tune your personal philosophy and set goals for this lifetime is now. Even though it may be difficult to do so, there is nothing healthier for you at this time then to focus on improving yourself in life. Take the time now to consider how you are putting yourself down and being counterproductive, what is causing you suffering at this time? What is causing you to be depressed?

The Nine of Swords in Love

This is just a time in your life that you have to learn to figure out what you need to do. You have been so devastated by a loss in the past, or with a mistake that you have made that you cannot possibly fathom how you can ever be free to pursue something right and good ever again. Therefore you are stunted and you continue to attract those that are not good for you, they take advantage, they cheat and lie and betray you. This is a cycle that is feeding on itself because you have not healed from the grief of this big loss in your past. If you unravel the pain from your past, then you will be able to experience true happiness in the future.

The 9 swords in love can mean that someone has suddenly come to a realization in love and that they are suffering greatly in their love life. This card can mean the subconscious mind is working over-time and that they are worried about getting too carried away with someone. Another interpretation is that someone likes playing games, they like the chase and the early part of relationships. Even the on/off of how relationships pan out. If the situation is comfortable then one of the partners might get too bored. It could mean the end of a relationship as one or both parties are not in the real frame of mind. The 9 of swords in love can also indicate a breakup, or someone likes sexual or psychological pain. They use control and abuse to get what they need and want in life.

These are some keywords for the 9 of swords in love.

  • Enjoy sexually by pain or gets turned on by this.
  • Uses control and abuse in life.
  • Does not want the relationship to go anywhere.
  • Hurt by another so likes humiliation of love interests.
  • Likes playing games to hurt you and provides abuse.

The Nine Of Swords As Feelings

This card as an answer to feelings “how does he or she feel about me” can mean that there was real love pain for the person in the past and that this is keeping them awake in life. It can suggest they feel anxious about love but they like inflicting pain and playing games. 

It can also suggest you are not even in the mind of this person because they have so much going on in life. It can mean that the feelings they have for you are stressful and they are worried. Also, a sense of fear to some degree, maybe they are scared to have any relationship with anyone due to being hurt.  It could mean this person has deep feelings even, but cannot do anything because they are not ready for a real relationship, or that they don’t see any happiness around spending time with you only stress.

The Nine of Swords in Health

The Nine of Swords in health describes a time of depression. You have experienced grief, and then grief grabbed a hold of you and is sucking you dry slowly. Instead of taking the time that is necessary to grieve and then move on, you have instead become addicted to the doldrums sadness that came from that loss. You are reliving it on a regular basis. The first item of business for you is to recognize that you are perpetuating a cycle, and then once you have done that then you must begin to take action that is going to get you out of the house, to try to pursue new activities. Clean your house, do a house cleansing using salt and sage. Sage will clear out the negative energies and the salt will absorb it. You need to cleanse yourself and all that is around you so that you may begin anew.

The Nine of Swords in Work and Wealth

In work and wealth the Nine of Swords is recognizing that you have experienced a loss in your work situation or are you are in the process of working through one that you fear is on its way. Your business is going to be affected directly by the fear that is all around you right now. This is a passing phase, but if you wish to be prepared for this time of your life, then you should make sure that sign off on all of your paperwork, leaving nothing to chance. You need to have all of your bases covered in this instance as right now a lot can go wrong very easily.

Nine of Swords Advice 

Pulling this card in the advice position indicates that you are moving from a difficult time in life. This is a positive card to have in the advice position. It can indicate that you will be under pressure and you may feel uneasy about making decisions. In order to move forward, it is important for you to overcome the uneasiness that you will be feeling. 

Nine of Swords Outcome

The overall feeling of this card in the outcome position can mean that the longer-term result of the situation may not be as you hoped. It can mean feeling stressed and obsessing over something or someone. In love as an outcome, it can mean you are feeling anxiety. This card is also about projecting your hopes and dreams on other people. It could mean that you are still wanting something back from the past, such as a relationship or job. The 9 of swords in an outcome position could also be a warning of possible depression and that you are feeling unloved by someone. This card is drawn in love matters when there is someone toxic that is taking too much from you. 

The Nine Of Swords in the Reversed Position

The Fool Reversed

Reversed Meaning - Nine Of Swords

The 9 of swords reversed in a spread can mean that problems that you are experiencing are real and since you can’t directly attack them you are taking out your anger and resentment on yourself and others. You are being stubborn, incapable of flexibility as well as overly fixed in your beliefs. Be patient and believe in yourself at this time, for you have won. Trust that good news is on its way and take care not to rush anything.

Remember not to be too hard on yourself. The 9 of swords indicate that there is dedication in life and that you have inner cruelty. The nine shows an alleviation of the pressure. It can suggest that a sense of hope may return. More importantly, that healing is underway. I often feel the 9 of swords reversed is like a sun rising and that the sub-conscious can recover after a difficult time. Everyone must face the fear of rejection and overcoming problems and the stakes are high when this card is drawn. The 9 of swords indicate the turmoil, unworthiness, and guilt are to go into the foreground to never return.  

Nine Of Swords Reversed Love

Swords are associated with communication and drawing the 9 of swords for love in the reversed position can indicate that there is real hope for this relationship but there is also the danger of delusion. The card can also imply though some "temporary fling" you may find love, this card upright also means depression so the relationship might not bring happiness. Reversed the 9 of swords in love can suggest feeling happier in your love life - but it will only be temporary.

If there is a relationship that you are questioning it can indicate things are going to be concluded, even hidden secrets revealed. The card can also mean that you have suffered stress in relationships and they are not safe and secure. The suffering of love can not mean that things are over so don't worry if you have just started out on this love path. Sometimes grief from past relationships can sometimes haunt us and this could be why this card arose.

Nine of swords Reversed As Feelings

As feelings drawing the 9 of swords can mean that the person’s past is coming in the way of how they feel about future partners. It can suggest that they are worried about being hurt so they would rather not embark on love at all. The 9 of swords reversed in love can also a declaration that something is going to happen, either a declaration of love (which is rejected) or moving onto a new relationship.

Upright Nine of Swords Meanings in Keywords

  • Overcoming sadness
  • Finding happiness
  • Recovery
  • Trusting again
  • Gaining insight
  • Growing strong
  • Feeling reborn

Reversed Nine of Swords Meanings in Keywords

  • Reliving the past
  • Overthinking
  • Mental issues
  • Forced smiling
  • Rejecting help
  • Being alone
  • Rejecting people