Tarot Card Meanings: The Nines

The Minor Arcana in Tarot tells a fascinating story that unfolds through cards Ace to King across the four suits in a Tarot card deck. Many secrets are hidden within a deck of Tarot cards. In this series, we are exploring Minor Arcana Tarot card meanings in a way that is simple to understand and easy to remember for your Tarot card readings.

Minor Arcana Tarot Card Meanings

When learning the Tarot card meanings of the Minor Arcana, it helps to understand how the Tarot deck came to be.

The Tarot card deck has 78 cards, 22 of which are the Major Arcana. The 22 Major Arcana cards are believed to be the original Tarot deck and hold the deepest secrets of the Tarot. They talk about the journey of the human soul, include universal archetypes and esoteric meanings.

The other 56 cards were added later and make up the Minor Arcana. They come from a deck playing cards that were used for cartomancy and divination, and have the same 4 suits and numbers (the Tarot also has Pages in addition to Knights, Queens and Kings).

A great way to learn Minor Arcana Tarot card meanings is to understand the numerology of each card and then interpret it in the context of the suit. Take a look at the Tarot meanings of the Aces, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, Sixes, Sevens and Eights. Now, we dive deep into the Nines.

The Nines

Keywords: the inevitable result, the effect, the subjective finale

The Tarot card meaning of the 9s is interesting because they is one step away from the final 10. The 9 of each suit is a predictor of the inevitable outcome in the 10. It is the result of the hard work of the 8 and the achievements of all the preceding cards. This accumulated energy moves into the next stage almost as if by inertia. The 9 is a time of either rest or unrest, depending on the trajectory of the past. It can be seen as the "effect" or "karma", with the "cause" being the sum of all the past actions. While this is not yet the grand finale, it is the wave moving towards it. The finale of the 9 Tarot card meaning is experienced on a subjective, personal level, while that of the 10 is an objective finale observed externally.

9 of Pentacles - the hard work, dedication and persistence of the Pentacles has paid off as material wealth, financial security and abundance in the 9. The time and effort invested in the past have resulted in a fertile ground for the present and future. Everything you have invested is paying off and will be paying off for a long time to come. A time of enjoying your successes, you have earned everything you have. You can rest and envision your future on this stable ground that you've built. On a more practical level, the 9 of Pentacles Tarot card meaning can represent self-made wealth, personal fulfillment, independence, good return on investment, enjoying the natural world around you.

9 of Swords - fear, anxiety, guilt and worry haunt your mind. Inability to rest. The mind has turned in on itself, it is hard to tell what is real and what is imagined. The feeling of being trapped in the 8 of Swords has gone inward, resulting in troubled thoughts, a mental prison. The inevitable outcome of the Swords are foreshadowed in this card, causing distress before it happens. The Tarot card meaning of the 9 of Swords can be as simple as temporary worry, or as difficult as a long period of distress. If this card comes up in your Tarot card reading, remember to give yourself time to rest, be gentle with yourself, and keep in mind that it is likely that not everything you fear will come to pass. Better times will come, no storm lasts forever.

9 of Wands - after many battles, the naturally open and outgoing energy of the Wands has put up barriers around itself. This fiery energy needs to move and be free, but in the 9 of Wands it has become hardened and restricted. This goes against its nature, which is why the Wands are quickly burning out. The inevitable outcome of the Wands can already be seen in this card. When the 9 of Wands comes up in your Tarot card reading, it indicates that you are feeling weary and exhausted. You are resilient but tired. There is a risk of burning out. Take time out, do less, care for yourself, heal past wounds and conserve your energy.

9 of Cups - the decision taken in the 8 of Cups has brought you to your happiness. In the 9 of Cups a wish has been fulfilled, a burden lifted. The watery essence of the Cups suit is intuitive, emotional and ever changing. It needs to flow. Not only are you now emotionally fulfilled, but your soul is happy to have been heard. Everything seems to be falling into place, without too much effort on your part. You are in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. The inevitable outcome of this is total happiness, inner harmony and emotional fulfillment, coming up in the 10.

Learn how this numerological story culminates in the Tens in the next post.

→ Learn about the Tens