58-Nine of Athames – Reversed Salem Deck

Your Chosen Card – Nine of Athames Reversed Salem Deck

When reversed, this card can indicate that you are either avoiding or refusing to face up to your deepest fears. A well-known refrain from the self-help movement goes, ‘What you resist persists.’ Acknowledge that you are worried and try to look at matters more clearly in the light of day. In the words of the serenity prayer: ‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’

Keywords Reversed: Nightmares, insomnia, desolation, despair, worry, mental anguish, anxiety, sorrow, self-doubt, a guilty conscience, preoccupation, shame, bad dreams, cruelty, depression, ill health, miscarriage, gloomy thoughts, resigning oneself to negative thinking; ‘I can’t get no satisfaction.’

Timing: 10 Gemini–20 Gemini. Tropical, 1 June–10 June. Sidereal, 25 June–5 July.
Astrology: Assertive and warlike Mars in the second decan of airy Gemini, the realm of the Knight of Swords (Fire of Air) and the Lovers (Gemini). Mars is linked to the Tower.
Number Symbolism: 9 – the final single digit, culmination, fruition, attainment.

Etteilla: A cleric, priest, nun, virgin, cloistered person, ecclesiastic, recluse, unmarried person; devotion, celibacy, piety, a cult, a convent, monastery, hermitage; (R) reasonable suspicion, warranted mistrust, legitimate fear, a troubled conscience, timidity, shame, disgrace.

When Nine of Athames is reversed you can pretty much take it that life is going well but that’s when life takes us by surprise.  If Nine of Athames is unclear it may help to choose a card from the Major Arcana to provide more insight into what it is Nine of Athames is trying to tell you.  If you had a particular issue in  mind, or want to seek clarification on something else, you can also choose again to get more guidance.

This chosen card is part of your reversed card reading for Nine of Athames using cards from the Salem Tarot Deck. You will find many more tarot pages that will be of great help if you need tarot card meanings. Use the search at the bottom of the page. We have some amazing tarot books for you to browse. Please see below.


Here are some snippets from a few of my favorite books

Elements of the Psychic World
Book Details
Elements of the Psychic World: No. 3, which was the first founded temple (temples nos. 2 and 3 seem to have been fictions created by Westcott), Osiris No. 4 in Weston-super-Mare, Horus No. 5 in Bradford, Amen-Ra No. 6 in Edinburgh and Ahathoor No. 7 in Paris. There were also two temples founded in the United States – Them No. 8 in Chicago and Thoth-Hermes No. 9 in New York.

Tarot Books

Reversed Cards: I don’t think I have ever seen anyone happy to see the Nine of Swords, yet this card, like the Devil, offers clues to divine liberation. Unfortunately, if you have this card in the blocked aspect, you are too attached to your suffering to see the healing power this card holds. That may seem harsh, but the truth is your stress serves you. Whatever is keeping you up at night is not something you are ready to relinquish. You aren’t even interested in listening to other possible solutions. The question you need to ask yourself is, why? What’s in it for you if you continue to suffer?

Tarot for Beginners: When the card is reversed, it can stand for dishonesty, unfairness and lack of accountability. A decision is made that is not in your favor, or a straightforward situation becomes unnecessarily complicated. Alternatively, in focusing on the unfair actions of some, you may be overlooking those who can support you at this difficult time. Remember to judge yourself kindly and hold fast to your beliefs.

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Reversed Cards: One of the more interesting visual interpretations of this card is a man holding scales and dishing out coins. Yet who decides who gets the coins and how much? The shadow aspect of this card hints that you might be the one in a place of judgment here. Perhaps you think you know who deserves more time, energy, love, and focus and who doesn’t. In many respects, we see a very manipulative energy in the shadow aspect of this card. Keep in mind that we all get judged at some point, and as you sit and decide on what you give and to whom, someone else is doing the exact same thing to you.