Once again, the intruder entered the room with a violent hiss—waking up the exhausted cat. Staring upward, through the swords, it caught sight of the shadow and the caged birds. The sounds of their wings desperately fluttering to break free rumbled like thunder and although the cat wanted desperately to warn the little bird sitting innocently on the sword, it couldn't—it was paralyzed by fear and guilt knowing that when the morning came it too would be looking for a soft feathered snack.

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Is there something keeping you up at night? Are disruptive and fear-filled thoughts running through your head to the point that you can not get a good night's rest? When the Nine of Swords appears in a reading, you may be allowing the fear of the unknown, the shadows under your bed, the boogeyman, to infiltrate your logical thinking. This is where we engage in catastrophic thinking. We go down that rabbit hole. You may be blaming yourself for something you can not undo, and as a result, you stay anchored to the past. You may be freaking out about a task you neglected and assume the repercussions will be the worst-case scenario. Be aware of your self-talk at this time. Is it sparking positive action, or is it keeping you up at night feeling powerless?