Okay, this is a startling image. The True Black IX of Swords shows a silver Sword, point upward. Impaled on the Sword is a white rabbit, with the Sword entering the rabbit's back and bursting through its belly. Spraying upward out of the belly of the rabbit are what appear on initial glance to be drops of blood but on closer examination, we see they are actually red rose petals. Ringing this gruesome image are eight other swords, points facing downward. The keywords for this card are nightmare, desperation, terror, and worry.
The King of Swords stands straight and tall; before him and held firmly in his hands, point downward and buried in the earth, is a large, unadorned and powerful-looking Sword. He is wearing a golden crown made of blades, with points on either end. His long dark hair is blowing in a strong wind, blocking his face; his dark cape is also blowing to the side yet despite that strong wind buffeting him, the King of Swords stands firm, planted as strongly as his huge blade. Butterflies flutter around his head. The keywords for this card are impartial, true, decisive, and logical.
Let's face it, Swords cards are not particularly comfortable. They present challenges and ask us to focus intently and struggle diligently in order to manifest some difficult to achieve outcome. Combine that with the number 9, which represents a completeness or fullness of manifestation, and we can easily see why the card image on this IX of Swords is so uncomfortable. Another consideration regarding the Swords cards is that they also represent purposeful actions and the thoughts, intentions or beliefs behind them. These Swords-encouraged actions are different from those presented by other Minor Arcana cards because these actions are deliberate and in response to effects presented to us by the other elements around us. In the end, we are the main catalyst that creates the manifestations presented by the Swords cards, and there is no more perfect metaphor for this than the King of Swords.
This King is deeply grounded and solidly logical. While he prefers not to involve emotions, a window into his chest shows a perfect gold orb, proof that he is not heartless. Here is one who manifests ideas into reality using long-term planning and an impartial focus. He will notice the dream-like quality of the image on that IX of Swords and the brutally impaled white rabbit who bleeds beautiful rose petals instead of blood, and he will remind me that the suit of Swords is about the mind and its workings. The fear and terror the image of the IX of Swords creates is also in my mind, and can be conquered with logic. Fear, after all, is the mind killer, the little death that brings total obliteration. If we face it and allow it to flow through us, fear will go past, and only we will remain.
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