The Nine of Swords — Anxiety & Nightmares Playlist
The Nine of Swords is about sleepless nights, the thoughts that spiral, the fears that grow in the dark. It’s the card of dread and regret, the shadows of the mind whispering louder than truth.
This card doesn’t sugarcoat suffering. But it reminds us that even the darkest nights pass, and that naming your fears begins to shrink their power.
And that’s where music comes in. A playlist about anxiety, like this one, acts as a spell. It echoes the unease, giving voice to the fear, while also holding space for eventual release.
But first, let’s talk about what this card means.
The Nine of Swords in Tarot
In the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, the Nine of Swords shows a figure sitting up in bed, head in hands, with nine swords hanging on the wall above. It is a card of anguish and sleepless worry.
At its core, this card represents:
✨ Anxiety and Fear — the thoughts that circle in the dark of night.
✨ Regret and Guilt — the weight of past choices haunting the present.
✨ Nightmares and Overthinking — when the mind won’t quiet down.
When this card comes up in a reading, it’s a reminder to tend to your mental health—to find tools of compassion that quiet the spiral of worry.
Music as Magic
To me, music is one of the simplest kinds of spellwork. A playlist can set the tone for an afternoon of creativity, a ritual, or even just a mood shift. The songs we choose become the energy we’re weaving around ourselves.
The Nine of Swords playlist is one I imagine playing while:
Journaling late at night to release spiraling thoughts.
Lighting a candle before bed for protection and peace.
Meditating with the music to soothe fear or dread.
Working with shadow prompts to face the monsters of the mind.
It’s music for restless nights and the healing dawn after worry.
The Playlist
Here’s the soundtrack I curated to capture the essence of the Nine of Swords:
Insomnia – Faithless
This track captures the restless heartbeat of sleepless nights. Its hypnotic rhythm feels like tossing and turning in bed, eyes wide open, mind racing. It’s the starting point of the Nine of Swords, where exhaustion sets in but peace remains out of reach, and your body begs for rest that never comes.The Fear – Lily Allen
On the surface playful, but underneath it’s brimming with sharp anxiety. This song embodies that buzzing dread that turns over and over in your thoughts. It mirrors the Nine of Swords by pointing out the absurdity of worry while still sinking into it, showing how fear can be both irrational and consuming.Anxiety – Doechii
Raw and unapologetic, this track gives voice to the chaotic storm of spiraling thoughts. It’s loud, messy, and impossible to ignore, reflecting the way panic can take over in the dark hours. Listening feels like naming the monster under the bed, acknowledging it’s there instead of pretending everything is fine.Afraid of Everyone – The National
Dark and atmospheric, this song slowly closes in around you. It’s paranoia and the sense that everything—even the familiar—suddenly feels hostile. The Nine of Swords lives in this shadow, where worry becomes an all-encompassing fog. The haunting delivery reminds us how fear makes the world feel unsafe.Nightmare – Halsey
Explosive and furious, this track doesn’t hide from the terror; it screams it out. It’s the moment when bottled-up dread finally breaks free—claws out, teeth bared. The Nine of Swords is suffering, and sometimes it’s rage against the spiral itself. This song is the breaking point where fear turns feral.Climbing Up the Walls – Radiohead
Claustrophobic and eerie, this song sounds like being trapped inside your own mind with no escape. It builds slowly into overwhelming dread, suffocating and relentless. This is the heart of the Nine of Swords: the nightmare you can’t wake from, the fear pressing against your chest, leaving no room to breathe.Over – Portishead
After the eruption of dread, the playlist caves inward with this cyclic track that feels like anxiety on repeat. Beth Gibbons’ voice aches with self-recrimination, echoing the endless loops of guilt and regret that keep you awake at night. Tormented by thoughts you can’t escape, even when you’re desperate for rest.bury a friend – Billie Eilish
This whispery track leads us deeper into the uncanny shadows. It feels like being stalked by your own shadow, unable to tell whether the danger is real or imagined. The Nine of Swords thrives in this liminal space, where fears become monsters, and every creak in the night feels like mortal peril.Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds – SAFIA
Glitchy and surreal, this song embodies the distorted mental landscapes of fear. It feels fragmented. The Nine of Swords is not clean or rational—it’s warped, messy, and unpredictable. This track captures that chaos while hinting at how illusions can control perception.How to Save a Life – The Fray
Here, the playlist softens into sorrow and regret. After the spiral of nightmares, this track lands in guilt and longing. It mirrors the Nine of Swords’ aftermath—the endless replaying of what-ifs and should-haves. It’s the part where you ache for healing, even as the weight of dread still lingers.
Journal Prompts for the Nine of Swords
If you want to go deeper into the energy of this card, try reflecting with these prompts:
What fears keep me awake at night?
How do regret and guilt shape the way I see myself in the present?
What practices help me step back from spiraling thoughts and return to calm?
If you want to explore these prompts more deeply, I created a free worksheet to guide you.
Blog Rewards Program
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Bringing the Nine of Swords Into Your Life
This playlist acknowledges worry and offers a way through it.
Night Ritual: Listen before bed, journaling out your fears onto paper.
Breathwork: Breathe steadily with the rhythm—slow, even inhales and exhales.
Shadow Journaling: Explore the stories your anxious thoughts tell you.
Affirmation Work: End with, “I release fear. I invite peace.”
By making listening intentional, you transform music into magic.
Final Thoughts
The Nine of Swords echoes the restless hours, the fears that keep us awake. This playlist moves through worry, panic, and the shadows of the mind.
So press play in the quiet of the night. Let the songs give voice to the feelings you’ve held in silence. Even in the darkest hours, music can be a lantern, reminding you that dawn always comes.
✨ Want to go deeper? Pull a card for “What soothes my mind when fear is loudest?” as you listen.
