Today, let’s dive into the image of the 9 of Swords, connected with Mars in Gemini, and understand how Astrology has influenced or shown up in the card imagery. On our Decan Walk, we are now in the second Decan of Gemini.

9 of Swords: Mars in Gemini: 1 Jun to 10 Jun

With this card, we return to the first planet that we encountered in our Decan Walk journey: Mars. We’ve come full circle with the planets we will encounter on this Decan Walk. However, we are still going to continue discovering the rest of the Zodiac Signs. How interesting! Let’s start our journey into the card for this Decan by getting to know the lay of the land.

The Decan: Gemini II

The second Decan of Gemini spans the 10 days starting from around the 1st of June to the 10th of June, and covers 11° to 20° of Gemini. The description from Picatrix reads: “A man with the face of a griffin, tied with a turban, wearing a shield made of lead and armed with a helmet of iron. On top of the helmet is a crown made of brocade. He is holding a bow and arrow in his hand.” The keywords associated with this Decan are trudging, motivation, speed, violence, and unprofitable haste.

This could suggest that the bow and arrow refer to the sharpness of thought, and even violence. The fact that his head is protected could imply that he is shielded from the harsh energy of Mars that is around him.

The card from the Telos Tarot deck features two characters, as is fitting for Gemini. The keyword associated with this card is Cruelty. On the card image, we see 9 swords that have blood dripping from them. In the foreground, we have an eagle-headed man wielding a bow and arrow and wearing a steel helmet, standing back-to-back with a lion-headed man, who seems to have stabbed himself with a knife that he holds in his hand. These are twins, where the lion represents despair and the eagle-headed figure represents cruelty.

These figures represent ruthless and cruel words, which, if directed outward, manifest as cruelty, and if directed inward, they become despair. It asks us to pay attention to how we speak to others, as well as how we talk to ourselves. Harsh words directed towards others make us cruel to them, while those words directed towards ourselves make us feel despair and pain. Either way, this is not a good situation. Here, we see how the angry and violent energy of Mars is used hurtfully within the energy of the intellectually swift airy energy of Gemini.

Astrology: Mars ♂

Let’s take a quick look at Mars and see what energy we’re looking at.

Mars is the God of War. He represents pure masculine aggression, physical energy, and sexuality. This planet embodies passions and the animalistic energy that impels one to take action and to take risks. Mars is ambitious by nature and can become aggressive and angry. Mars is the embodiment of war, and so, quite powerful. Along with being aggressive, angry, and rash, Mars can also be very hostile.

Depending on the situation, and on how your Mars is positioned in the chart and when it moves through your chart, you can see that energy show up in different areas of your life in both good and bad ways. Depending on how you channel that energy in various situations, Mars can propel you to take much-needed action on a project or stand up for your rights, among other things. Mars gives you a fiery, angry, action-taking motion. Mars is also ambitious and resilient, while also being assertive and pushy.

Tarot: The Tower

Mars in the Tarot is connected with the Tower, which represents the sudden breakdown of existing structures and establishments. In the outer world, these represent existing structures and establishments such as governments and corporations. It can stand for rules, regulations, laws, and courts. The Tower can also represent actual large buildings. Symbolically or metaphorically, the Tower can also be the structures and systems that we have within ourselves. These are our guiding principles, rules, morals, ethics, and beliefs — that we construct during our lifetime — and slowly build this Tower within ourselves.

And then, all of a sudden, we have a lightning bolt that strikes it down! In the Thoth Tarot, this energy is depicted by the eye of Shiva, which rains down the destructive energy upon the Tower. That bolt of lightning is the divine energy (perhaps of Zeus). That sudden, destructive energy breaks apart the entire structure of the Tower. The force of that lightning strike throws out the people within that Tower. Those who depend on the structure of that Tower will be left with nothing but crumbling rocks and devastation.

We see the destructive energy of Mars show up in the card image. However, that energy has a higher purpose: breaking down these existing structures. Whether external or internal, we build these structures over time. Just like in the card image, those Towers grow taller, the walls grow thicker, and the windows become fewer. Soon enough, it gets pretty dark inside that Tower. This is how we build the structures, and brick by brick, we end up locking ourselves within them. The system keeps building upon itself, creating layer upon layer, and the darkness within that system keeps growing.

The only energy that can knock those walls down and set us free is the fiery lightning bolt of Mars. The sudden chaos jolts us out of our zombie reverie, making us question whether these structures still fulfill the purpose for which we built them. Perhaps, the crumbling down is not a bad thing — because we can now rebuild, taking into account our changed perspective and knowledge. We can rewrite the roles that these structures play in our inner and outer life.

That is what Mars is bringing to the table here: the breakdown of all these structures. The Tower in the Tarot symbolizes the complete and utter destruction of all these structures, the rules and regulations—both inwardly and outwardly—that you have created, which initially served a good purpose, but have now become like a prison. They have locked you up in the darkness and blocked out the light of clarity and understanding. Mars has to come and break that Tower, and set you free.

Astrology: Gemini ♊︎

We have also looked at Gemini in the previous Decan, when we looked at the 8 of Swords card, where Jupiter was in Gemini. I like how this energy is encapsulated within the keyword “Cross-Pollinate” on the card from the StarCodes Astro Oracle Deck. On the card, we see two flowers and two bees collecting pollen. Gemini is about duality—it’s about all opposing forces that are pulled together, and pushed apart. Gemini is about networks, connections, and words because it’s an Air Sign. Gemini is also about expression and communication.

The myth associated with this Sign is that of the twins, Castor and Pollux. Even though they were twins, Castor was mortal and Pollux was immortal. Eventually, when Castor died, Pollux was pretty distraught. He went to Zeus, who was also their father, and begged him to let him share his immortality with his brother. Zeus agreed and transformed them into the constellation of Gemini. Pollux wanted his brother back because, as twins, Castor was his other half. Without his brother, he wouldn’t be whole.

Gemini energy can help you see two different perspectives or points of view. With this perspective, you can recognize the differences and similarities between things. Gemini people can often be two-faced. On their shadow side, Geminis can be shallow and fickle. There’s potential for deception and a lack of individuality because, again, they tend to agree with everyone. Perhaps, their bigger struggle is to discover their pure truth, their genuine belief. They struggle to stand for anything distinct because they see both sides of every situation.

Tarot: The Lovers

In the Tarot, we see the duality of Gemini fully represented in the imagery of the Lovers card. Here we have the perfect duality with the male and female figures. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, this is illustrated through the images of Adam and Eve, the primal energies of Man and Woman, standing naked in the Garden of Eden. In the Tarot de Marseilles, we see two women—an older one and a younger one—and the young man has to choose between them. In the Thoth Tarot, we see these opposites represented through the skin color of the couple and of the children. This opposition, of gender and color, represents the inward and outward energies, which are pretty different from each other.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, we see Adam and Eve, who have acquired knowledge and are now receiving blessings from the Angel. They meet each other in different ways. Adam looks at Eve because he can find completion through her. However, she already has a beautiful connection to the Divine. So she looks at the Angel and receives the blessings directly. They each bring a certain aspect of themselves into that equation to make it whole.

In the Tarot de Marseilles, the young man has to choose between his mother, who nourished him until he was a young man, and his wife, with whom he now plans to start his own family. Eventually, this lady (the wife) will find herself in a position where her child will leave her to go be with his wife. This way, the cycle continues.

In the Thoth, we see a hooded figure blessing the couple. This is the sacred union of the inner and outer conscious and unconscious energies. This union of opposites contains the secret of life, represented by the egg with a snake entwined around it. These opposing energies manifest in various forms, and their symbolism can be powerful. Ultimately, they are drawn towards each other, seeking completion and fulfillment, merging with their opposite and finding the communion that they crave.

In the Telos Tarot, we see the image of a Prophet risen, along with a Priestess and a Harlot, representing the energies of the sacred and the profane. These are the dual attitudes of the feminine energy, which brings life, wisdom, and creation into the world. The Priestess and the Harlot are both connected to the Divine in their ways.

Thus, we see the duality of Gemini beautifully represented through the imagery of the Lovers card across various Tarot decks. These opposite energies ultimately have to come together. These opposing energies — this duality — are initially separate, and then these energies unite. This push-and-pull phenomenon continues to occur within the Gemini energy.

Mars in Gemini: Decision

What happens when we have Mars in Gemini? According to the Oracle of the Radiant Sun, Mars represents Action, while Gemini represents Mental Awareness. So, the keyword on the card is “Decision“.

On the card, we see a chessboard with a game in motion. Chess is all about strategy, being competitive, and trying to finagle a way to make some kind of really strategic decisions on the board. The wheel with the wing stands for flying through the air — Gemini is an Air Sign. Finally, we have a doorway, which represents moving into unknown territory. This card has taken a positive perspective on this combination. We see strategy, the ability to explore unknown areas, and someone who can look at different angles and articulate arguments very effectively.

Mars in Gemini talks of mental work and manual dexterity. The energy of Gemini ensures that the mind can go in different directions, and Mars powers it. Mars is Fire, and Gemini is Air; fire and air support each other energetically and elementally. This means that Mars’ energy enhances Gemini’s energy. This is a fast-moving energy. It’s about rushing around, gathering information. People with this combination or placement in their Charts are likely to be good with debates, brilliant with verbal comebacks, and sharp and aggressive in repartee. Mars involves fighting, and Gemini is verbal, which enables energetic verbal battles. Gemini is about words and documents. These people are inventive, ingenious, and decisive. They are multitaskers with versatility in thought and action.

However, they find themselves unable to wait and be patient. Mars is very action-oriented, and Gemini flits between different thought processes and quickly figures things out. They can’t wait. They want to act rapidly on the information they’ve gathered. They can be argumentative. This could create people with a capability for physical and mental manipulation. This combination also makes people who love to Gossip, which could turn vicious with the energy of Mars.

The Number: 9

Let’s quickly look at the number 9. From the numerology angle, 9 is where everything wraps up; the journey begins with 0, so when we finally reach 9, the journey has culminated. This is where everything concludes. Hence, 9 represents culmination and completion.

The number 9 is about the fulfillment of all your wishes. 9 also embodies ambition, rewards, and consequences. Ultimately, 9 is where you are emotionally changed. Additionally, 9 can carry a humanitarian vibe. This is someone who strives for social reform. When you ultimately achieve what you want, you can also look at the world around you and try to improve it as well. Thus, 9 stands for spiritual creativity and divine love.

In some cases, the number 9 can also mean disappointment. Essentially, the number 9 is the reward for all the actions you have previously taken. After you attain that, you’re also interested in changing your outer world.

Tarot + Astrology: 9 of Swords: Mars in Gemini: ♂ in ♊︎

Now let’s look at the 9 of Swords Tarot card, which is associated with the combination of Mars in Gemini.

9 of Swords

In the 9 of Swords card from the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, we see a young man sitting on his bed with his hands covering his face, and nine swords hanging ominously in the darkness. On the side panel of the bed, we have an image of a man with a sword fighting and defeating another person. All of this imagery conveys the energy of nightmares. These are our internal struggles. Nightmares, essentially, are our subconscious trying to tell us about an inner tussle or conflict within us. The young man with his hands on his face appears overwhelmed and not ready to face his fears. Those nightmares and negative thoughts torment him. Whether it is guilt or trauma, he is suffering because of it.

Interestingly, on his bedcover, we see red roses, which symbolize desire, along with little blue squares featuring astrological glyphs. Those glyphs suggest the passage of time. The bedcover may be suggesting that, given enough desire, the passage of time will likely resolve the suffering.

The number 9 indicates the consequences of actions from the past. Therefore, the thoughts tormenting this man may be related to his past. These are things he cannot face or deal with, leading to anxiety, sleepless nights, and nightmares. He’s avoiding reality and hoping that, given time, things will sort themselves out. However, he must allow himself to remove his hands from his eyes and face the situation instead of running away from it.

The Tarot de Marseilles card image of the 9 of Swords moves the energy of the 8 of Swords forward. Here we see that instead of a little flower in the middle, there is a sword cutting through the enclosure created by those 8 Swords. Remember, those 8 Swords represent thoughts. The mind creates an enclosure, while the little flower buds outside that enclosure symbolize potential growth. In the 9 of Swords, the Sword pushes through this enclosure.

The 9 of Swords in the Tarot de Marseilles is about overcoming inner confusion and winning the battle against superior forces through courage and determination. You are leveraging the power of your mind to break through your own mental restrictions. This requires courage, determination, and a commitment to remain positive and hopeful, no matter the circumstances. This card conveys a more optimistic message, as it implies that, while stuck, there are options available, and you can use those options to break free.

However, when you examine the 9 of Swords card image of the Thoth Tarot, it strikes a different tone. The first time I looked at this picture, I was taken aback. We see 9 Swords, possibly adorned with gems, but they are dripping blood, creating a distinctly violent impression. The crackling energy of Gemini is present in the background, with the dripping blood symbolizing conflict. Mars, the God of War, shows us that Swords inflict wounds and blood is shed. The atmosphere is brutal.

When you employ the power of your mind to gain different perspectives—aligned with Gemini energy—but do so with brutal, warlike intent inspired by Mars, you may create tyranny and violence. The environment can become poisonous and dangerous. We see guilt, worries, panic, phobias—all sorts of negative emotions come into play. The keyword ‘cruelty’ thus conveys an undeniable truth: wielding one’s mind’s power with hostile intent is a form of cruelty.

We see a similar energy with the 9 of Swords image of the Telos Tarot as well. An eagle-headed man with a bow and arrow stands back-to-back with a lion-headed man who has stabbed himself. The 9 Swords loom over them, dripping blood. The two characters illustrate the duality of Gemini—two different approaches towards the mental anguish. When ruthless, cruel words and thoughts are directed inwards, they become despair, and when they are directed outwards, they become cruelty. Thus, we see that the lion-headed man has directed his pain towards himself, stabbing himself. Meanwhile, the eagle-headed man directs his harshness outwards, ready to inflict pain on someone else using his bow and arrow.

The imagery of the 9 of Swords across all these Tarot Decks thus combines the hectic mind energy and duality of Gemini with the anger and passion of Mars. We also see a reflection of the Tower card energy in here with the sudden breaking up of established thought processes. Everything has turned negative and fearful. This is the culmination, the energy of 9, showing us that if we persist in piling our negative thought processes upon one another without addressing them, then the story can only end painfully for all concerned. The subconscious screams about this cruelty through our nightmares. We can use this energy constructively and break past the restrictive mindsets. However, we need to be courageous and allow ourselves the passage of time to heal and find peace.

Supporting Cards: The Ace of Pentacles + The Page of Pentacles + The King of Swords

Our supporting cards are the same as our previous Decan. We have the Ace of Pentacles along with the Page of Pentacles. These cards will likely bring some groundedness, some stability, which may not make Gemini very happy. Their constantly moving mind energy doesn’t like the steady and stable energy of the Pentacles. Elementally, Earth and Air are not very friendly towards each other. But then, the Ace and the Page of Pentacles help anchor that Gemini energy into the practical world. If Gemini energy can find some grounding, they might even stop their mind from its constant movement and see the space and time to focus on the stuff that they need to deal with. Naturally, the King of Swords can help to cut through that chaos. His Fiery Air energy can help with the Fiery Air energy of the 9 of Swords. When Mars is bringing forth bloodlust, you need the King of Swords to either channel that energy and cause mayhem, or to talk Gemini down from the ledge and encourage the destructive thoughts to calm down. The King of Swords has the necessary willpower, determination, and mental strength to channel, balance, and stabilize the Mars in Gemini energy.

9 of Swords: Mars in Gemini: ♂ in ♊︎: Weaponizing Mental Sharpness

Let’s bring it all together.

First and foremost, the energy of the Decan is about the mind and about taking action. We also see the combination of the Gemini energy of strategy and decisions, combining with the Mars energy of power and daring to venture into the unknown. Mars is the energy of action and destruction — which serves both good and evil purposes. In the Tower imagery, we saw how that energy can bring down the structures that have outlived their usefulness and have now become de facto prisons, restricting our growth process. In the Lovers imagery, we saw how Gemini embodies duality and forces us to make a choice. However, this fast-moving Gemini energy also wants to gather as much information and knowledge as it can. This duality also brings a push-pull that keeps uniting opposites, only to push them apart.

When all these elements come together in the 9 of Swords, we find that it’s brutal and tough; it requires you to be brave enough to face your fears. When you do, you break through the sort of mental encirclement you’ve created, and you can overcome it. You are forced to look at whether you’ve directed those thoughts inwards or outwards. This inner turmoil, when empowered, can leverage the destructive energy of Mars. While painful, you can use it to break through your mental blockages. Should you choose that path, you’ll have the necessary grounding from the Ace and the Page of Pentacles. Finally, the King of Swords can come in handy if you need someone clever to help you channel and direct that energy positively.

With the 9 of Swords, we see how the multiplicity of our thoughts in our mind allows us to experience the different points of thought, logic, or ideas, opposing energies. Then comes the God of War with his anger, passion, energy, and fire. Here we combine Gemini’s duality of thoughts, mental ability to shift perspectives, and the articulation to express those ideas with the fiery energy of Mars. When all that energy is directed inwards, it creates nightmares and anxiety. When directed outwardly, this energy manifests as cruelty. However, when used constructively, it can help break through restrictions.

Ultimately, with the energy of the 9, you conclude that you are receiving the rewards of your actions. So, in the Eight of Swords, if you’ve allowed yourself to remain stuck in that enclosure of your thoughts, then you will end up suffering in the 9 of Swords. Those thoughts will consume you, morph into feelings of harsh powerlessness, and hurt you. You need to use the Mars energy to break through, face, and overcome those negative thought processes.

🎞️ The Video

Here’s a video I made about the 9 of Swords – Mars in Gemini – the 2nd Decan of Gemini.

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📸 The Infographic + ⬇️ The Download

📣 Shoutout

Check out Valerie’s post about the 9 of Swords – Mars in Gemini – Gemini II. She is so creative! 😍

📚 Homework

📓 Things to Think (or Journal) about the 9 of Swords – Mars in Gemini (♂ in ♊︎)

• Do you overthink things and events from your past? Do you go over those events and wonder (and brainstorm) how you could’ve handled things differently?
  • Do you see any recurring thought patterns within those events and situations?
  • If you analyze those thought patterns, do you see any common triggers or any other factors that may help you identify those patterns as they occur in real time?
  • If you could become aware of those triggers as they show up, how would you show up and deal with the situations in real life?
  • Does thinking about this in advance help you formulate a strategy or a “plan of attack” for when such an event may happen in the future?
• Critically and detachedly look at the different (and negative) thought patterns in your life. Which of these are directed inward, and which are directed outward? Consider the events and situations when this has occurred.
  • Very detachedly, write down how those inwardly directed negative thoughts manifested in your life.
  • Similarly, in a very detached mindset, write down how those outwardly directed negative thoughts manifested in your life?
  • Now, if you were to handle those situations again, having understood the lessons of the 9 of Swords, would you handle those situations differently? Why? How differently would you act?
• Have you overcome any negative thought patterns, habits, and behaviors in the past? What strategies did you use to do so?
• Look in your birth chart. Do you have the planet Mars in the Sign of Gemini? In which House do you have this placement? How has this energy shown up in that area of your life?
• If you don’t have that exact placement, look at the House and Sign where Mars shows up in your birth chart. How does the energy of Mars show up in that area of your life?
• Similarly, look at the House in your birth chart where you see the Sign of Gemini. How has that energy shown up in that area of your life?

💌 What Do You Think? 💭

Please let me know what you think. Does this interpretation of the Mars in Gemini energy within the imagery of the 9 of Swords make sense to you? If you have anything to share, any new perspective to add to this interpretation of the 9 of Swords image, please drop a line below. I would love to hear your thoughts!