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The Tarot Cards of Fear
Which tarot cards mean fear can vary from reader to reader as you might or might not expect. If that surprises you then you must remember that no card meaning is sacrosanct, and many readers will have meanings that are personal to them.
Some cards are more likely than others to be common to most readers though, and it is those that are covered here. Fear, unfortunately, is something that will cross the path of most people at some time during their life. It’s not pleasant and it can be hard to deal with, but it’s there and usually there is no option but to face it.
The Moon
This is probably THE card that represents fear more than any other. The Moon represents the unknown and all the things that we cannot see. All the imagined things we fear may be out there are part and parcel of this card. Sometimes these fears are based on past experience and sometimes not. Sometimes they are there because things are not as they should be. Very often it signals things are not as they appear to be.
9 of Swords
The 9 of Swords can represent a fear of almost anything. In some ways it indicates an amplification of all your fears and worries and may well appear when you are worried sick. It may be about work, or money, or family, or anything that causes major anxiety and sleepless nights. You may well be acting obsessively about what’s going on when it appears. That doesn’t mean that your fears are unfounded, but it can indicate that you’re overreacting.
The Tower
Its appearance represents a fear of change, or failure, or not being in control. The Tower is rarely a pleasant card to appear and you only need to look at its imagery to get an indication of why. Change is scary to most people but change indicated by the Tower is change with a capital “C.” As for those of you who like to be in control of your lives this card is a reminder that control is merely an illusion.
The Fool Reversed
Fear appears in a different form with the Fool reversed. The Fool, as you probably know, is all about taking a leap of faith. Perhaps in today’s vernacular it would be better put as taking a chance, or taking a risk. Sometimes, of course, that’s exactly what you have to do in order to progress. The Fool reversed is very simply a fear of taking that risk.
5 of Pentacles
The 5 of Pentacles is also a card that can evoke fear although probably not in quite the same was as the Moon does. This card as you might expect with Pentacles is connected with money. It indicates a fear of going broke and may well manifest itself when you get a huge bill, or lose your job, or anything of that nature. For some it is simply a fear for no concrete reason – they are simply terrified of being without money.
3 of Swords
The 3 of Swords is more about negativity and how that can affect the way you think or feel more than anything else. It is included here because that negativity often results in fear. The fear may be irrational, or it may not, but either way it’s there in an unwelcome way.
5 of Swords
Traditionally the 5 of Swords is all about conflict. It may concern family, or friends, but most often appears in a work-related situation. This card is most likely to appear when you are worrying that you may lose your job, or get demoted, or something of that nature.
10 of Swords
The 10 of Swords is another card that can indicate fear, but this time a fear of what may happen in the end. Events sometimes have a logical conclusion and sometimes that logical conclusion is not one you would want. It may be a loss of some description, or financial ruin, or your reputation being on the line you fear.
In Conclusion
As I mentioned above, which tarot cards mean fear can vary from reader to reader, but these are the most common ones.
I think it’s necessary for me to mention a couple of other cards though as they often invoke fear. The Devil is one and people are often alarmed when it appears. In some ways it appears that it’s like the Moon in so much that it can indicate things are not what you think i.e. there’s trickery afoot. More often though, it’s about being a slave to a situation that’s not good for you.
Secondly, I want to briefly mention Death. Thanks to numerous Hollywood movies the Death card has gained a bad reputation. In Hollywood its appearance in a reading always means death. It is usually accompanied by a fearful expression on the reader’s or the querent’s face. Death can certainly signal unwelcome and forced change that is true, but it almost certainly does not mean death!
Both Death and the Devil are cards that are feared rather than cards that mean fear.
Which tarot cards mean fear will vary from reader to reader, but the ones mentioned here are the most commonly encountered “fear” cards in a tarot reading.
