Lots of people are wary of tarot as they are frightened by the imagery and the meaning of some of the cards.
Many people I’ve spoken to shy away from getting a reading because they are scared of pulling a negative card. But what are the worst tarot cards?
Well, in reality, the cards aren’t designed to be good or bad. They serve as warnings of what might be in store.
And, depending on the deck you use, the other cards you draw, and whether the reading is done intuitively, the meaning of the cards can change.
But, let’s take a look at the most feared tarot cards below.
The Worst Tarot Cards To Get
1. Death
The Death card is considered to be the worst tarot card by people who are new to divination. But I actually don’t see this as a wholly negative card. Let me explain why.
Granted, The Death card looks pretty ominous. It features a skeleton knight atop a white horse. There are dead and pleading people surrounding the figure.
Instead of predicting your demise, The Death card often appears to signify the end of a situation or a part of your life. It’s time for you to let go of what no longer serves you and move forward with your life.
The closing of one door can lead to new opportunities for you, but you have to move on from the current chapter first.
2. The Devil
The Devil card, which pictures Baphomet, carries evil connotations which is what people are frightened of when this card comes up.
This card can appear in a reading if you are currently holding on to unhelpful patterns of behaviour or a situation that no longer serves you. It’s time to reflect and see what impact this is having on you.
The Devil can also represent the duality within us all. We all have good and bad traits, and balance comes when we can recognize both.
Anyone who works with spirit or magic will tell you the importance of understanding your shadow self, and The Devil card can appear to remind you of yours.
The shadow self isn’t something to be feared but it can be something that needs to be worked on. It’s important to be aware of the more negative aspects of our personalities.
The Devil may also appear if you are suffering from addiction.
3. The Tower
The Tower is actually one of the worst tarot cards you can get in a reading, but again, it all depends on the context.
This card, which shows a tower being struck by lightning and catching alight, with a man and a woman jumping or falling in fear, often indicates destruction.
The Tower predicts unexpected and chaotic upheaval.
Unlike The Death card, this powerful card can indicate a death. But it can also represent the ending of a relationship, disruption in the family, or ill health.
4. The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man pictures a man suspended from a beam from his feet.
This card comes up to show that a pause is coming into your life. It’s time to stop and reassess things in order to move forward.
Perhaps it’s time to view your life from a different perspective and check if everyone in your life at present is really there to serve you.
Until you address the issue, the blocker won’t be lifted.
5. Three Of Swords
I don’t like drawing this card for clients as it can often indicate heartache or a difficult situation.
This card depicts a red heart with three swords piercing it. There are rain clouds in the background.
For me, this card can often indicate a love triangle in some way. It could be that you are caught between two different paths and this is causing you pain, or between two different loves. It can indicate an affair or a lost loved one.
If you’ve been badly hurt or you’ve had your heart broken, know that it’s okay to cry – it’s healing. Feel your emotions and work through them.
6. Eight Of Swords
The Eight Of Swords depicts a woman bound and blindfolded, surrounded by swords.
This card indicates you’re feeling stuck in your current situation. You feel like your hands are tied and you’re struggling to see a path out of your current situation.
This card reminds you that you do have the power to change your path, and you do have the ability to do so, but you’re currently restricting yourself.
So the meaning behind this card is definitely not all bad. It wants you to awaken to what you can do.
7. Nine Of Swords
The Nine Of Swords pictures someone sitting up in bed, holding their head in despair.
Many people will view this as one of the worst tarot cards you can get as it can indicate mental health troubles and emotional turmoil.
If this card comes up for you, then you are very much stuck in your own head at the moment and you have become your own worst nightmare.
Perhaps you are isolating yourself from those who can support you.
There’s an element of you currently manifesting your own fears, so it’s important to get out of this dark place. The negativity in your mind is not helping.
8. Ten Of Swords
The Ten Of Swords featured a man lying on the ground with swords in his back.
The most literal meaning of this card is that you are being stabbed in the back by someone in your family or friendship circle.
Someone you thought you could trust may be spreading rumours or talking behind your back.
However, this card can also indicate the ending of a relationship or the loss of a job.
9. Ten Of Wands
The Ten Of Wands pictures a man struggling to hold onto his wands and symbolizes a great struggle.
This card can appear when you are taking on far too much. This can be in the form of someone else’s burden or too many tasks at work.
There’s only so much you can do, and you can’t give from an empty cup. Everything you’re doing right now is weighing you down.
It’s time to prioritize what’s actually important in your life to avoid burnout.
10. Five Of Pentacles
The Five Of Pentacles, which depicts two impoverished people walking through the snow, is not as foreboding as some of the cards on this list, but it’s by no means a positive card, so it warrants being on this list.
This card will almost always indicate financial difficulty and tough times of some sort.
It could be that this card has come up because you’ve recently lost your job or because you’re about to enter a patch of financial difficulty.
The Five Of Pentacles can also reflect your victim mentality and this is having an impact on your current situation. It’s time to manifest more positive outcomes for yourself.
11. Five Of Cups
The Five Of Cups features a man in a dark cloak. His head is hung in sadness. Three of the five cups surrounding him have tipped.
This is a card of sadness. Things have happened to you and you have been left feeling desolate. Or it may be that a situation didn’t work out as you anticipated and you’ve been left feeling depressed.
However, much like the Five Of Pentacles, this card also wants to remind you that you have the ability to pull yourself out of this situation. Instead, though, you are focused heavily on feeling sorry for yourself.
Take what has happened as a lesson and step forward into your future.
The Worst Tarot Cards For Love
We’ve touched on some of the below cards in the above list of the worst tarot cards, but I wanted to hone in on what some of these mean in a love reading. Afterall, many people turn to tarot to uncover their romantic future.
- Three Of Swords: The message of this card is much the same as above and indicates heartbreak, a love triangle, or a loss of some kind.
- Ten Of Swords: This card can indicate that you are being used or manipulated in a relationship. It can also indicate cheating.
- Five Of Wands: This is another card that can indicate a love triangle. It can also highlight arguments in a relationship or around you because of the relationship decisions you’ve made.
- Ten Of Wands: This card can indicate hardship and can warn you that you’ve taken on too much. This is a time to focus on yourself, not embark on a relationship.
- Four Of Cups: This tarot card can indicate that either you or your partner is depressed and are proving hard to reach. It can also signal that you aren’t communicating well with one another and are taking each other for granted.
- Eight Of Cups: This card comes in to advise that a relationship isn’t in your best interests right now.
- The Tower: If you are single, this card is a sign that a relationship isn’t a good idea right now. If you’re in a relationship, you may find you are both about to enter a very difficult period.
- The Hanged Man: The Hanged Man can indicate unrest and difficulties in a relationship. It can also serve as a warning to avoid a new relationshop.
- The Devil: This card indicates that while there may be sexual chemistry between you and someone else, a relationship with this person is not a good idea. If you’re already in a relationship, it can indicate that things are becoming toxic and need to end.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth remembering that no matter how negative a card may seem, it’s here to serve as a warning. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, after all.
Some of the so-called worst tarot cards listed above are worse than others, but they can be used to change the outcome of your future.
If you pull a negative tarot card in a reading, please don’t worry. Whatever you are going through is in the best interests of your higher self.
I started Spirit of Sapphire in August 2017 after finally building up the courage to start reading tarot for people other than my loved ones.
At the same time, I embarked upon expanding my spiritual knowledge and skills and so attended various psychic mediumship courses and circles, and I also began to train as a Reiki practitioner.
I’ve designed this site to be a hub of spiritual knowledge. As I learn new things, I want to share them with you.
- Pegasus Symbolism: Understanding The Spiritual Meaning And Dream Meaning Of Pegasus - November 5, 2023
- 50 Beautiful Moonstone Affirmations To Try - November 5, 2023
- The 6 Best Samhain Crystals To Work With This Spooky Season - October 23, 2023
