How can I use my pass phrase from 2009 to recover my wallet? The BTC core wallet lets me choose my own passphrase with 12-16 words. The latest would be late January, early February 2009. What wallet was I using? I can't find a reference online. Everyone says that passphrases weren't used until 2013. I am trying to get my wallet back. I now remember my passphrase.
Do not confuse passphrases with recovery words. A passphrase is used to decrypt a wallet file. Without an encrypted wallet file, a passphrase is useless.