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Meanings of the Five of Wands

The Five of Wands Minor Arcana card is generally taken to represent petty conflicts, ego battles, and disruption. This can either be an internal battle we are fighting, one when our energy is pulled all over the place and our inner world is loud and noisy; or may be literal arguments in our life with others.

Read on for a full Tarot card description including its Astrological and Numerological correspondences as well as what it can mean if it shows up for you as a reversal and in a general, career, or love reading:

Five of Wands Tarot Card Meanings

After the calm stability and celebration of the Four of Wands card, we reach our first hurdle in the suit of the Wands. Here at the crux of the matter, we are in heated debated. In the spicy suit of fire, there is a pent up and explosive energy in this card.

The Five of Wands can come to us when we re feeling frustrated, agitated, restless, and bickering amongst ourselves or others. It can represent discussions or a head butting of egos. Either way, it is a call to take a deep breath, come back to centre, and put down our Wands.

We can see in the Smith Rider Waite Tarot deck, and many other Tarot decks, that five men are battling it out with each other. The five wands are much larger than they are and it all seems like a hot mess, everyone is against everyone and no one is getting anywhere.

What’s often pointed out with this card is that they also appear to be dressed in costume or children’s clothing, indicating that there is a level of immaturity at play, or that the stakes are low and this is not something worth getting worked up over and fighting for.

Sometimes it is better to be happy than to be right.

The natural landscape of the card, however, also indicates that this is a natural human experience and emotion. We all get heated sometimes. If this card represents an internal battle, it can be an invitation to not take whatever you are dealing with too seriously. To allow yourself some grace.

The general kerfuffle of the figures also reminds me of the saying “miss the forest for the trees”, in that sometimes we can be so in the thick of something, totally absorbed, that we lose sight of the bigger picture. Take a step back and gain some perspective, is what you are agonising over worth it?

Five of Wands Upright Card Keywords

Disruption, ego battles, petty conflict, arguments, upsets, heated debates, infighting

An upright Five of Wands Tarot card indicates a time to look towards working things out maturely together, to look at something holistically and see if you are going about it in the most efficient way. If we take heed this message, we will be reward in the card that comes next. In a health Tarot reading, this would indicate the soothing of inflammation.

Astrologically, this is reflected. The Five of Wands corresponds to Saturn in Leo, a call for being the bigger person. Saturn is the taskmaster Planet of challenge and restraint, but also lessons learnt through hardship, struggle, and discipline. Saturn rewards hard work, structure, and boundaries. Leo is the child of the Zodiac, ruled by the shining centre of our Solar System, its archetype is playful and joyous.

Thus, Saturn in Leo to me speaks of finding the balance between work and play, self-centredness and collectivism. Find common ground.

However, Saturn is also in detriment in Leo as it is opposite its domicile of Aquarius. And so stern Saturn doesn’t do well in the silliness of Leo. Calling upon our inner wise selves may be harder than it seems when this card comes up.

This reminds me of when a small child is really winding us up, if you have children or have ever been a teacher/caregiver you’ll know what I mean. It can sometimes take a great feat of strength to muster up all the adultness we have to remind ourselves that we are dealing with just a child (and hold our temper or keep our patience)!

Numerologically, the 5s in the Tarot generally represent conflict, contraction, and challenge. However, after this we move onto the expansion of the 6s. The number five includes the full spectrum of the elements- the four natural elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water; and Ether or Spirit, the fifth element.

It is impossible to go through life without some kind of disruption, we would not understand the true value of peace without conflict.

This also connects it to Major Arcana card The Hierophant, bridge between the spiritual world and the mundane one. The Hierophant is a reminder that we are both eternal teacher and student, that we always have something to learn from every person and situation, and always have some wisdom to impart as well.

Where can you see each experience as a lesson? Who do you get your counsel from, are you being your wisest self when this card shows up for you?

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two-wander-five-of-wands-tarot-card-reversed

The Five of Wands Reversed

If you choose to read reversals, a reversed Five of Wands could indicate an even stronger need to assess the part you play in a group dynamic or your internal chatter. How do you speak to yourself and others, are you actions impartial and fair?

Five of Wands in a Love Tarot Reading

In a relationship reading the Five of Wands sometimes means a classic lovers tiff, the bickering that can come when we are tired or hungry. If it is a regular occurrence or specifically in relation to the other person, depending on the other Tarot cards around it, it may be an indicator of a general immaturity at play. It can be worth checking in if what you are fighting for is really worth it.

Five of Wands in a Career Reading

In a career reading, the Five of Wands can be a message to be mindful of how you speak to your employees, colleagues, boss, clients- including the energy you emit. As the classic saying goes, it’s not what you say but how you say it. People can feel the vibe! It may also represent an internal restlessness in relation to something about your job, or sense of competition.

So those are some Five of Wands meaning, I hope they’re insightful for you! Let me know in the comments section below if you have anything else to add or any questions.

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