Five of Swords - Which One Are You?
Added at 12:38 on 27 August 2022
When we look at the Rider Waite Smiths, or any deck with similar imagery, we can see one man, a bully, someone who has the upper hand, owning all of the five swords, with two others in the distance, upset. It can be common to naturally think that we will be one of the victims in the background, but with Five of Swords we can be any player in this image.
We can be one of the two who have downed their swords, or had them taken, and have now walked away. Either they did so after a fight of words with the sword holder, or they just thought "heck no" and did not bother with the conflict.
We can be the man furthest away with his head in his hands, utterly destroyed by another’s actions, or often opinions. Five is a communicative number, so words often feature whoever minor or harsh they have been, which could also include body language we pick up on or give out.
We can be the man who is pondering whether to go back and have another go at changing the situation.
We can also be the ones with the swords. The man with the opinions or actions that have upset others – yet we never wish to feel that we can be this character, as we see ourselves as the good guy.
This card can be as simple as feeling or making someone else feel slighted, to a major form of bullying as people disagree.
All cards can be internal, so you could be arguing with yourself, but no one wins with this card as it’s all about ego, beliefs, and maintaining ground whatever the cost with the one with the swords or dealing with the fallout from the others, resulting in a lose-lose situation.
When this card turns up and its message is not clear, as you are not the victim of anything, see who you could be disabling with your words, actions, or presumptions.
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Understanding Tarot by Pam Richards