Five of Wands
The Five of Wands signifies jealousy, competition, and conflicts often arising among peers, friends, or within social hierarchies. It represents petty arguments, everyday strife, and a drive to gain equal footing or to outdo others, which can be playful or deeply divisive. Upright it can point to a victory after struggle or ongoing rivalry; reversed it can indicate the end of petty fights, withdrawing from struggle, loss, or insecurity about achieving authority. In magickal practice the card is used to represent strife or competition and may be combined with cards like Temperance to bring peace or the Emperor to secure dominance.
Keywords
Description
Jealousy; competition; a victory after struggles; disagreements and conflicts among friends; a desire to gain equal footing with one's peers; petty arguments; everyday strife and struggle; playful jest; hierarchies and office politics; striving for success merely to show others up; a game is being played; friends are not supportive of the querent's success and well-being; a love affair between friends; romantic competition; rivalry; mixed interests; a conflict of purpose; competing ideas; refusal to give up a fight.
Reversed
An end to petty arguments; abandoning a struggle; losing a fight; the querent tires of striving to overcome competitors and fears defeat; a distancing among a group of friends; a rival comes out the victor; a competition comes to a close; insecurity regarding one's ability to gain authority or acclaim; an obsessive desire to outdo one's peers.
Magickal Uses
Use in spellwork to represent strife, competition, or petty arguments. Cover with Temperance to bring peace or with the Emperor to come out on top.
Visual Description
Five men stand in a grassy field beneath a tree branch that holds a large wasp nest. They grip wooden staves and have them raised as if sparring; most are blindfolded while one man in a brimmed hat watches without a blindfold. Their clothing varies — a man in a yellow tunic and red cap, others bare-chested or in simple trousers and boots — and rolling hills are visible in the background. A pink banner at the bottom of the image reads "FIVE OF WANDS."
Modern Spellcasters tarot
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