Five of Swords
The Five of Swords depicts an elderly Anglo-Saxon warrior departing a burning settlement, carrying four swords on their back and a fifth under their arm while storm clouds gather and a rune glows above the fire. It speaks to hollow victory, imbalanced battles, hostility, and a haunting past that continues to affect the present. Reversed, the card suggests disappointment, hard lessons learned, and the necessity of moving beyond old patterns or avoiding unnecessary conflict. The Bind Rune emphasizes overcoming memories or past burdens that weigh you down.
Keywords
Description
An elderly Anglo-Saxon warrior walks away from a burning building. They wear heavily padded armor. Four swords hang on their back. One more has been tucked under their arm. They hear the sounds of the Viking villagers crying and screaming. They rush around, hoping to put the flames out. Another wooden structure's frame lies in tatters. Storm clouds appear in the sky. A Rune glows above the fire.
Upright
Hollow victory, an imbalanced battle, a haunting past, hostility from others, get ready for a fight.
Reversed
Disappointment, a hard lesson learned, move past the old ways of thinking, avoid difficult situations.
Bind Rune
Overcome memories or the past that burden you.
Visual Description
A bearded warrior in a helmet stands in the foreground clutching a sword while several other swords are planted in the ground behind him. Tents and structures burn in the background and a few small figures retreat toward the left under a smoky, clouded sky. At the top of the card a large numeral '5' sits above a vertical sword icon and a glowing rune-like mark is visible just below it.
Runic tarot
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