Card 54 • swords

Five of Swords

Brief Description

The Five of Swords depicts destructive conflict and betrayal, shown by a woman attempting to harm herself while being attacked from behind. It signifies competitive aggression, intimidation, and actions that victimize others or lead to self-sabotage. Upright, the card warns of hostility, bullying, and the moral or emotional cost of winning at another's expense. Reversed, it points to a move toward resolution, compromise, reconciliation, and making amends to end hostilities.

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Description

Using two swords like a giant pair of scissors, a distraught woman attempts to snip off her own head. From behind, her third hand raises another sword and readies to plunge it into her back. Two remaining swords stand in a mound of dirt, waiting to finish this deadly task should the others fail.

Upright Meaning

Competition. Conflict. A bully. Intimidation. A criminal act. Aggression. Unprovoked violence or hostility. Self-sabotage.

Reversed Meaning

A resolution to a tense situation. Compromise. Reconciliation. An end to hostilities. Making amends.

Visual Description

A grotesque jester-like figure in a blue robe and horned cap dominates the image; their pale face has an exaggerated eye and a tongue lolling from the mouth. The figure holds three slender swords — two grasped in the hands and one pressed across the throat — while two more swords are planted point-first in the ground nearby. A red splotch that resembles a dripping circle appears in the sky at the upper right, and small stars and floral motifs dot the background. The Roman numeral V sits at the top of the card and the title FIVE OF SWORDS is printed along the bottom border.

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✍️ Deck author(s): Patrick Valenza

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