Five of Wands

Five people, five wands, and nobody listening.

The picture

Five young men wave their wands about on open ground. Each is dressed differently, one in red, one in a spotted tunic, one in green. The wands cross and clash in the air above their heads. Nobody looks hurt, and it is hard to say whether this is a fight, a game or a practice.

Upright

Five is disruption. In Wands, where everyone has fire and drive, disruption looks like this: everybody pushing their own idea at once.

The card shows competition and friction. A meeting where no one agrees, a family argument over nothing, a crowded market where everyone is shouting to be seen. There is plenty of energy in it. It is simply pointed in five directions at once.

Look closely at the picture. The wands are not really hitting anyone. This is more scuffle than battle. Much of the time the Five of Wands describes conflict that is noisy and wearing, and far less dangerous than it feels.

Sometimes the Five is simply healthy competition, the kind that makes everyone sharper. Sport, a debate, a pitch against good rivals.

The question it raises is whether you need to win, or whether you need to be heard. Those are different fights.

Reversed

Reversed, I read the Five as too much or too little. Too much, and the scuffle has turned serious, and it is time to step out of the field. Too little, and you are avoiding the argument altogether, swallowing your view to keep the peace.

It can also be turned inward, with the five voices all in your own head, each with a different plan. If you are worn out and nobody else is actually arguing with you, that is the one.

When it turns up

Which argument could you simply walk away from?

If you would like the cards read against your own chart, my readings are here.

Related pages
The Number 5