Five of Wands meaning in the tarot (2024)

Let's just face it: the Five of Wands does not have an excellent reputation in the cartomancy community. The card is usually associated with conflicts and adversity that the seeker will have to overcome in their quest for personal fulfillment. On the other hand, I prefer to highlight the beneficial aspects of a card that can result in profound change.

The contentious character of the Five of Wands can easily be explained by numerology. First, note the central position of the figure 5, perfectly equidistant from the Ace of Wands and the Ten of Wands, these two cards limiting this arcana. The five is therefore a breaking point, it is a switch that allows you to cross back and forth over the border.

In one of the most popular versions of the Tarot, the Five of Wands features two groups of two sticks arranged in a cross. A central vertical stick completes the structure. This specific positioning makes sense, as the cross recalls the conflicts the seeker has traversed and the middle part their resolution.

Note how the stick flows from the lowest part of the card to its top, suggesting a certain balance between accepting the material realities of life and the desire for spiritual elevation. The card's blue, red and yellow colors convey the same idea of harmony.

When you become angry know that it is your own judgment that has made you angry.

The most common analysis of the Five of Wands drawn upright is crystal clear. It reflects a period of conflict, in which the seeker is experiencing real difficulties in moving forward and enjoying the pleasures of life. These dissensions are affecting them deeply and having a lasting impact on their mood.

For the moment everything seems to be at odds, as if everything had decided to gang up against the seeker's self-fulfillment. Everyone has experienced those difficult periods when nothing works as well as usual: when work is really boring, when finances are at their lowest, or when relationships are suffering from latent tensions.

Keep in mind that this situation is perfectly natural and far from irremediable. Although it obviously reflects the seeker's feeling of dissatisfaction, it will also allow them to take stock of their life and implement an effective action plan.

When the Five of Wands appears upside down, it is once again a question of conflict. The conflict will, however, be more likely to be internal for the seeker and will not express itself as clearly as in the case of an upright draw.

Faced with a real Sophie's choice, the seeker will find it really difficult to understand what is happening and serenely find a way to face it. For example, the problem may be a career choice - a new job opportunity, a transfer, the resumption of studies - or a decision in the emotional field.

Sometimes the inverted Five of Wands is a reflection of the seeker's fear of getting involved in a conflict. By never sharing their frustration or their points of view, they deny what they really are and seem to renounce their values. The situation is not ideal if they want to be in harmony with themselves.