Five of Wands Tarot Card

Card Name: Five of Wands, 5 of Staves

Category: Minor Arcana, Suit of Wands

Position: 5

Keywords: Confrontation, Competition

Active element: Fire 🔥

The Five of Wands is the main card in the Tarot deck, responsible for all kinds of contests. It symbolizes Olympus, where ancient athletes competed with each other. However, the prize is not particularly important to them – the main thing is to show the best qualities, to show others what they are capable of. People and events according to this Arcana are full of stamina – internal energy that splashes over the edge. A test of strength, various challenges of fate are not terrible, but only throw logs into the fire of the spirit. The Fire element gives the Five of Wands a positive color – this flame does not burn, but warms even rivals. The ability to encourage each other, to go towards a common goal, but also to make a contribution as a separate component – these are the main characteristics of the card.

Symbolism and Key Ideas of the Five of Wands

In the classic Rider-Waite Tarot deck, the Five of Wands card at first glance depicts a scene of confrontation between men. Each of them holds a long staff in their hands. At the same time, the grip of the hands is different – someone operates with one, the other – with two, the third – holds the stick at an angle. Gestures and facial expressions signal a struggle. Competitors’ clothes differ in color palette – yellow, green, blue, light blue and red. All the action takes place against the backdrop of hilly terrain. It looks like the grass here is a little dried up under the scorching sun. The sky is blue, no clouds. Sprouted staves or poles – leaves are visible on them.

The creator of the deck Arthur Waite himself said that the Five of Wands card depicts the scene of the construction of a garden arch – a pergola. The author considered the Arcana of the Tarot from ten to one. (However, many tarot readers are of the opinion that the deck can be read in any direction, like a magic spell). In fact, the viewer is presented with a picture that precedes the Four of Staves. Thus, the struggle on the card becomes a contribution to the common cause. The colors of the clothes of all men symbolize the five elements – Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Ether. The Arcana is dynamic – this is signaled by the poses of people, as well as the hilly ground. A clear sky indicates the absence of confrontation, negative emotions or events. The leaves on the poles hint at development, vitality and high energy potential.

Meaning of the Upright Five of Wands Card

• Competition, a chance to show your skills, to show the best.
• Peaceful struggle, the ability to protect their interests, borders.
• Meeting; a group of people involved in a process.
• Active actions, time for self-realization, manifestations.

The Five of Wands card in the upright position indicates the active phase of some process. It is also a peaceful confrontation, a kind of competition created in order to show their best qualities. The Arcana differs from the Five of the suit of Swords – the energy of the Fire element can warm and arouse excitement, while Air is fatal and cold. Therefore, foremost, the 5th card of the suit of Staves symbolizes competitiveness, the ability to defend one’s interests, to achieve goals. And at the same time, do it consciously and not traumatically for others. The Five of Wands awakens the spirit of competition. This is, in a way, the Olympic Games, in which everyone will show what they are capable of.

The number five gives the card the meaning of the middle – the process has begun, but not yet completed. The prediction for this Arcana Five of Wands can be read as open – the outcome depends on the querent himself, his efforts. The fortuneteller will have to fight for his happiness, prove to himself and others that he deserves a place in the sun. The card denotes a certain conflict, but not in terms of aggression, but in the context of potential growth. This also includes the clash of interests of several persons or subpersonalities of one person. Success or failure depends on how well it will be possible to reach an agreement, taking into account the interests of all parties involved.

Love and Relationships (Upright)

• Finding compromises; differences in character and habits.
• Balance between relationships and self-realization; cooperation.
• Popularity among the opposite sex; passionate nature.
• Gambling in love, a tendency to adventure or rivalry.

In the love spreads, the Five of Wands shows the grinding period. The couple finds compromises, strives to join efforts for a joint future. At the same time, no one wants to stand aside, close their eyes to their own self-realization. The card speaks of high self-esteem for both partners, which will lead to a search for balance, and not constant concessions to one of the parties. Such a union brings out all the best qualities of the ego of both man and woman. People learn to interact, build relationships, invest in them.

For lonely questioners, the Five of Wands predicts a crowd of admirers. Surrounding people will try to draw attention to themselves, showing the most advantageous aspects of the personality. Often, a similar situation can develop at work, where representatives of the opposite sex for the querent predominate in the team. The element of competition comes into play. At the same time, the feelings of the questioning person himself have not yet been fully formed – he himself does not yet know what exactly he wants from life and relationships.

Career and Finance (Upright)

• Chance to prove yourself as a specialist; period of internship.
• Competition for a vacancy; competition with other colleagues.
• Finances dependent on the efforts of the entire team; interest.
• Self-employment, creation of a work team, business.

In the context of work, the Five of Wands speaks of changes in the company. The querent will have a chance to show his qualities in order to climb the career ladder or just get an award. Often, vacancies related to competitiveness go through the card – a percentage manager, a realtor. These are areas in which the salary depends on the work performed. Also, the Arcana can denote self-employment. A person has to constantly be on the alert, to fight for the attention of customers. This also includes a situation in which the final result depends on the joint efforts of the entire team of employees.

The financial flow through the Five of Wands is unstable. In one period it can be very high, in another – as low as possible. The querent has not fully adjusted his work or business. At the moment, there is an active phase of labor, the fruits of which will be equivalent to the efforts expended. The Five of Wands encourages honest work and does not patronize lazy people. Also, at the moment, a fortuneteller can join a team for joint earnings, be at the stage of adjusting business relations.

Health and Spirit (Upright)

• Rapid recovery of the whole body or reboot of the body.
• Active lifestyle, regular sports, gymnastics.
• Decisiveness, quick reaction, skill to show the best features.
• Bright image, sociability and ability to support others.

In terms of health, the Five of Wands shows a period of rehabilitation and recovery. The card has a correspondence with the musculoskeletal system, the spine. Also, 5 of Staves denotes an active lifestyle, playing sports. The querent does not spare himself, acts quickly. Because of this approach to your body, fractures and sprains are not uncommon. However, in the upright position, the meaning of the Five of Wands will be positive – all ailments will quickly heal, injuries will heal. The card shows good immunity and a stable digestive system.

The psyche according to the Five of Wands is in an excited state. The fortuneteller is accustomed to actively expressing his own position, does not go into his pocket for a word. Even if there is no one to compete with, a person still does not calm down – internal contradictions force him to do unreasonable actions. In a positive aspect, this character trait leads the questioner to quick success, allows you to attract attention and take responsibility.

Situations and Questions (Upright)

• Getting out of your comfort zone or meeting other seekers.
• Knowing yourself through comparison with others.
• Strength test, a chance to prove strength, ability.
• The manifestation of inner strength through external tools.

The Five of Wands shows access to people and demonstration of acquired qualities. A person becomes involved in the overall process, which depends on the contribution of each individual. The goal depends entirely on the coherence of work, constructive communication between group members. You can project the situation onto the spiritual plane of life – the traveler has worked on himself and is now ready to appear in the material world among the same individuals. He will have to show people everything that he has learned in his journey into the depths of himself.

The card asks questions: “How ready am I to work together?” and “Am I strong as a person?” You can talk as much as you like about your spiritual breakthrough and acquired abilities, however, everything is known in comparison. The querent must go out into the world in order to prove his strength in practice. The spiritual plane is closely connected with the material one. The mystery of life is this – to connect the internal and external, to come to a balance. The Five of Wands creates situations to test one’s identity – true values are not hidden behind the tinsel of words.

Meaning of the Reversed Five of Wands Tarot

• Chronic problems, confusing situations, difficulties.
• A protracted process, conflicts in teams, unions.
• Dependence on other people or external circumstances.
• Being drawn into a certain game, forced presence nearby.

The Five of Wands reversed weakens its primary meaning. The once active process slows down, and disagreements arise between its participants. The situation becomes similar to the well-known fairy tale about a swan, a pike and a cancer. Everyone pulls the blanket over himself and therefore nothing happens. The construction of the garden arch is being delayed. In life, this manifests itself as confusion, confusion, circumstances with many pitfalls. At first glance, the clear lake of opportunity turns out to be full of sharp pebbles. To be clear, we need to tone down a bit. Now he plays against the querent.

In any spread, the Five of Wands inverted will be lost as a lump of some problems that do not allow you to easily get out of the situation. Not a single person is involved, and therefore it is worth establishing communication with all partners. Whether it is love, work or spirituality – everywhere the fortuneteller will feel himself in a whirlwind of events, the very mouth of a dangerous volcano. However, this state of affairs may be permanent or temporary. The questioner will feel as if the ground is slipping from under his feet, and the old methods no longer work. This is a good shake-up, a kind of crisis that tests people for strength.

Love and Relationships (Reversed)

• Long development of relations or incomprehensible position of the partner.
• Problems that interfere with establishing a personal life, starting a family.
• Scattered desires, difficulties in choosing one person.
• Pretentiousness or high expectations from your loved one.

The reversed Five of Wands Tarot card in a relationship spread gives a shade of ambiguity. The partner gives ambiguous signals – sometimes he expresses feelings too actively, but then moves away for no reason. He did not understand himself, and therefore unconsciously tests his lover for strength, putting him in an uncomfortable position. Also, a person can be dependent on the decisions of his family, work colleagues, business partners. This is invariably reflected in love relationships. Also, such position of the card often indicates a clash of interests, a difference in characters, which is difficult to level.

For lonely people, the Five of Wands in the opposite position promises an unpleasant conversation with oneself. The querent fails to build behavior, deal with goals and general ideas about a potential lover. He is driven by scattered collective images that have nothing to do with reality. For example, on the one hand, the questioner wants a calm person, and on the other hand, an eccentric and ready for adventure. Double messages to the world lead to misunderstanding on the part of the opposite sex, and, consequently, a long period of loneliness.

Career and Finance (Reversed)

• Problematic team at work, unsettled work process.
• Inconsistencies in business, unexpected difficulties, circumstances.
• Burning resources, the wrong strategy for business, affairs.
• Hard work or lack of motivation; vulture.

In the spreads for work, the inverted Five of Wands symbolizes problems in the team. A person fails to find a common language with colleagues and optimize work activities together. Rather, according to this position of the card, people give out a subjective opinion that is beneficial to them for caring for all participants. The other members of the group do not want to put up with this attitude and only exacerbate the conflict. When this card lay upside down, then we can talk about incorrect positioning and work leading to failure. Instead of support and mutual assistance, people put spokes in each other’s wheels.

Finances according to the Five of Wands reversed leave much to be desired. The fire of motivation is slowly dying down, and all because the resources were directed in the wrong direction. The querent could have spent a large amount as an investment in a project with no future. All attempts to establish a financial flow are fundamentally wrong – throwing from side to side only leads to a worsening of the current situation. Also, the general budget can be spent on partners who are not able to make their own contribution.

Health and Spirit (Reversed)

• Curvature of the spine, diseases of the bones of the arms or legs.
• Crooked posture, flat feet, malocclusion, hernias.
• Multiple personality disorder, irritability.
• Slowness, fear of mistakes, poor positioning.

When the Five of Wands fell upside down, then in terms of health, this is a bad sign. The position of the Arcana indicates a long healing of fractures, the presence of serious bruises, or even a curvature of the spine. The structure of the skeleton has any defects that prevent you from living a full life. Minimal, this is poor coordination, problems with fine motor skills. It is difficult for a person to keep his back, head or limbs straight. Sometimes an inverted card signals congenital anomalies, disabilities.

In terms of the psyche, the Five of Wands in the opposite sense shows internal conflicts. Personality often changes views, beliefs. One gets the feeling that several people live inside at once, having their own goals, desires, guidelines. In its most negative sense, this would mean schizophrenic personality disorder. One way or another, the internal conflict is present, only the degree of expression changes. Givenness is dictated by psychological weakness, indecision due to improper upbringing.

Situations and Questions (Reversed)

• Untimely actions, inappropriate behavior in society.
• Search for recognition, lack of internal self-esteem in the individual.
• Focus on the opinion of the crowd or incorrect positioning.
• Fear of being alone and unable to cope with their difficulties.

According to the inverted Five of Wands card, a person goes out to people at the wrong time. Spiritual transformation has not been fully completed, and therefore attempts to express oneself in society will be ridiculous and awkward. Similar personalities will be attracted to such vibrations. In such a circle, the search for something higher is reduced to mundane things, becomes ordinary, and therefore vulgar. Everyone believes that he has come closer to knowing himself, therefore he has the right to go out into the world. At the same time, the solitary path is not for such seekers – the traveler seeks to join the crowd again.

The reversed Five of Wands asks questions: “Why do I gravitate toward people?” and “How well can I do it alone?” The negative position of the Arcana turns all processes upside down and literally does a disservice. Perhaps the querent should turn to himself, and not focus on others. At the same time, the inner desire to be realized in society cannot be suppressed – it is worth considering it carefully and taking it for granted. Otherwise, there is a high probability of never agreeing with yourself, living in discord.

Five of Wands: Combination with other Tarot Cards

Advice and Warning of the Five of Wands Card

The upright Five of Wands advises to find like-minded people and try to act together. Even in a competitive environment, extrinsic motivation will be useful. You can compare this phenomenon with the breakthroughs that beginners make when they work out in the gym with professionals. A good example of strength is another person. Through such an incentive, the querent can excel in any field, not just in sports. The reversed card does not change the meaning, but advises to keep a close eye on the team spirit. The whole team needs support, stimulation with a certain prize.

As a warning, the Five of Wands upright speaks of a dangerous conflict of interest. Someone else deliberately pits people for the sake of some benefit. At the same time, the participants in the process firmly believe in the crystal clear rules of the struggle for the first place. This is a distraction, it is better not to get involved in such games at all. The reversed Five of Wands warns of undue effort. Whether it’s entering a competition, trying to build a business, or competing for a potential lover, it’s not worth it. Receiving a reward is impossible, or will bring disappointment to the querent.

Five of Wands: Daily Card Meaning

The Five of Wands upright promises an active day. The questioner will have the opportunity to try his hand at some area. It could be work or personal life. The querent will feel that this is necessary for himself as well as for others. Labor will not go unnoticed. There is also a high probability of participating in a cash lottery, a sporting event. Sometimes these are beauty contests or the defense of a diploma, a project, a presentation of a working business scheme, a presentation. The querent will go public and compete with other participants. At the same time, opponents are also not going to give up easily.

Additionally, you can draw another card. She will clarify the meaning of the Five of Wands and show in which particular area a clash of interests will occur. So, next to the suit of Pentacles – these are working moments, with Cups – love moments, with Swords – intellectual disputes, putting forward theories, with other Arcana of Wands – an internal need to show energy, sports interest. The inverted Five of Staves speaks of the small scale of the competition, or the absence of a reward. The questioner can participate in the competition, but will not go beyond the qualifying stage to the final.

Suit of Wands