Five of Swords

Five of Swords is one of the 56 minor arcana of the tarot, in the suit of Swords; in the Golden Dawn tradition it corresponds to Venus in Aquarius.

The Five of Swords gathers swords while others walk away. A conflict was won, but at what cost to the relationship?

Symbols on the card

Swords gathered

Winning the argument.

The departing figures

People hurt or alienated.

Two swords on the ground

What was dropped in the struggle.

Number and suit

Fives disturb the balance of the four: challenge, conflict or loss that asks for change. Swords are air: thought, truth, communication and the conflicts of the mind.

Upright meaning

Ask whether winning this is worth what it costs. Choose your battles.

Love　An argument where both lose something.

Work　Office politics, competitive tension.

Inner life　Being right is not always the same as being at peace.

Reversed meaning

You are ready to let go of the fight and make peace.

Love　Apologising and reconnecting.

Work　Resolving a conflict, moving on.

Inner life　Forgive yourself for what you said in anger.

In a three-card spread

Situation

A tense conflict.

Challenge

Winning at too high a cost.

Advice

Choose peace over pride.

Tarot and astrology

In the Golden Dawn system this card is the decan of Venus in Aquarius: the themes of Aquarius, expressed the way Venus acts. Aquarius →Venus →

Questions to sit with

• What would I gain by letting this go?
• Is this conflict worth what it costs?

Through the suit

Tarot here is a mirror for reflection, not a prediction. The meanings follow the Waite-Smith tradition and the Golden Dawn attributions, in our own words.