The Five of Wands in Tarot
The Five of Wands is all about tension, conflict, and fierce competition.
Card Description:
The Five of Wands shows five men moving and waving their wands chaotically, with no respect for others and in direct competition with each other, engaging in conflict.
However, upon closer observation, you can see they’re waving their wands as if they were banners. It’s possible that despite the chaos, they don’t actually intend to harm anyone or each other, they’re just staking their positions.
The men wear differently colored clothes to symbolize social or class differences, as well as different beliefs and value systems that exist in the world, or more specifically, even within the same family or group sometimes.
The Five of Wands Upright
General Meaning
General Meaning The Five of Wands, like all the fives in the deck, indicates a change after a conflict situation. At this point, all your abilities to achieve your goals and objectives are being affected by the existing tension, struggle, and conflict.
There’s a lot of competition, and instead of everyone agreeing on how to move forward together, it’s everyone against everyone, including you, who seems to not listen to anyone and be against everyone.
The main issue is that everyone thinks they’re right, no one backs down from their point of view, and they shut their ears and minds to the opinions of others.
This only leads to arguments and fights, and at a certain point, those arguments, opinions, and reasons lose all significance. They don’t even care why they’re arguing anymore, they just argue for the sake of it and to feel like they’re right. It’s a confusing and chaotic situation with very little to gain from it.
The Five of Wands could represent a group of people who initially agreed to help you or move a plan forward, but now can’t set rules or find a common way to get things done. Each person now has their own reasons, and each is following their own personal interests rather than the group’s.
This could also represent your family, maybe a joint venture, a shared plan, or simply the fact of living together under one roof. At first, everyone’s on the same page and willing to collaborate, but soon tensions and disagreements arise, creating chaos and discomfort.
Your role is to try to keep a cool head, bring order, and ensure that all opinions are heard and considered to find a way out.
Sometimes, these kinds of struggles can be useful and creative, like in a company where workers contribute all kinds of ideas and suggestions, the classic “brainstorming.” But in general, the Five of Wands suggests you’re in direct opposition with others.
In this struggle, you might feel like your position or knowledge is being threatened. This may not be a usual situation for you, as you’ve generally been the one pulling the weight alone, but now people with similar skills or knowledge are directly competing for the prize or at least the best part.
You should always respect a competitor, but you shouldn’t hesitate to defend your points of view and opinions. You may feel a lot of frustration and anger, but these emotions need to be set aside as you focus on achieving results.
Sometimes, the Five of Wands suggests that the struggle you’re facing is with people who are very different from you. They may have different beliefs, cultures, or ways of seeing life and doing things. In these cases, beyond the competition, you should recognize that these situations always end up being enriching opportunities, where diversity brings you more knowledge and experience.
So, it’s about accepting the struggle and change from a positive perspective. Conflict may be inevitable, but maybe your role is to bring order, ensuring that everyone is heard and understood until a shared idea and plan can emerge that benefits everyone, so you all come out winners.
In another interpretation, the Five of Wands may suggest that you’re not competing against anyone else but yourself. The opponents are your “other selves” within you, and you can’t agree on anything.
Maybe you want to leave your home, a relationship, or your job, but you keep finding just as many reasons to stay as to go, leaving you stuck in an endless battle, unable to move forward.
You should know that there’s never a completely right or perfect answer. Life is unpredictable in most aspects, so you need to narrow down the options until you settle on one, right or wrong, that works well for you, regardless of the final outcome.
In Love
There may be tensions and conflicts in the relationship, mainly caused by external influences. It could be jealousy towards others, or when living with family—yours or your partner’s—clashes are inevitable. Keep a cool head and don’t get swept away by anger.
If you’re looking for a partner, the Five of Wands can go two ways: either you’re competing with others for the same person, or several people are competing for your attention.
In Work
The Five of Wands suggests that you’re facing competition, but don’t worry too much about it. Do what you know best and in the right way, even if others don’t play fair.
In the long run, this behavior will bring results. Those who are disloyal may win temporarily, but those victories won’t last long.
If you’re looking for work, be prepared to face competition for the job. The struggle won’t be easy, but if you have what it takes, the job will be yours.
In Money and Finances
The Five of Wands indicates that money may be tight. You might struggle to meet obligations or payments, and the constant demands could be the “battle” you’re facing. Try to explain your situation and work with others to find a solution.
This isn’t the time to take risks or dive into business deals, purchases, or investments. Only spend what you know you can afford.
In Health
The Five of Wands can suggest that if you’re dealing with an illness or condition, the people in charge may not agree on a unified approach—there may be conflicting diagnoses. In another sense, it could symbolize an internal struggle against temptations, like sticking to a diet or quitting an addiction.
In Spirituality
The Five of Wands advises you to calm down. If you’re running around like a headless chicken, it’ll be hard to find solutions, believe, or have a clear spiritual goal.
You need to find peace, no matter how tough the conflict is. It’s in those small moments of calm that things become clearer, and you’ll find the positive outcomes.
The Five of Wands Reversed
General Meaning
General Meaning When the Five of Wands is reversed, it suggests that you’re trying to avoid conflict as much as possible. Fighting isn’t your thing, and the idea of arguments and struggles makes you uneasy.
This doesn’t mean you’re the peacemaker in the conflict; it just means you’re trying not to get involved, keeping your distance. This can be good in some cases, but not always.
Some conflicts are positive and constructive, and after them, significant changes arise. What you need to work on here is honing your perception of when a fight is worth having and when it’s better to back away because it’s a pointless or unsolvable conflict.
Keep in mind that pretending the problem doesn’t exist won’t make it go away.
If this conflict is happening inside you, pushing it aside won’t get you anywhere. Eventually, you’ll just go around in circles or make no progress by pretending nothing’s wrong.
Try to face your own opinions and contradictions, and work towards finding agreement with yourself.
The best part about the reversed Five of Wands is that it can signal the end of conflict. Like all the fives in the deck, they tend to be more positive when reversed, so now it’s telling you that tensions have faded, and you can breathe a sigh of relief after a stormy period.
The competition is over, and you’ve likely gained confidence, and the ability to control things like anger, frustration, or insecurity. You no longer need to prove anything to anyone, not even yourself, to show your abilities or values in solving things. You’ve learned a better way of relating to others through the conflict, and that’s undeniably positive.
As a final note, the reversed Five of Wands may indicate that you need to focus on your goals. You might have been taking long detours, delaying actions or plans, and that going around in circles hasn’t led to anything. It’s time to commit and take action, especially towards your plans and dreams.
In Love
The reversed Five of Wands can indicate that conflicts in the relationship have ended, with positive results. You emerge from a time of disputes with more clarity and benefits for the relationship.
If the conflict is still ongoing, don’t fear it—it’s for the best, and you’ll see that in the long run. This is a very positive card in this area, as tough times pass, and growth occurs.
If you’re seeking love or are interested in someone who seems unaware or unresponsive, know that their reluctance isn’t about you but personal matters. If you really want this person, the Five of Wands tells you that you’ll need to be patient.
In Work
With the Five of Wands reversed, since wands are directly related to action, it’s in the work realm where tensions and conflicts are most likely to show up. If you feel you can contribute a solution, get involved, but it might be best to avoid it and stay on the sidelines while others fight.
Make sure to document everything you do, keep a record of your work and actions in case your competence is questioned. Hold onto papers, receipts, and proof, and ensure you have witnesses who can vouch for your position.
If you’re job hunting, don’t let competition discourage you. In this globalized and complex world, you’ll always face opponents and competitors. Your knowledge and talents are your best weapons and calling cards. Stay optimistic.
In Money and Finances
The reversed Five of Wands indicates that the tough financial times are ending, and a better, more prosperous period is ahead. Gone are the juggling acts you used to make ends meet or the struggles to keep money in your hands. Everything is starting to balance out.
This doesn’t mean you’ll be swimming in money, but you should learn from past mistakes and lessons, manage your income wisely, save, and avoid overspending. Be prudent, create a budget, and keep track of your finances.
In Health
The reversed Five of Wands suggests that if there are health concerns or something feels off, pretending it isn’t happening won’t make the issue disappear. Be mindful of this and listen to your body’s signals.
In its more positive sense, it can indicate that after differing opinions, a diagnosis is finally reached, and you now know what’s wrong and can begin the path to improvement or recovery.
In Spirituality
The reversed Five of Wands reminds you that spiritual growth isn’t a competition. Speed doesn’t matter here. Learning at your own pace on your spiritual path is often the best way.
The card also indicates that contradictions are welcome. Don’t fear the clash of ideas or your own internal contradictions. Everything leaves a lesson. Accept yourself as you are and try to be comfortable with the duality we all live with as humans.
