Five of Swords

Card Theme: Cruelty
Element: Air

The Five of Swords shows a young man holding three swords. He is holding two boastfully and is facing the ground. The other two swords are left lying on the beach as two other men walk away. It seems that the young man has won the battle, but at what price as the two other men have turned their backs on him as they walk away.

There is a sense of abandonment. The clouds tell a story of conflict; it seems like a hollow victory.

The Five of Swords suggest that conflict and challenges surround you.

The Five of Swords relate to your feelings of being overwhelmed and your personal belief that you must struggle to survive. After all, if you don’t look after yourself, who will? You might believe that you are the only one who can take care of you. But too often, this perspective is taken too far. Consequently, you may be acting selfishly, adopting a philosophy of looking out for number one.

Many of you find yourself experiencing situations that damage your trust in others and can lead you to believe that you only have yourself to rely on.

You need to keep calm and allow challenging issues to resolve themselves. Someone around you may be looking for an argument, but it’s essential to see yourself not rising to the bait. It is necessary to learn to control your emotions. Otherwise, you may find that issues may escalate and then get out of hand.

It doesn’t matter whether you are facing mental or physical conflict. You may find yourself feeling as if you were in a battle zone. It might seem that there is another fire you need to put out or another issue waiting for you to deal with everywhere you turn.

At this time, it might feel as if nothing is coming quickly to you. Maybe you are battling with some strong personalities and feeling you have to jeopardize your integrity.

You may find yourself in a stubborn mood.

But often, when you are faced with issues, it is better to acknowledge a little more give and take if you wish to resolve further conflict,

The overriding message of the Five of Swords is that all is not lost. You may feel that you lost the battle, but you will recover and, in the end, walk away with your self-respect – provided that you make a gracious exit. Be aware of the danger that you might want to keep fighting even when the battle is over. It is essential that regardless of any provocation, you learn to deal with your anger and disappointment. The saying it is all over bar the shouting rings true.

Sometimes you may have felt that things are getting on top of you. You may think you have to behave in a certain way, maybe in a self-protective manner. Giving people the impression that you don’t need any help. Putting on this mask-like appearance that everything is fine may mean that others cannot interpret your needs. When if truth be told, you could have benefited from their support. Sometimes it okay to let your guard down so that others can help you.

 

Blocked Meaning

Card Theme: Termination

When The Five of Swords shows up in the blocked meaning, it suggests that maybe you have unnecessary conflict in your life.

You have found yourself caught in between other people’s conflict and might find yourself the injured party through no fault of your own.