Five of Wands
Five youths brandish staves in a chaotic melee: competition, friction, and the clash of many wills, often more contest than true war.
Wands, V
Upright keywords
- competition
- conflict
- rivalry
- disagreement
- tension
- struggle
- clashing egos
Meaning when upright
The Five of Wands brings the suit's fire into friction: a crowd of young men wave their staves at one another with no clear sides and no clear winner. It describes competition, rivalry, clashing egos, and the messy energy of many people pushing their own ideas at once. Waite calls it mimic warfare and sham fight, but also the strenuous competition and struggle of the battle of life, and since no one in the scene is actually hurt, many readers treat it as sparring rather than real hostility. Handled well, this friction sharpens skills and ideas; handled poorly, it burns energy on noise.
On the card
- five youths brandishing staves
- Competing wills and ideas; the struggle of many voices at once.
- staves crossing in every direction
- Disorganized effort and conflicting aims; energy that has not found a shared direction.
- each youth dressed in different colors and patterns
- Diverse personalities and viewpoints; individuality clashing with individuality.
- poses of attack with no blow landing
- Waite's 'mimic warfare': a contest or sham fight rather than true harm.
- uneven, rough ground
- Unstable footing; a situation not yet settled.
- clear blue sky
- The conflict is open and in daylight; nothing is hidden, and the air may soon clear.
In Waite’s words
A posse of youths, who are brandishing staves, as if in sport or strife.
- Divinatory meaning
It is mimic warfare, and hereto correspond the Divinatory Meanings: Imitation, as, for example, sham fight, but also the strenuous competition and struggle of the search after riches and fortune. In this sense it connects with the battle of life. Hence some attributions say that it is a card of gold, gain, opulence.
- Reversed
Litigation, disputes, trickery, contradiction.
- Additional meaning
Success in financial speculation. Reversed: Quarrels may be turned to advantage.
Correspondences
- Element
- Fire
- Astrology
- Saturn in Leo
- Sephira
- Geburah (5)
- Golden Dawn title
- Lord of Strife
- Decan
- Jul 22 – Aug 1
- Number
- Five is disruption and conflict; after the stability of the Four, fiery energy breaks out into competition and struggle.
To reflect on
- Is this conflict a real threat or a contest of egos?
- What would change if I listened to the other voices instead of only raising my own?
- How can I use competition to sharpen my skills rather than drain my energy?
In your readings
Hasn’t appeared in your readings yet.
Ask about this card
Marguerite, the traditionalist, answers from Waite’s text, what is drawn on the card and its correspondences. You can choose another reader in settings.