Five of Swords
Rider-Waite
General meaning
Upright
conflictan empty victorywinning at all costsdiscordstrategic dishonestyhumiliationruthless competitionselfishnesstactical betrayalunresolved tensionseeking someone else's defeatplaying unfairlydominance at others' expensea bitter disputea victory that isolateswinning while losing something importantdestructive rivalryconflict with no healthy resolutionimposing your own willhumiliating othersstrategic aggressivenessa break from pridehostile disagreementwinning the argument but losing the relationshipa conflict that leaves wounds
↕ Reversed
reconciliationthe end of conflicta willingness to give inrepairing damage causedhumility after an empty victorya genuine trucefreedom from resentmenta sincere apologymoving past a rivalrylearning from a past conflictgiving up prideseeking a fair solutionmutual forgivenessthe end of hostilityrebuilding trustgenuine remorsea peaceful close to a disputea willingness to listen to the other personthe end of the need to win at all costshealing a damaged relationshipmutual understanding after the conflictlaying down armsseeking balance after the discordgenuine humilitypeace after the storm
By topic
- Love
- an unhealthyunresolved conflict as a couplewinning an argument at the cost of the bonddiscord from pridehumiliation within the relationshipharmful competition between partnerspersistent unresolved tensionan empty victory after a fighta break from not giving inhostile disagreement in lovewinning the argument but losing closeness
↕ reconciliation after a relationship conflict, willingness to give in for the good of the relationship, repairing damage caused to the other person, humility after an argument, a genuine truce in love, freedom from romantic resentment, a sincere apology as a couple, moving past an inner rivalry in the relationship, mutual forgiveness, rebuilding romantic trust
- Friendship
- an unhealthyunresolved conflict between friendswinning an argument at the cost of the friendshipdiscord from social pridehumiliation within the groupharmful competition between friendsunresolved tension in the friendshipan empty victory after a disagreementa social break from not giving inhostile disagreement between friendswinning the argument but losing the connection
↕ reconciliation after a friendship conflict, willingness to give in for the good of the social bond, repairing damage caused to a friend, humility after a social argument, a genuine truce in the friendship, freedom from social resentment, a sincere apology with a friend, moving past a social rivalry, mutual forgiveness between friends, rebuilding trust in the friendship
- Family
- an unhealthyunresolved family conflictwinning an argument at the cost of the family bonddiscord from pride at homehumiliation within the familyharmful competition between relativesunresolved tension at homean empty victory after a family fighta break from not giving in at homehostile disagreement within the familywinning the argument but losing family closeness
↕ reconciliation after a family conflict, willingness to give in for the good of the family, repairing damage caused at home, humility after a family argument, a genuine truce at home, freedom from family resentment, a sincere apology within the family, moving past a family rivalry, mutual forgiveness at home, rebuilding family trust
- Career
- an unhealthyunresolved professional conflictwinning a position at the cost of important relationshipsdiscord from excessive ambitionhumiliation in the professional environmentruthless competition in your careerunresolved vocational tensionan empty victory after a professional disputea break from not giving in at workhostile disagreement in the workplacegaining recognition but losing integrity
↕ reconciliation after a professional conflict, willingness to give in for the sake of a work relationship, repairing damage caused professionally, humility after an empty career victory, a genuine truce in the professional environment, freedom from vocational resentment, a sincere apology in the workplace, moving past a professional rivalry, mutual forgiveness between colleagues, rebuilding professional trust
- Work
- an unhealthyunresolved conflict with a coworkerwinning an argument at the cost of the work atmospherediscord from pride on the teamhumiliation in your roleharmful competition between colleaguesunresolved tension at workan empty victory after a work disagreementa break from not giving in with the teamhostile disagreement in your rolewinning the argument but losing collaboration
↕ reconciliation after a work conflict, willingness to give in for the good of the team, repairing damage caused to a colleague, humility after an argument at work, a genuine truce in your role, freedom from work resentment, a sincere apology to the team, moving past a work rivalry, mutual forgiveness between colleagues, rebuilding trust at work
- Studies
- unfair competitioncopying or being copiedconflicts with classmateswinning at any costarguments with teacherstense atmospherea grade that isn't worth itpride
↕ making up after a conflict, dropping an academic fight, regret, learning from a dirty trick, giving up, accepting defeat, leaving a bad environment, peace
- Money
- an unhealthyunresolved financial conflictwinning a negotiation at the cost of a relationshipdiscord over money mattershumiliation related to financesharmful competition over resourcesunresolved financial tensionan empty victory in a financial agreementa break from not giving in on a money matterhostile disagreement over financesgaining financially but losing trust
↕ reconciliation after a money conflict, willingness to give in on a financial agreement, repairing damage caused financially, humility after an empty financial victory, a genuine truce over money matters, freedom from financial resentment, a sincere apology for a financial matter, moving past a rivalry over resources, mutual forgiveness in money agreements, rebuilding financial trust
- Pets
- an unhealthyunresolved conflict over its careimposing a decision about the animal without considering othersdiscord between caretakers from pridehumiliation related to handling itharmful competition between those who care for itunresolved tension over raising itan empty victory in a dispute over its carea break from not giving in over handling ithostile disagreement about the petwinning the argument but affecting its wellbeing
↕ reconciliation after a conflict over its care, willingness to give in for the animal's wellbeing, repairing damage caused in handling it, humility after a dispute over raising it, a genuine truce between caretakers, freedom from resentment related to its care, a sincere apology about a decision made, moving past a rivalry over its care, mutual forgiveness between those who care for it, rebuilding trust in its shared handling
- Health
- an unresolved inner conflict about your own bodyimposing physical demands at the cost of wellbeingdiscord between what you want and what the body allowshumiliation related to your own imageharmful competition with yourselfunresolved tension regarding healthan empty victory after forcing your own bodya break in balance from not giving inhostile disagreement with your own processachieving a physical goal but losing wellbeing
↕ reconciliation with your own body, willingness to give in to your own physical needs, repairing damage caused by past demands, humility after an empty physical victory, a genuine truce with yourself, freedom from resentment toward your own body, forgiving yourself for the past, moving past a harmful demand, forgiving yourself, rebuilding a healthy relationship with your health
- Choices
- an unresolved inner conflict about what to chooseimposing a decision with no regard for the impactdiscord between what you want and what suits youhumiliation after a questioned decisionharmful competition between alternativesunresolved tension about the dilemmaan empty victory after deciding out of pridea break from not giving in on a decisionhostile disagreement about a shared choicewinning the argument but losing perspective
↕ reconciliation with a decision already made, willingness to give in in light of new information, repairing damage caused by a past choice, humility after a questionable decision, a genuine truce with your own judgment, freedom from resentment about a choice, an apology for a decision that affected others, moving past a rivalry of opinions, mutual forgiveness after a shared decision, rebuilding trust in your own judgment
- Creative projects
- an unhealthyunresolved creative conflictimposing your own vision at the cost of collaborationdiscord from artistic pridehumiliation related to the creative workharmful competition with other creatorsunresolved tension in the projectan empty victory after a creative disputea break from not giving in on the project's visionhostile disagreement with collaboratorswinning the argument but losing the collaboration
↕ reconciliation after a creative conflict, willingness to give in on the project's vision, repairing damage caused to a collaborator, humility after an empty creative victory, a genuine truce in the process, freedom from artistic resentment, a sincere apology toward a collaborator, moving past a creative rivalry, mutual forgiveness in the project, rebuilding trust in the collaboration
- Creativity
- an unresolved inner conflict about your own styleimposing expectations at the cost of your own creative wellbeingdiscord between what you want to express and what you demand of yourselfhumiliation related to your own talentharmful competition with other artistsunresolved tension in your own processan empty victory after forcing your own creativitya break in creative balance from pridehostile disagreement with your own voiceachieving an artistic goal but losing authenticity
↕ reconciliation with your own creative process, willingness to give in to your own artistic needs, repairing damage caused by past demands, humility after an empty artistic victory, a genuine truce with your own expression, freedom from resentment toward your own talent, forgiving yourself for the creative past, moving past a harmful demand, forgiving yourself as a creator, rebuilding a healthy relationship with your own creativity
✨ 3 tips for combining it
- With The Devil, toxic relationships. Example: Five of Swords + The Devil speaks of a bond worn down by conflict or dependency.
- With Justice, winning at any cost isn't worth it. Example: Five of Swords + Justice suggests choosing peace over being right.
- With work cards, watch for unfair competition. Example: Five of Swords + Seven of Swords points to someone playing dirty at work.
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