Card glossary › Rider-Waite

Five of Wands

Rider-Waite

General meaning

Upright

↕ Reversed

By topic

Love

disagreements that strengthen the relationshippassing tension as a couplehealthy competition to improve the bonda clash of opinions resolved through dialoguepassionate energy in the argumentconfrontation that clarifies feelingsrivalry with a third partydebate about the relationship's directiontemporary frictiona shared challenge as a couple

↕ an unresolved conflict as a couple, built-up tension in the relationship, a constant dispute, exhaustion from repeated arguments, toxic rivalry with a third party, avoiding romantic conflict, a silenced disagreement, friction wearing down the bond, unfair competition for attention, an avoided emotional clash

Friendship

passing disagreements between friendshealthy competition within the grouptension resolved through talkingan enriching clash of opinionsfriendly rivalrystimulating debateconfrontation that clears up misunderstandingstemporary friction in the grouppositive competitive energya shared challenge with friends

↕ an unresolved conflict in the friendship, built-up tension in the group, toxic rivalry between friends, a drawn-out dispute, avoiding an important disagreement, unfair competition within the group, friction wearing down the friendship, a silenced clash, exhaustion from repeated arguments, a conflict repeating within the group

Family

passing family disagreementstension resolved through dialoguehealthy competition between siblingsa clash of opinions that clarifies positionsconstructive family debatenecessary confrontationtemporary friction at homemild family rivalryenergy for change in the face of conflicta shared challenge as a family

↕ an unresolved family conflict, built-up tension at home, a constant dispute between relatives, toxic rivalry at home, avoiding an important disagreement, friction wearing down life together, a silenced clash within the family, exhaustion from repeated arguments, unfair competition between members, a conflict repeating at home

Career

healthy professional competitiona challenge that drives growthtension that motivates improvementa productive clash of ideasstimulating professional rivalryconstructive professional debateconfrontation that clarifies directiontemporary friction in the fieldpositive competitive energya challenge over a position

↕ unfair professional competition, an unresolved workplace conflict, built-up tension in the professional environment, toxic rivalry in the field, exhaustion from constant competition, avoiding a professional conflict, friction wearing down your trajectory, a silenced clash with colleagues, a drawn-out dispute over a position, unsustainable pressure in your career

Work

disagreements that improve the projecthealthy competition on the teamtension that drives resultsa productive clash of ideasconstructive debate in meetingsnecessary confrontation with a colleaguetemporary friction in your rolestimulating workplace rivalrycompetitive energy on the teama shared challenge at work

↕ an unresolved workplace conflict, built-up tension on the team, a constant dispute with colleagues, toxic rivalry in your role, avoiding an important disagreement, unfair competition at work, friction wearing down the work atmosphere, a silenced clash with the team, exhaustion from repeated arguments, unsustainable pressure in your role

Studies

competition in classdebatesgroup work with clashing ideasexams with lots of candidatesstudying under pressuredefending your positionhealthy rivalrycompetitive exam

↕ conflict with classmates, avoiding competition, fights in the work group, organisational chaos, hostile atmosphere, giving in under pressure, pointless arguments, burnout

Money

healthy competition for better termsfirm negotiationtension that drives you to increase incomea surmountable financial challengea resolved clash of interestsa debate about shared expensesnecessary confrontation over moneytemporary friction in financial agreementsstimulating financial rivalrycompetitive energy in negotiations

↕ an unresolved financial conflict, built-up tension over money, a constant dispute over expenses, unfair rivalry over resources, avoiding a financial disagreement, unfair competition over income, friction wearing down financial agreements, a silenced clash over money, exhaustion from repeated financial arguments, unsustainable financial pressure

Pets

a surmountable challenge in its trainingpassing tension over its behaviorhealthy competition between pets in the householda resolved clash of routinesadjustment energy in living togethernecessary confrontation about its caretemporary friction over its behaviordebate about raising itmild rivalry between animalsa shared challenge in its adjustment

↕ an unresolved conflict over its behavior, built-up tension in living together, toxic rivalry between pets, a constant dispute over its care, avoiding a behavioral problem, friction wearing down life together, a silenced clash over its care, exhaustion from repeated conflicts with the animal, unfair competition between pets in the household, unsustainable pressure in handling it

Health

a surmountable physical challengetension that drives you to improve habitshealthy competition with yourselfa clash between old and new habitsthe energy of pushing past a limitnecessary confrontation with your own bodytemporary friction in the process of changean inner debate about wellbeingmotivating rivalry with yourselfa shared challenge in care

↕ an unresolved conflict with your own body, built-up tension from neglect, an inner dispute about habits, exhaustion from physical self-demand, avoiding a health problem, friction wearing down wellbeing, a silenced clash with your own body, unfair competition with yourself, unsustainable pressure on the body, a conflict repeating in self-care

Choices

necessary confrontation between optionstension that clarifies prioritiescompetition between equally valid alternativesa clash of criteria resolved through reflectionproductive inner debatea surmountable challenge in decidingtemporary friction between possibilitiesthe energy of discernmentrivalry between options that pushes you to decidea shared challenge with others involved

↕ an unresolved conflict between options, built-up tension from not deciding, a drawn-out inner dispute, exhaustion from weighing alternatives, avoiding the decision because of the conflict it generates, friction between your own criteria and others', a silenced clash over the choice, unfair competition between interests, unsustainable pressure to decide, a conflict repeating between the same options

Creative projects

a surmountable creative challengetension that drives you to improve the workhealthy competition with other creatorsa clash of ideas that enriches the projectconstructive debate about the creative directionnecessary confrontation with your own worktemporary friction in the processpositive competitive energystimulating creative rivalrya shared challenge with collaborators

↕ an unresolved creative conflict, built-up tension in the project, a constant dispute with collaborators, toxic rivalry with other creators, avoiding a problem in the work, unfair competition in the creative sphere, friction wearing down the process, a silenced clash over the project, exhaustion from repeated arguments, unsustainable pressure in the creative process

Creativity

a challenge that drives artistic evolutionproductive creative tensionhealthy competition with your own potentialan enriching clash between stylesinner debate about your own voicenecessary confrontation with your own processtemporary friction in your developmentthe energy of creative growthmotivating rivalry with yourselfa shared challenge with other artists

↕ an unresolved inner creative conflict, built-up tension from your own process, a dispute between your own style and outside expectations, exhaustion from artistic self-demand, avoiding a creative block, friction wearing down artistic development, a silenced clash with your own talent, unfair competition with other creators, unsustainable pressure on your own work, a conflict repeating in the creative process

✨ 3 tips for combining it

1. With court cards, look at who's in the clash. Example: Five of Wands + Knight of Swords is an argument with someone very impulsive.
2. With Strength or Temperance, the conflict calms down. Example: Five of Wands + Temperance suggests lowering the tone and finding middle ground.
3. With work cards, healthy competition. Example: Five of Wands + Three of Pentacles speaks of a team with different ideas that, handled well, produces something better.

🔮 Open it in the interactive glossary

Remember cards speak of energies and tendencies, not a fixed destiny 💕