5 of Swords

Keywords & phrases

• Defeat
• Cruelty
• Detached & cold
• Winning whatever the cost
• Hollow victory
• Cutting your losses
• Picking your battles
• Survival

First impressions

I think that most would agree this card gives a sense of unease. There are apparent winners and losers in this card and a rather unpleasant scene seems to be playing out.

What is happening in the card?

A rather cruel, smug-looking individual is at the forefront of this card, collecting up the swords of those that have been defeated in battle.

In the background, a couple of defeated-looking individuals walk away. Perhaps this is a fight that they know they cannot win. They are walking away now so that they may live to fight another day. And perhaps, that winning and any cost is not winning at all.

Grey clouds are scudding across the sky, suggestive of a volatile situation.

To the victor go the spoils! 

How can we relate to this card?

I think this all rather depends on where we see ourselves in this scene. Who do we identify with, the victor or the victims?

We may experience the energy of the 5 of Swords when we feel a shift in the balance of power in a relationship.

It also calls into question how we behave in moments of defeat or victory. Are we gracious winners? How do we pick ourselves up when we are beaten?

Message & affirmations

I am gracious in victory as I am in defeat. I pick my battles, I am resilient and when defeated I pick myself up and I move on.

My personal experiences of this card

I find the 5 of Swords somewhat triggering. In another deck that I own the main character in the 5 of Swords so closely resembles someone that I know that for a while I could only see that person and that relationship in this card.

This was a very difficult relationship that I had to walk (run) away from in the end. I cut my losses.

When I saw the 5 of Swords from Lacey Bryant’s Slow Tarot, I knew I would end up buying the deck. It seems to tell a different story for me. One where the classic victim turns the tables on the villain. And now for me, the 5 of Swords is about resilience and survival.

It says “Don’t mess with me!”. You can put me down and push me down, but one day I will push back and you’ll wish that you hadn’t.

5 and 7 of Swords, The Slow Tarot by Lacey Bryant

Events, situations & readings

In a relationship spread:
This speaks of conflict and a power struggle in your relationships. This could be a pivotal moment. Is it time to cut your losses? Should you stay and fight?

In a work/career/business spread:
Is there some conflict at work? What is your part in it and how wisely are you picking your battles?

People & interaction with other cards

The 5 of Swords is one of the ‘scary’ Tarot cards, and when positioned with other cards from the same suite, like the 3 of Swords, 7 of Swords and the 10 of Swords, it can bring a distinctly ‘Game of Thrones’ vibe with it.

The 5s are numerologically linked to The Hierophant and Temperance. When these appear with the 5 of Swords, it may be time to be less hasty in your responses and to seek guidance on how to deal with conflict and change.

Questions, prompts & insights

Can you identify the areas of conflict in your life? What is your part in them?

What are you fighting for? Are you standing up for yourself and what you believe in or are you fighting to win for winning’s sake?

Featured decks:
Main image from The Rider Waite Tarot. Also featured images from The Slow Tarot by Lacey Bryant.