Five of Swords

The meaning of this card

Five of Swords shows a man holding the swords, who is smiling and looking like he is the victor, while the other men walk away from him. This shows conflict in the relationships between the men, due to someone's actions.

This card represents the realisation that you cannot run away from your problems, that you have to take a stand and fight and deal with them.

(1909 Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck images)

Meaning - upright

What this card means

Upright, this card has the following meanings:

• partings and separations, maybe leaving a country altogether
• selfish actions and manipulation to get what you want
• be guarded against troublemakers and violence-makers who abuse power and authority for selfish means
• don't take on too much that you cannot cope with it all
• know you will win through, even though your reputation may be a little tarnished

Meaning - reversed

What this card means

Reversed, this card has the following meanings:

• any problems will be lessened
• you will be able to reach a common ground with people who were in conflict with you
• guard your possessions against theft
• success will be there, but it will not be as much as you expect