The Five of Swords card depicts a young man who has a very convenient look of contempt on his face. He is looking at the enemies that he has managed to conquer. There are five swords that he possesses – which he has taken from the other combatants who are on the card. The two other figures are walking away from him in a slow manner with a sense of loss and sadness. Above them, the sky is tumultuous and cloudy, which indicates that not everything is well, despite the fact that the battle is already over.
Upright Meaning Guide
Five of Swords Upright Tarot Card Key Meanings:
Defeat, surrender, change, walking away, self-sacrifice, self-sabotaging behavior, underhanded behavior, deception, lack of communication, aggression, bullying, intimidation, abuse, violence, crime, rape, murder, assault, standing up for yourself, victory, fighting back, overcoming challenges, serious conflict, hostility, stress
General Meaning and Interpretation (Upright)
In a general context, the Five of Swords is not always a good omen as it can represent defeat, change surrender and walking away. It is a Minor Arcana card of self-sabotaging or underhanded behavior and deception and lack of communication. It can also represent serious conflict, stress, and lack of communication. The Five of Swords Tarot card comes with a warning as it can signify hostility, aggression, intimidation, and violence and as such it can represent situations we would hope to never encounter in our lives such as crime, theft, bullying, abuse, assault, rape, murder. On the other hand, it may simply represent the action one must take to overcome being challenged by others such as standing up for oneself and fighting back. As such it can be an indication of victory. If so, the victory it represents will be hard-won as you will have quite a battle on your hands.
Love & Relationships (Upright)
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Five of Swords is not a great omen as it can indicate arguments, hostility and serious conflict arising due to a lack of communication. It is also a Minor Arcana card of deception and self-sabotaging behavior so infidelity and cheating can be signified by this card. It can also indicate divorce or separation as it can represent defeat and walk away. In its extreme negative, the Five of Swords can indicate bullying, intimidation, abuse, violence, assault, rape and murder. You should not be in fear of your partner and if you are, this tells you that something is seriously wrong. If your partner is abusive, you need to recognize the danger you are in and reach out for the support of family and friends or organizations that can help you to get the strength to walk away and take back your power. No one who truly loved you would treat you that way. If you are single, the Five of Swords indicates that you may be seeking out relationships with people who have a dark side and are potentially dangerous or deceptive. The extreme negative of this card signifies the types situations you would never wish to find yourself in so ensure you are taking proper precautions when going on dates with people you do not know very well such as meeting in a public place and letting a family member or friend know who you are meeting and where etc.
Money & Career (Upright)
In a career Tarot reading, the Five of Swords indicates that there is conflict in the workplace. Expect stress, tension, arguments and hostility caused by poor communication or a complete lack of communication when this Minor Arcana card appears in your career Tarot spread. This may be leading you to feel defeated or like you should walk away or change careers. In its extreme negative, the Five of Swords can indicate bullying, intimidation or harassment and there may be some deception or underhanded behavior going on. You may find yourself in the position of needing to fight back or stand up for yourself. Stay calm and rational in your approach. Make sure any action you take is the really the right move for you and not made out of duress but do not allow yourself to be victimized. At the same time, this is a card of self-sabotaging behavior so you need to look at your own contribution to the situation and ensure that you are not part of the problem. In a financial Tarot spread, the Five of Swords indicates that there may be some deception or underhanded dealings in relation to finances. Be careful who you trust and make sure you are dealing with money in a fair and legal manner. Any current financial woes are likely to leave you feeling defeated but you need to look at how your current financial situation has come about. Have you sabotaged yourself? If so, you do not need to dwell on your mistakes, simply acknowledge and learn from them and start making better choices. You may simply need to sacrifice some luxuries until your finances improve.
Health (Upright)
In a health Tarot reading, the Five of Swords indicates that you a likely to be feeling battle weary at the moment in terms of health. Whether it is stress, anxiety or a recent illness, the challenges you have been through or a currently going through have drained your energy. Treat yourself with kindness and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. This card also warns against engaging in self-sabotaging behavior. As such, if you are struggling to cope with things, this card carries a serious warning not to use alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism at this time as it may have bad consequences for you.
Spirituality (Upright)
In a spiritual context, the Five of Swords indicates that the challenges you have overcome have given you the wisdom, strength, and empathy to heal others. This card also indicates change so you may find yourself pursuing a new spiritual path when it appears.
Reversed Meaning Guide
Five of Swords Reversed Tarot Card Key Meanings:
Peaceful resolution, moving on, compromise, communication, ending conflict, releasing stress, overcoming challenge, major sacrifice, risk everything, relentless, revenge, escalating violence, held accountable, arrest, uncovered crime, regret, remorse, humiliation, shame, not heeding warnings , surrendering to challenges
General meaning and interpretation (Reversed)
In a general context, the Five of Swords reversed can be a good omen as it can signify the peaceful resolution of a situation, ending conflict and moving on. It is a Minor Arcana card of communication, compromise, overcoming challenges and releasing stress. However, the Five of Swords Tarot card reversed can signify an escalation in serious violence and revenge. It can also signify risking everything, being relentless, not heeding warning signs and surrendering to challenges. It can also represent someone being held accountable for their actions, crimes being uncovered, arrests, regret, remorse, shame, and public humiliation.
Love & Relationships (Reversed)
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Five of Swords reversed can indicate that you and your partner may be putting an end to some conflict in your relationship, learning to compromise and overcoming challenges. You may be letting bygones be bygones in respect of any arguments or issues you have been having and learning to communicate with each other but be aware, this peace requires work to make it last. If you return, to previous patterns you will sabotage the progress you have made. On the flip side, the Five of Swords reversed can be an indication of a complete breakdown in communication and succumbing to challenges in the relationship. If either of you has been unfaithful or underhanded in the relationship, this card can indicate that you will be exposed quite publicly as it indicates public shaming, revenge, remorse, and regret. If you are in an abusive relationship, this card tells you to heed the warning that you are in danger! Get out before it escalates into serious violence. If you are single, the Five of Swords reversed indicates that you may have realized that you have been too critical or dismissive of a potential partner and may now be willing to give them a chance or they you. Alternatively, it can indicate that you have decided that a potential partner is not at all right for you and are letting them go.
Money & Career (Reversed)
In a career Tarot reading, the Five of Swords reversed indicates that a conflict in the workplace may be coming to an end. Tensions may be being released, compromises made and a peaceful resolution is now possible as lines of communication open up when this Minor Arcana card appears in your career Tarot spread. This card may see you making major sacrifices to overcome challenges in your career. Alternatively, it can indicate an escalation in conflict as someone may be attempting to sabotage you. Look at supporting cards to confirm this. If there has been deception or underhanded business deals at play, the Five of Swords reversed will see the culprits being held accountable and publicly shamed or even fired. In a financial Tarot spread, the Five of Swords reversed again sees any untoward financial dealings exposed and the person responsible being held accountable so ensure you are acting with integrity or it will come back to bite you. It can also indicate a release of tension in regards to financial woes so if you have been struggling to manage your finances, this card would see you finding a resolution to your issues.
Health (Reversed)
In a health Tarot reading, the Five of Swords reversed indicates suggests that you will find a way to resolve an ongoing or recurring health issue that has been a problem for you. It indicates that a compromise or sacrifice needs to be made to bring this about, for example, you may find that you are allergic to a food you love and have to give it up or you may find that you have to adjust your fitness regime to compensate for an injury but a solution is possible.
Spirituality (Reversed)
In a spiritual context, the Five of Swords reversed can indicate that you have overcome a major hurdle in relation to your spiritual path and that this may have required a major sacrifice on your part, for example parting way with an old belief system and letting go of some traditions that you were used to. You are now in a position to move in a spiritual direction that works for you.
Reference:
Labyrinthos, 2019, 11/13/19, (https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/five-of-swords-meaning-tarot-card-meanings?_pos=10&_sid=18b5a7f6f&_ss=r)
Lisa, 2019, 11/13/19, (https://www.thetarotguide.com/five-of-swords)