Up: [[Tarot]] Created: 2022-11-03 Updated: 2025-08-17 > [!leaf] In Brief > Conflict, either external or internal; hollow victories perhaps through manipulation, entitlement or dishonesty; internal unrest, self-sabotage, disruptive change, defeat > ![[5 of Swords RWS.webp|300]] > [!leaf] What Matters and Symbols There are several ways to look at this card. But no matter which perspective you choose to take, the 5 of Swords is a card of conflict. It can be conflict with another, conflict within, or both. For example, an external conflict might prompt the need for inner work. *Pathworking the Tarot* calls it the “nastiest card in the deck.” I’m not sure I’d go quite that far, but do agree with *A Magical Course in Tarot* claiming this as the “dragon slayer” card. Ignoring the people for the moment, notice that the mountains are way off in the distance. *Spiritual Tarot* interprets this as mastery or resolution still being far off. The sky is menacing looking and the water (always interpreted as emotions or the unconscious) looks a bit foreboding. > [!Orbit] *Star Tarot* describes the card as > unrest and chaos, externally and internally. Feelings of discord, anxiety and uncertainty scatter your thoughts. You are at a crossroads trying to navigate out of the darkness or confusion into the light and clarity. As for the three people, many tarot authors say to decide which one you identify with the most, and take the card’s meaning from that. - If you are the person closest to the water, there are feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, self-doubt, confusion, failure or defeat. - If you are the person in the middle ground who is walking away, you might have or need healthy boundaries so that you don’t take on too much of other people’s issues. Interestingly, very few people pulling this card see themselves as this figure. - If you are the person in the foreground, you are victorious but at a cost. The smirk on this character’s face suggests the victory has been gained through manipulation or unfair advantage. An alternative interpretation is based on the foreground figure having three swords in his arms and two on the ground. This can be a card of scattered thoughts (swords on the ground) from trying to do too many things. > [!leaf] Actions 1. Focus on what matters, avoiding the extremes of procrastination or taking on too much. Take a small step each day towards your goal. And make sure it’s your goal, not someone else’s. 2. If “focus on what matters” is difficult, take a deep look at who you are and who you are not, align with your values, and recognize that you are not responsible for fighting every battle. Choose where you’re going to put your valuable life energy. Recognize your limits. 3. When there’s a conflict, whether that’s external or internal, consider ways to tell yourself a different story. Get calm, witness what’s happening without judgment, and try to see whether the issue is really related to the present or if it’s actually a leftover from the past. Cognitive based therapy (CBT) and narrative therapy use reframing a lot. For example, “I tried and failed” can be reframed as “I tried and learned.” 4. Shift negative energies by doing forgiveness work for yourself and others. This might begin with recognizing that comparison to others is unhelpful. Life is always and only about you fulfilling your own potential the best way you know how. 5. Journal or freewrite responses to any of these questions: - What inner or outer conflict am I experiencing? Where am I feeling it in my body and what story am I telling myself about it? How might a supportive friend reframe that story for me? - How was conflict, inner or outer, handled in my family? What do I notice about how that impacts me now? - Taking a goal that really matters to me and aligns with my values, how can I break it down into manageable small steps? - What battle, internal or external, are you needing to fight multiple times? > [!orbit] Margaret Thatcher > You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. > [!leaf] Shadow - Being obsessed with winning at all costs - [[Projection]] of inner feelings onto others and making them the “bad guys” - Not taking credit for my own accomplishments