FIVE of
SWORDS
This is a card of…
Sharp words
Insensitivity
Hurt feelings
Defeat
Bitterness
“Her quickness of mind was like a hiss, a dart, a lethal bite.”
-Elena Ferrante
The mind looks to acquire a sharper blade as it moves through time. Skirmishes of wit and intellectual arguments help us sharpen the edge of that sword. But sometimes we, or an opponent, don’t know our own strength.
The Five of Swords is when, in what should have been a friendly spar, our sharp edge draws blood. Which is to say feelings are hurt and bonds of friendship and respect are damaged. If the stakes of an argument are witty one-upsmanship or ideological differences, winning or getting the good dig in shouldn’t be more important than maintaining the relationship. Don’t go in for the kill when it’s just a game.
Whether we are the one who struck out or the one who got hurt, this card advises us to make peace and heal rather than leaving the resentment to fester.
This card also speaks of personal relationships disrupted or even severed by one person’s choice to take legal action.
The suit of SWORDS:
- Intellect
- Ideology
- Conflict
- Law
- Wisdom
The FIVES:
- Struggle
- Growth
- Trial
- Strife
- Hard lessons
Meditations/ Questions for a Five of Swords Day
Have you ever taken a joke too far and regretted it? Did you apologize?
Are you holding onto resentment for a friend’s sharp words? Could you tell them and clear the air?
Are you as sensitive to others feelings as you wish them to be to yours?
Pride in our own wits and the desire for attention are no great crimes unless they lead us to casual cruelty.