Five of Swords card

Difficulty in making a decision.

Supporting / Blocking Tarot Card

support

The card is not a blocking card but rather a delaying card. The querent must choose between two options but is not interested in either. This represents a state of stagnation in decision-making. However, in life, as in life, one cannot remain in a state of indecision or non-choice. The great advantage of this card is that once the querent makes a choice and moves forward, they will know if they made the right choice. If they made a mistake, they can correct it.

Relationships

Career

Finances

Relationships

Career

Finances

The Meaning of The Card

The Five of Swords represents a common life situation where a person faces a dilemma, needing to choose between options, but none of the options appeal to them. In the Four of Swords, the person paused and did not act despite their desire to make a decision due to the ambiguity of the situation. In the Five of Swords, the response is unbalanced; the person can act but chooses not to do anything. If they do not make a choice, they will be unable to progress in any area. Only full action will lead the person to understand the truth and determine what is right and suitable for them.

Five of Swords card: The Meaning of The Symbols

Card Symbols	Symbol Meaning
Clouds	The clouds symbolize situations in a person’s life that overshadow them, such as distractions, disappointments, or delays that significantly impact them. Their movement in the sky symbolizes a lack of clarity that is dissipating. They represent power, transience, acting as a barrier, and renewal.
Wind	Power, movement, change.
Sword	Represented by the element of air, symbolizing cold logic. The sword’s strike is quick, sharp, cold, and calculated, just like thoughts originating from the intellect. It symbolizes authority, justice, power, strength, and the separation of good from evil.
Two People Looking to the Horizon	When the figure has their back to the reader, it symbolizes moving towards action according to the will of the universe.
Figure in a Green Garment	Green symbolizes renewal, growth, hope, health, and youth. The red garment underneath suggests that action is needed.
Soldier	The soldier symbolizes strict and rigid character traits, but more importantly, it symbolizes standing firm on principles. The soldier in the foreground of the card represents hesitation, uncertainty about how to act, whether to take or leave something.
Sea	The sea in the background symbolizes a significant uncertainty in the person’s life. It represents challenging situations, significant struggles, and the uncertainty of outcomes. It symbolizes life force, feminine energy, numerous possibilities, danger, and the emotional world.
Orange Boots	Movement, enthusiasm, determination. The orange color symbolizes abundance, fertility, love, creativity, and inspiration. It also expresses a tendency towards the arts and represents feminine intuition.
Light Blue Background	Represents optimism, freedom of expression, independence, and hope. Spirituality, infinite possibilities, and eternity.

Mythology

Orestes faces two choices, neither of which is good or positive. He must either kill his mother, who murdered his father, dealing with the emotional difficulty of committing matricide, or he must surrender and live in fear that his mother will kill him. The card represents situations where there is no good choice between options, but nevertheless, one must choose and act. Once a choice is made, the action will reveal what is right and what is wrong. Due to the difficulty in choosing between the two options, the querent prefers to remain on the fence, watching from the sidelines and letting life pass by without deciding. The querent is not allowing themselves to experience and engage. A lack of choice is a state of stagnation. Will the querent remain frozen, or will they choose and see what life has in store for them?

Representation of the Card in a Reading

In a reading, while the Four of Swords represents the beginning of a foundational phase, where the person feels restless and experiences a sense of delay, the Five of Swords represents the response to that delay. It reflects the person’s communication with themselves and with their surroundings. The reaction in the Five of Swords is often unbalanced. After the stagnation of the Four of Swords, where the person observed the situation without responding, the Five of Swords indicates that there is no preferred option to choose from. The challenge is to select one of the options and pursue it fully. This action will clarify whether the choice was correct. In this card, the person can change their choice if they realize they were wrong.