Few cards carry a reputation like Five of Wands.
Five of Wands upright
Conflict, competition, friction, clashing egos, scattered effort.
Five of Wands reversed
Avoiding conflict, resolution, inner conflict, release of tension, picking battles.
Keywords: conflict, competition, friction, clashing egos, scattered effort
The classic reading (Waite, 1911)
- Upright: Imitation, as, for example, sham fight, but also the strenuous competition and struggle of the search after riches and fortune. In this sense it connects with the battle of life. Hence some attributions say that it is a card of gold, gain, opulence.
- Reversed: Litigation, disputes, trickery, contradiction.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot is the oldest layer of the card — modern readers soften and expand these meanings.
Golden Dawn correspondences
- title The Lord of Strife
- Decan Saturn in Leo
- planet Saturn
- zodiac Leo
- decan 0–10
Fortune telling with Five of Wands
- Prepare for a fight with your best friend
- Remember: once you let words loose, you can't take them back
The light and the shadow
In its light, Five of Wands: Calmly expressing a dissenting opinion Allowing someone to use his or her own methods to get a job done Opening the floor for discussion or debate Comparing progress made so far to standards set earlier
The reversed trap of Five of Wands: Berating others for their ridiculous opinions Picking fights Offering destructive criticism Baiting people with barbed remarks Disrupting progress with an endless stream of pointless objections
Questions to ask Five of Wands
- To what extent is your current issue worth fighting for?
- What alternatives are there to outright conflict?
- What happens in a "fair fight?" How can you keep this fight fair?
The extended portrait, upright
The Five of Wands card in the upright position suggests competition, conflict, and struggle. It represents a time of challenge and may indicate that you are facing obstacles or disagreements. This card can be a reminder that not all challenges are negative, and that competition can be healthy and motivating. The Five of Wands may suggest the need to find a way to work with others and overcome obstacles in order to achieve your goals. This card can also indicate a need for assertiveness and confidence in the face of adversity.
The extended portrait, reversed
When the Five of Wands card appears in the reversed position, it may indicate a desire to avoid conflict and find common ground. It can suggest a need for agreement and compromise in order to resolve differences and find peace. This card may also suggest that you are finding a way to work together with others in order to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. The reversed Five of Wands can be a reminder to approach challenges with a spirit of cooperation and a willingness to find common ground in order to overcome obstacles and succeed.
Card details
- Arcana: Minor Arcana — wands suit
- Yes or no: a leaning no
- Published: August 2, 2026
Read Five of Wands in context
- Five of Wands — love meaning
- Five of Wands — career meaning
- Five of Wands — money meaning
- Five of Wands — yes-or-no verdict
- Five of Wands reversed, in full
Five of Wands in combinations
- Five of Wands and Page of Swords
- Five of Wands and The Star
- Five of Wands and Seven of Cups
- Five of Wands and Six of Cups