Tarot card meanings · Minor Arcana · Swords

Five of Swords

Friction, loss or a test that shows what matters — in the realm of thoughts, truth and the decisions you are circling.

Five of Swords
Lunara deck · ◇

How Lunara reads it

Upright: Friction, loss or a test that shows what matters — in the realm of thoughts, truth and the decisions you are circling.

Reversed: The friction easing, or a lesson you can stop repeating — in the realm of thoughts, truth and the decisions you are circling.

Keywords: challenge, clarity · reversed: recovery, clarity

Correspondences

  • Element: Air
  • Planet: Venus
  • Zodiac: Aquarius
  • Yes / no: no · reversed: maybe

When it appears upright

  • Acting in your own best interest
  • Choosing to stand up for yourself
  • Not backing down from disagreement and discord
  • Taking a stand
  • Refusing to go along with an unethical plan
  • Knowing when to bend the rules

When it appears reversed

  • Taking advantage of others
  • Intimidating others
  • Acting in an unethical manner
  • Picking fights
  • Using words to goad others into violence and irrationality
  • Ignoring rules you've agreed to abide by
  • Looking out for yourself while allowing harm to come to others
  • Gloating over victory

Classic readings

  • Someone is stealing from you, financially or romantically
  • Be wary of friends who talk behind your back

In love

Upright: relationship conflict, hurtful communication, selfish behavior, winning at the cost of intimacy. Reversed: reconciliation, making amends, lingering resentment, lesson learned.

In work and money

Upright: workplace conflict, unethical competition, damaged professional trust, hollow victory. Reversed: making amends, releasing conflict, lingering tension, lesson learned.

Inner life

Upright: examining ego conflict, consequences of harmful choices, spiritual humility, choosing peace over victory. Reversed: releasing resentment, making amends, humility, choosing peace.

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