After the harmonious celebration and stable foundation of the Four of Wands, the Five of Wands introduces a necessary disruption. This card embodies the conflicts, competitions, and tensions that arise as different energies, ideas, and ambitions collide. While potentially challenging, these clashes can ultimately lead to growth, innovation, and a more dynamic equilibrium.
Symbolism and Imagery
In the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Five of Wands depicts five young men wielding wands (or staves) that appear to be entangled in a chaotic manner. The figures seem to be engaged in a conflict, competition, or struggle, though the scene lacks the intensity of true violence – it more closely resembles a training exercise, mock battle, or spirited debate.
Each figure wears different colored clothing, symbolizing different perspectives, approaches, or personalities coming into conflict. The sky is clear, suggesting that this conflict occurs in broad daylight rather than in shadowy circumstances – this is open, visible struggle rather than hidden manipulation.
The ground beneath the figures is solid, indicating that despite their differences, they share common ground. The wands themselves – symbols of passion, creativity, and will – are crossed and tangled, representing how creative energies can become temporarily confused or at odds when multiple visions compete for expression or dominance.
Core Meanings
Conflict and Competition
The Five of Wands represents the natural conflicts and competitions that arise when multiple people or perspectives vie for attention or dominance. It signifies the challenges of working with diverse viewpoints and the tensions that emerge when different creative visions clash. This card appears when differences are creating friction in your life or projects.
Creative Tension and Growth
This card embodies the productive tension that can arise from conflict – the friction that ultimately leads to refinement and growth. It represents how opposing ideas can challenge each other to become stronger, more resilient, and more fully developed. The Five of Wands suggests that current conflicts, while uncomfortable, may be necessary for evolution and improvement.
Tests of Strength and Skill
The mock-battle imagery suggests tests, challenges, and opportunities to prove oneself through competition. It represents the valuable role of healthy rivalry in developing skills, resilience, and excellence. This card often appears during periods when your abilities are being tested or when you must rise to competitive challenges.
Diversity and Multiple Approaches
With its five differently dressed figures, this card symbolizes the diversity of approaches and perspectives that can enrich a situation even as they create temporary chaos. It represents the initial disorder that comes from bringing multiple viewpoints together before integration can occur. The Five of Wands suggests that current confusion may result from an abundance of ideas rather than a lack of direction.
Disruption of Stability
As a Five, this card represents the necessary disruption of the stability established by the Four. It symbolizes how periods of harmony and structure must occasionally be challenged to prevent stagnation and enable further growth. The Five of Wands indicates that current disruptions may be serving an important evolutionary purpose.
The Five of Wands in Readings
Upright Position
When the Five of Wands appears upright in a reading, it typically signals:
- Competition or rivalry in work, creative projects, or relationships
- Conflicts arising from different approaches or perspectives
- A period of testing that will ultimately strengthen skills or resolve
- Productive disagreements that can lead to better solutions
- The need to assert yourself or defend your position
- Group situations where multiple egos or agendas are creating tension
- Challenges that help develop resilience and determination
- The creative chaos that precedes integration of diverse elements
The card encourages examining conflicts for their growth potential, developing skills to navigate competition effectively, and finding ways to harness diverse energies productively. It reminds us that temporary discord can lead to stronger, more resilient outcomes.
Reversed Position
When reversed, the Five of Wands may indicate:
- Avoiding necessary conflicts or competitions out of fear
- Internal conflicts rather than external ones
- The end of a period of struggle or competition
- Harmony after resolution of differences
- Suppression of diverse viewpoints to maintain artificial peace
- Exhaustion from ongoing conflicts
- Withdrawal from competitive situations
- The need to address unacknowledged tensions
The reversed Five suggests the need to either resolve ongoing conflicts or acknowledge suppressed tensions. It can indicate the importance of facing internal contradictions or finding the courage to engage with necessary external challenges.
The Five of Wands in Different Contexts
Work and Career
In career readings, the Five of Wands often indicates workplace competition, competing projects or priorities, or the challenges of collaborative work with strong personalities. It suggests environments where you must prove yourself through performance or where different departments or colleagues have conflicting approaches. The card can represent healthy competition that drives innovation and excellence, or it may indicate the need to better coordinate diverse talents within a team. It supports developing skills for productive debate, competitive situations, and the integration of multiple perspectives.
Creative Projects
For creative work, this card suggests the “messy middle” phase where different ideas compete for development. It represents the creative tensions that arise during collaboration, the internal conflicts between different artistic impulses, or the competitive aspects of creative industries. The Five of Wands indicates that current creative challenges involve finding harmony among diverse elements or navigating the friction that arises when multiple strong visions intersect.
Relationships
In relationship readings, this card can signify arguments, differences of opinion, or the natural tensions that arise when two individuals with distinct personalities share space and resources. It can indicate relationship growing pains, power struggles, or the challenges of blending different family cultures or social circles. The Five of Wands suggests relationships that are working through conflicts rather than avoiding them, which can ultimately lead to stronger bonds through honest engagement with differences.
Personal Growth
For personal development, the Five of Wands encourages embracing challenges, developing healthy competitive instincts, and learning to navigate conflict productively. It suggests a time for testing yourself against worthy opponents or challenges, developing resilience through adversity, and finding your unique voice amidst competing perspectives. This card reminds us that personal growth often requires a willingness to engage with friction rather than always seeking comfort.
Working with the Five of Wands Energy
To harness the powerful energy of the Five of Wands in your life:
- Embrace healthy competition – Use rivalry as motivation for excellence rather than a source of stress or resentment.
- Develop conflict resolution skills – Learn to navigate disagreements productively, finding solutions that integrate diverse perspectives.
- Differentiate between destructive and constructive conflict – Recognize when tensions are leading to growth versus when they are simply draining energy.
- Value diverse perspectives – Appreciate how different approaches can strengthen outcomes, even if they initially create confusion.
- Assert your position clearly – Develop the ability to stand your ground without becoming aggressive or dismissive of others.
- Find common ground – Look for shared values or goals that can unite diverse perspectives, just as the figures in the card stand on the same earth.
- See challenges as development opportunities – Reframe tests and competitions as chances to develop skills and resilience.
The Five of Wands in the Wands Progression
The progression from Ace to Five in the Wands suit shows the natural evolution of passionate and creative endeavors:
- The Ace of Wands represents the initial divine spark of inspiration and raw potential.
- The Two of Wands shows this energy beginning to take form through planning and decision-making.
- The Three of Wands embodies the implementation and initial expansion of the vision into the world.
- The Four of Wands represents the establishment of stable foundations and the celebration of achievements thus far.
- The Five of Wands introduces the necessary conflicts and tests that arise when stable structures encounter new challenges, diverse perspectives, or competitive forces.
This progression demonstrates how creative fire, after establishing initial structure and stability, must face challenges and tests to grow stronger and avoid stagnation. The Five represents the dynamic tension required for continued evolution.
Numerological Significance
As a Five, this card carries the numerological associations of change, adaptation, freedom, and disruption of established patterns. Five represents the midpoint of the numerological cycle (1-9), where stability gives way to dynamic movement. It symbolizes humanity (with our five senses and five-pointed star shape) facing choices and challenges that drive growth. In tarot, fives often represent necessary conflicts or destabilizing forces that ultimately serve our evolution.
The five figures with five wands create a scene of diversity seeking integration – the challenge of maintaining unity (the One) amidst multiplicity (the Five).
Connection to the Hierophant
The Five of Wands shares numerological resonance with the Hierophant (the fifth card of the Major Arcana), though they express this energy quite differently. While the Hierophant represents established spiritual traditions and the wisdom of institutions, the Five of Wands shows what happens when different traditions or approaches come into conflict. Both cards deal with the challenges of diversity – the Hierophant by establishing doctrine to create unity, the Five of Wands by allowing the natural process of conflict and resolution to unfold.
Conclusion
The Five of Wands invites us to recognize the value of conflict, competition, and creative tension in our lives. It reminds us that growth often requires friction, that excellence frequently emerges through challenge, and that diverse perspectives – while initially creating confusion – ultimately lead to more robust and resilient outcomes.
When the Five of Wands appears in your life, it’s time to engage productively with challenges rather than avoiding them, to find the growth opportunities within current conflicts, and to develop the skills needed to navigate competitive situations with grace and integrity. The tangled wands in the card suggest temporary confusion, but they also hold the promise of new integration and strength that comes through testing and refinement.