Tarot Talk
Back to the Minors this month; let’s talk about the Five of Wands. The typical image on this card shows five men, each holding a long and unwieldy wand at a different angle, as if each man was saying, “no, do it my way!” I always smile when I see this card, and think about the many times I’ve gone camping and the difficulties just my husband and I have when putting up our tent. I then imagine how it would be if three other people, each with their own way of doing the job, were to try to help us.
The Five of Wands is a Minor Arcana card, so we know right away that the message offered by this card will most likely be more immediate in nature, or will most likely be connected to more day-to-day issues. Remember, while on the surface a Minor Arcana card can appear insignificant or mundane, it can also possibly be a symptom of a deeper or wider issue. Nothing in the Minor Arcana is in any way minor in nature, and the image on the Five of Wands validates this.
We already know that the easiest way to get a decent understanding of a Minor Arcana card is to examine its number, or in the case of Court Cards, its rank, and to examine its suit. In this case, we are dealing with the number 5, and the suit of Wands. We have other things to consider, so let’s get started.
The suit of Wands corresponds with the playing card suit of Clubs, the cardinal direction of South, and the element of Fire. In its natural state, the element of Fire is hot and dry. It tends to bring spontaneous change or impulsive, energetic effects. Fire is passionate in nature and it transforms everything it touches, everything in our world. Fire can sanitize or cleanse, and it can destroy everything in its path; Fire can warm us and keep us safe, or it can kill us.
All of the cards of the suit of Wands (including our Five of Wands) teach us about Fiery attributes, such as creativity, ambition, growth, passion and actions, and how their presence or absence can affect our lives. The suit of Wands represents our ability to experience joy and passion (including sexual passion), and the Wands cards can represent our creativity, our ability to be artistic or to be drawn to beautiful things. Fire often represents Spirit or the Divine Will, and Wands cards also can present the possibility of some interaction with Spirit or the Divine, or actions or passions manifesting in line with Divine Will.
The element of Fire can be seen as kinetic, or even electric. It has the power to create greatness (when we are inspired to be better than we think we can be), or destruction (when we believe we are greater than we actually are). Fire fuels innovation, but an imbalance or lack of Fire can bring austerity. Action and energy are enhanced by this element, but so are destruction and oppression.
When dealing with the Minor Arcana, perhaps the most important ingredient besides the suit of the card is the number of the card. In the Tarot, the number 5 is seen as adding motion to the depth and stability of the energy of the number 4 card, often toppling or destroying that depth and stability in order to prevent stagnation. If we look at the card right before the Five of Wands and follow it through to our card, we can gain some insight into the effects of the number 5.
The Four of Wands is about building enough to become established, and about the results of harmony and effort and creativity combined. The Four of Wands does not tell us that the job is done; rather, it says that we’ve done some good work so far and we deserve to take a brief moment to celebrate our accomplishments, and then get back to work. The number 5 adds randomness and disorganization, an uncomfortable kind of Motion to the sense of accomplishment of the Four of Wands. All of the Tarot Fives are uncomfortable mainly because of this added Motion. In the other Minor Fives we have the need to control others (Swords), a focus on a negative change while missing the remaining positive (Cups), and the loss of things that we value (Pentacles).
The Tree of Life offers us further insight into this uncomfortable Motion that is causing our troubles. All of the Fives of the Tarot Minor Arcana correspond with the Sephira of Geburah (which means “Might”), the fifth Sephira on the Tree, the second on the Pillar of Form/Restriction. Geburah is also known as both Judgment and Fear, and its effects and manifestations can indeed be difficult. To some, an easy life is an ideal situation, but in the end the easy life offered through never experiencing any true tests lacks the opportunity for growth and evolution, and growth and evolution are the purposes of living.
Geburah is about courage and power and invincibility, and these things can bring us true fulfillment, or they can help to release our cruel side. But unless we are exposed to these temptations, we will never know if we have the will to set them aside when they become unbalanced. Believing that we have the power and authority to make decisions for others is often a recipe for disaster.
Astrology is a tool that can offer subtle effects for us to consider as we analyze this card. The Five of Wands corresponds to the planet Saturn, associated with discipline, responsibility, and law and order, in Leo, whose energies are passionate, dramatic, and egotistical.
In astrology, Saturn is associated with focus, ethics, lofty goals, purpose, career, great achievements, dedication, productiveness, valuable hard lessons learned, balance, and karma (reaping what you have sowed or divine cosmic justice). Saturn can also represent limitations, restrictions, boundaries, and a painful dose of reality. This concept of restriction is easy to understand when we look at the planet and its famous rings. Saturn also represents time, and thus, long-term planning and foresight. The Return of Saturn in the astrological chart is said to mark significant events in a person’s life.
Leo is the 5th sign of the zodiac, located in the middle of Summer. The symbol of Leo is the Lion, regal and strong, magnetic and forceful. Leos are determined, ambitious, and highly motivated; add in their charm and they are natural leaders who attract many friends. They make good organizers and motivators, and the best use of a Leo is as the leader of a large group. Leo is the most expressive sign in the zodiac, and those born under this sign are often showmen who are exuberant and passionate, but they are also susceptible to flattery.
When Saturn is in Leo, a strong need for recognition is present. Everyone involved in the issue wants to be the leader, and everyone involved with the issue has the creative talent needed to lead, but there can be only one leader. Expressing love and humility might be a challenge when dealing with Saturn/Leo energies, but in the end it is these kinds of challenges that teach those dealing with these energies to properly use their personal power, their creativity, and their ego. If balance can be found, life will be filled with excitement and creativity. Otherwise there will be difficulties found within parenting, social lives, romance, and control in general.
The Five of Wands usually indicates a struggle caused by annoying cross-purposes, similar to the idea of too many cooks spoiling the broth. The Shadowscapes Tarot Five of Wands shows a group of foxes in a frenzy as they chase after a wily and elusive rabbit, racing against each other, jumping from each other’s backs, and leaping wildly into the air, as if creating conflict because they enjoy experiencing conflict; meanwhile the rabbit sneaks between their legs and escapes. The Thoth Five of Wands shows ten flames separated by Wands. Lon Milo DuQuette describes this one as “a picture of hot, pressurized magma struggling to reach the surface of the volcano, but frustrated by the sheer weight of the mountain itself.” That makes sense, in a unique “Uncle Al” way.
The Llewellyn Welsh Five of Wands is pretty traditional as far as images go: five men with five Wands, each with a different interpretation of how they should be assembled. The interesting thing about the image on this one is that there are written instructions to be had. However, they are rolled up on the ground and being ignored by these five people who are each absolutely certain they know how to do the task.
The energies of this card are not all bad. Sometimes the discomfort presented by the Five of Wands actually represents growing pains, the “terrible twos” of life. After all, upsetting a stabilized system is never comfortable. If we see the Five of Wands as a “sweet discomfort” that tells of coming growth and evolution, we just might be able to get something good from it. All we need to do is look at the traditional image on the Six of Wands: a victorious leader riding his horse in triumph, with all the Wands lined up in place and parallel to each other.