conflict, defeat, a hollow victory
Five of Swords Tarot Card Meaning
What Five of Swords means upright and reversed, with readings for love, money and career.
The picture and its symbols
Five of Swords shows a man gathering up swords with a smirk while two others walk away. It belongs to the suit of Swords, the element of air (thought, judgment and conflict), and its rank carries the theme of conflict and change (Five). No one is left beside the winner. Some fights are won at a loss, so a reader asks whether this one is worth winning.
Upright meaning
conflict, defeat, a hollow victory. A fight in which winning leaves you with nothing. Think of the relationship before your pride.
- Love
- Trying to win the argument, you lose the other person's heart.
- Money
- Do not spend money on needless competition or disputes.
- Career
- You may be drawn into office politics or conflict.
- Yes or no
- No
- Advice
- Check the facts and set a clear standard before you decide.
Reversed meaning
reconciliation, the end of a conflict. A chance comes to end the fight and make peace.
- Love
- Apologize first and the relationship recovers.
- Money
- A dispute is settled by agreement.
- Career
- The conflict ends and the air clears.
- Yes or no
- Not yet
- Advice
- Ask whether worry has grown larger than the facts, and whether sharp words are tangling the situation.
Timing
Because this is a Swords card, change is likely to show within days, sooner than you expect.
The question this card asks
If you win this, what do you gain and what do you lose?
Draw the cards yourself
For entertainment and self-reflection only. Do not use a reading to make health, legal or financial decisions.