A Beginner's Guide to the Five of Swords Tarot Card

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Unlock the meanings of this powerful card for love, career, and more

Co-authored by Luke Smith, MFA Reviewed by Michelle Arbeau

Last Updated: April 8, 2024 Fact Checked

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Upright Meanings

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Reversed Meanings

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Yes or No Questions

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Five of Swords Card Combinations

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Card Description

The Five of Swords is a complex and often misunderstood card with many interpretations. Encompassing both victory and defeat, heroism and surrender, it tends to shake up any tarot spread when it appears, but that doesn’t make it a negative card by any means. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Five of Swords, including its powerful imagery, upright and reversed meanings, yes-or-no readings, and its most significant synergies with other key cards.

Things You Should Know

The upright Five of Swords represents challenges, adversaries, battles, action, victory, defeat, and surrender.
The reversed Five of Swords represents resolution, acceptance, moving forward, and learning.
The Five of Swords depicts a victorious young man holding the spoils of a battle as his adversaries retreat into the distance, sorrowful and defeated.

Section 1 of 5:

Five of Swords Upright Meanings

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General Interpretations for the Five of Wands vary widely, from total righteousness to outright malice.^{[1]
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Research source} But that in itself is part of the Five of Swords’ nature—victory in one hand, and defeat in another. Every challenge poses a risk, but you won't overcome those challenges without accepting that risk. For this reason, an upright Five of Swords is often a challenge in and of itself. It asks you to consider: are you ready to fight for what you want, even if it means the chance of failure?
- The Five of Swords is often associated with qualities of faith, trust, sacrifice, separation, and choices.^{[2]
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Love & Relationships The Five of Swords portends trouble in romance and friendship. The young man and his adversaries are in conflict, and so might you be with your friends or partner. But in the upright position, this card suggests that your conflict is not an impossible one, and that by communicating openly and being honest with your feelings, you and those you love can resolve your conflict together.
- Make it a point to be the first to reach out and apologize for your part in any arguments. Often, extending an olive branch is the first step to reconciliation.
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Career & Finance An upright Five of Swords suggests some sort of conflict in the workplace. It could be a disgruntled coworker or a promotion that you were passed over for. Whatever the case, you may feel defeated or like you’ve reached a professional dead end.^{[3]
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Research source} But the Five of Swords also suggests a path forward, and that you’ll be able to move past this obstacle and find financial success.
- Deal with your work problems by explaining your issue patiently and clearly to your boss to formulate a solution together. If that’s not possible, consult HR or someone higher on the ladder.
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Health & Wellness The Five of Swords indicates that you may be feeling weary or sluggish recently. Like the battle depicted on the card, you might feel like you just survived your own conflict—illness, injury, or poor mental health—but it’s unclear if you came out victorious. This could leave you feeling a bit battered and worse for wear, and sorely in need of a rest day.
- If you can, take some time off to relax your mind. Sleep in, take a hot shower or bath, and turn to lowkey hobbies that revitalize you, like reading or simply listening to your favorite music.
An upright Five of Swords is often associated with faith and standing firm.^{[4]
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Research source} Your faith may be shaky at the moment, or you might struggle to stand firm in your beliefs. It’s hard to see the life path in front of you, and the road looks rutted and hard to travel. It happens to the best of us, and the upright Five of Swords encourages you to keep moving forward to find your purpose.

Section 2 of 5:

Five of Swords Reversed Meanings

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General The Five of Swords is a curious card in that its reversed position is often the more favorable side of things. Whereas the upright position indicates conflict and stress, the reverse position more clearly indicates resolution, compromise, relief, and an end to strife.^{[5]
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Research source} Sometimes, these may come through further hardship or even surrender, but a reversed Five of Swords suggests that they will come, one way or another.
- The reversed Five of Swords is also associated with regret, naivety, shame, acceptance, and moving on.
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Love & Relationships A reversed Five of Swords indicates positive growth in your relationships. You and your partner may be putting a conflict behind you, learning to communicate better, and come to more deeply understand each other. Or, you may be gradually reconnecting with your old friends after not talking for a while, either because of an argument or a natural drifting apart. The Five of Swords often indicates the repairing of a relationship.
- Keep up the effort and don’t stop showing your love for the people around you. The past is unchangeable, but the future of your relationships is in your hands.
The reversed Five of Swords can sometimes represent risk-taking.^{[6]
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Research source} This is often true when it comes to your career and finances. You may be taking professional risks, like changing careers or trying new investments, and you’re worried they won’t pay off. But the Five of Swords also symbolizes acceptance, and the willingness to trust that your risks will bear fruit, or that you’ll be able to figure things out even if they don’t.
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Health & Wellness The reversed Five of Swords often suggests that you’ll find a solution to a long-standing health problem, but that it may come at some cost. For example, you may discover an allergy is to blame for your discomfort, and need to give up a certain food in order to feel better.^{[7]
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- Describe your symptoms to a doctor to get an informed and professional opinion on your ailment.
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Spirituality Drawing a reversed Five of Swords often indicates radical spiritual growth. You may come to new understandings about your place on this earth, and the role you play in helping others live their lives. That said, every revelation comes with a sacrifice—that of the old life you thought you knew. When a new version of you emerges, the old one fades away. This sacrifice is necessary for growth.
- Keep your past selves alive by keeping a journal that you can read to revisit past versions of yourself and see how far you’ve come.

Section 3 of 5:

Five of Swords in Yes or No Questions

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The Five of Swords is a card marked with conflict. When performing a tarot reading for a yes-or-no answer, drawing an upright Five of Swords may be interpreted as a “no.” But that’s not the end of the road; the Five of Swords encourages asking follow-up questions for better insight and clarity into your problem.
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A reversed Five of Swords indicates a “yes.” With yes-or-no questions, a reversed Five of Swords suggests a “yes” answer. However, the conflict present in the card also suggests that the answer could be a bit more complicated. You may have to put in some extra work or sacrifice in order to achieve that “yes.”
- For example, if you ask if you’ll soon find love and are met with a reversed Five of Swords, it may mean that you will, but that you’ll have to let go of other relationships first.

Section 4 of 5:

Five of Swords Card Combinations

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The Empress is the mother of the tarot deck, signifying assurance, protection, and abundance.^{[8]
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Research source} When drawn with the Five of Swords, she offers a promise of resolution, peace, and flourishing after the struggles and conflicts of the Five of Swords are over. The Empress is a balm to the Five of Swords’ scars.
The Magician represents awareness, ingenuity, and action.^{[9]
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Research source} Where the Five of Swords often foretells challenges, the Magician comes to remind you that you have the ability and resources to overcome any struggle. Turn to your own wit, talents, and loved ones as essential allies, and no hurdle will ever be too tall to leap over.
The Nine of Wands represents fortitude, commitment, grit, and determination.^{[10]
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Research source} The Five of Swords indicates obstacles to overcome, but the Nine of Wands suggests that, even when all else fails, your perseverance will be enough to see you through. It comes as a reminder that you will outlast your problems and will one day turn and look back on them, victorious.
The Ten of Pentacles signifies family, loyalty, and stability.^{[11]
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Research source} When drawn with the Five of Swords, it comes as welcome counsel, suggesting that you turn to your friends and family in times of uncertainty. Your social and familial connections will catch you when you fall, and provide much-needed stability when everything else feels shaky.
The Four of Cups represents lessons learned, epiphanies, and growth.^{[12]
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Research source} It represents the rewards you’ll receive when your trials with the Five of Swords are over. Your challenges aren’t for nothing, and even just by grappling with them you’ll learn more about yourself and the world around you, which will better equip you to face any other challenge that comes down the line.

Section 5 of 5:

Five of Swords Tarot Card Description

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The Five of Swords card features a triumphant young man. He holds 2 swords in one hand, a third sword in the other, and the final 2 swords are discarded on the ground, often with their blades crossing. The man stands boldly in his victory as his adversaries retreat, certain of his triumph.^{[13]
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Research source} He sometimes has a look of contempt or smugness, while his foes are forlorn and overcome with loss. The sky is turbulent and cloudy, and the atmosphere is eerie.
- All these details signify challenges, action, strategy, transformation, victory, rejection, surrender, isolation, and acceptance.
- The Five of Swords also often depicts mountains and an ocean, combining energies of both earth and water.