5 of Wands

establish order out of discord

Five loosens us out of the stability of four by confronting + Wands represents activity and identity.

And so, in the balanced center of the Five of Wands, we are invited to work it out. We may see discord, confusion, disarray, even chaos. There’s a lot going on, but there’s no real order. This card may relate to competition, and reminds us that we must be flexible enough to accommodate challenge yet sturdy enough to remain together in community (which also applies to working with the inner conflict of our parts). Are you involved in organizing others in a cause that you’re passionate about? How can you best organize to ensure that you come out on top?

Lindsay Mack has used the analogy of cleaning out the closet, where you just take everything out and throw it in a jumbled heap on the floor to be reorganized, and that analogy fits across many various applications of this card’s meaning. We may not know what we’re doing or what’s going on, but we’re invited to establish priorities and work our way through it.

In resistance, we refuse to participate in the drama or to play the game. This may serve us well in instances like the various identities involved in office gossip, but can hinder us if we feel overwhelmed by group activities like team sports. What stops you?

In excess, we may be overwhelmed with too many pots on the fire, and sometimes we just need to get out of our own way. Perhaps we thrive on being the crazymaker, creating confusion and conflict for others. What purpose is that serving for us?

Questions to consider when this card comes up may include

• Where can you prioritize or organize? What gets in the way of your doing so?
• Where are you competing in your life? Are you playing games?
• Do you feel overwhelmed? What can you do to step out of that? Is there something you can put on the back burner for a little while?

What else? Lots here to unpack 😉, and you may have different ideas or insight on this card. How has it come up for you? What are some examples of this card’s energies in our lives?