Five of Swords

The Tarot Suit of Swords

The Tarot Suit of Swords is associated with the suit of Spades in standard playing cards. Most Tarot Decks use the term "Swords" to refer to this suit, though the other suits are also known by other alternative names.

There are meanings associated with each of the suits in a Tarot Deck, as well as the more specific interpretations associated with each individual card - and yet more precise meanings pertaining to particular cards in particular locations within spreads.
The suit of Swords is associated with the element of air. It is also associated with the season "Spring", and with the direction "East".
The suit of Swords concerns academic or philosophical thought, intellectual pursuits, truth, and clarity.

The "Fives" in the Tarot Deck typically depict images of loss, sorrow, and misfortune. They stand in stark contrast to the secure structure conveyed by the Fours. One way to think of this is to imagine the fours as the body complete with its four limbs, but the Fives also include the head - together with awareness, concerns, hurt, and uncertainties. These take different forms for each of the four suits.
Fives can also represent some form of personal test.

The Five of Swords card illustrates conflict in a negative, destructive way. For example, in the Golden Dawn deck this card is titled "Lord of Defeat". However, according to many writers this card is much more complicated than that. It can convey the energies of cunning, competition, deceit, slyness, and manipulation. The Rider-Waite and Robin Wood Decks - both convey a scene in which there are several figures in different poses. This gives the reader/sitter scope to identify with any one of the characters and therefore have a different perspective on the situation.

Keywords summarising the possible meanings of this card include:

• Broken; humiliated
• Cowardice
• Defeat
• Failure
• Manipulation
• Winning - but only by the use of deception and unfair means.