Five of Wands as a Person (Upright & Reversed) Tarot Card Meaning

The Five of Wands is the card of conflict, tension, competition, and clashes of ego. The card depicts five men all armed with wands fighting each other in a competitive battle. These men are rivals, and they are duking it out to see who can come out on top. This can either come from intense conflict or good-hearted competition, depending on how you look at it. 

The Five of Wands reminds us that conflict is a part of life. Conflict cannot be avoided forever. Conflict comes up in every relationship, good and bad. It is not conflict itself that causes issues, but how we handle it. The Five of Wands reminds us that we can choose how we handle conflict. We can choose to do this with hostility, or we can choose to do this with grace and kindness. 

Upright Five of Wands as a Person

If the Five of Wands appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is combative and competitive. They may also be extremely dominant and ego-driven.

It is astrologically associated with Saturn in Leo. Because both Saturn and Leo carry a masculine energy, this card carries an especially active, assertive passive energy. It’s double trouble energy that can go from healthy assertiveness to full on aggression. We all have a little bit of both energies expressed in a balanced way, regardless of which gender we identify as.

For physical characteristics, the Five of Wands as a person represents someone who is competitive on the inside, and it shows on the outside. If this person is competing with you, you will usually see physical manifestations of their competitiveness. They tend to be very obvious about it too. If you buy a red car, they will buy a red car, and they will post about it on social media. Because they are influenced by Saturn in Leo, they might be showy on the outside, but the burden and the pressure to keep up really get to them on the inside. They can be very hard on themselves, and end up resorting to extreme body modifications to impress others, or even get into debt. This is not somebody who dresses up, wears makeup, and buys nice things for their own pleasure. 

For emotional characteristics, the Five of Wands as a person represents someone who is a drama king or a drama queen. This is a type of person who lives off drama, they thrive off tension and competition. You may notice that no matter where this person goes, friction always arises, and the common denominator is them. Perhaps they grew up surrounded by conflict, and that’s what they consider to be a “normal” environment. If this person is a friend, and you care about them, perhaps you can talk to them and suggest that they get help. But also know when to prioritize your own inner peace, and walk away, because ultimately it’s their own responsibility to heal their inner child wounds.

For careers, the Five of Wands can represent someone who works as somebody whose work requires them to be combative, competitive, or dramatic. Because this card is drawn upright, these traits will be seen as an asset in their chosen field. For example, they may be a litigation lawyer or public defender. Marketing, advertising, and sales would also benefit from their drive and natural competitiveness. Because the 5th house represents the entertainment industry, the dramatics can be an asset if they’re an actor or writer. The 5th House is also about sports, gambling, and speculative endeavors. This covers professional poker and chess players, stock brokers, and all types of athletes, whether they compete in physical sports or e-sports. 

The Five of Wands as a person represents someone who makes you feel worn out. Unless this person learns how to redirect their natural competitiveness and combativeness into something productive and constructive like a job, they might take their competitiveness out on you. This could be that friend, or even your partner, who makes everything into a competition. Instead of cheering for you or congratulating you, they try to one up you or argue against what you’re doing or put you down. In some cases, they might also be the drama king or queen in your social circle. They can’t live without the drama.

Reversed Five of Wands as a Person

If the Five of Wands reversed appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is not at peace with themselves. They have a lot of pent-up resentments, emotions, and aggressions. Because this is a Minor Arcana card, some of these traits will not be inherent aspects of their identity. If they are behaving unfavorably, they might just be going through a temporary phase. It may be a behavioral pattern that they can still unlearn, if they choose to. Good or bad, nobody is perfect, and people can use their free will to change for the better.

For physical characteristics, the Five of Wands reversed as a person represents someone who is ostentatiously competitive. This person’s competitiveness is harmful and burdensome to others and themselves. For example, if you open a bakery, they will open a bakery right across the street, and they will copy your menu. Because of Saturn’s influence, this person may also end up in debt due to their own competitiveness. If this person doesn’t redirect their combativeness in an extreme sport or a competitive sport, they may even become physically aggressive. This person may also become passive aggressive toward other people’s physical appearance, by highlighting how “effortless” or “natural” their own looks are. 

For emotional characteristics, the Five of Wands reversed as a person represents someone who is passive-aggressive in their emotional expressions. This passive aggressiveness, however, is really just a projection of their own inner turmoil. Try not to get sucked into their drama. Whenever the Five of Wands is drawn in the reverse, usually it’s an indication to not take things personally. If they are ageist, they’re projecting their own insecurities about their looks or anxieties about societal stigmas around age. Because this person doesn’t do their shadow work, they end up reinforcing their own inner hurts unto other people.

For careers, the Five of Wands reversed can represent someone who works as somebody who is overly competitive or combative at the workplace. Unlike the Five of Wands in the upright who works in a field where these traits are an asset, this person may work in a field where harmony and balance is required. This person may not necessarily be driven to succeed in their chosen field, but they’re just competitive and extra petty. So, for example, rather than trying to compete on ideas and substance, they compete on who has the nicer purse or shoes. Alternatively, if they do work in a field where competitiveness is required, they might not be well-suited for that position. In general, when this card is drawn in the reverse, it may indicate that somebody is lacking in drive and ambition. 

The Five of Wands reversed as a person represents someone who makes you feel exhilarated or exhausted, depending on whether you like consuming drama. In the reverse, the energies are similar to this card in the upright, except the energies will be muted. So for example, this person might live for the drama, but they themselves might not like that drama to be in their own life. They could be the type of person who gets super invested in a reality show or celebrity gossip, and if you’re not into that, they can be exhausting to be around. Alternatively, this card in the reverse can manifest in an extreme way. So, if they’ve got nothing going on for them, they could just be extra petty or go out of their way to make drama happen. 

Conclusion

For love readings, the Five of Wands represents conflict. Conflict is not a bad thing in itself, and it is present in every relationship. It is not conflict that is the problem, but how we deal with conflict. There are positive and negative ways to resolve conflict. The Five of Wands reminds us that we have a choice in how we communicate with others. We can either be honest and compassionate, or we can be avoidant and passive aggressive. We decide how we react to a situation. 

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your relationship matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on love & relationships, as a neutral and objective third party.