Five of Wands tarot card from the Simply Tarot deck

Five of Wands Tarot Card Meaning

The Challenger
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Conflict • Competition • Friction

The Five of Wands shows that certain obstacles, most likely physical or material limitations, will make you feel as if you won’t reach your goal. You have the ability to find new ways of doing things you just need to think outside the box; if you can, you will stay on course.

All the Fives represent restrictions or constraints, where the Subject can’t have, or quite do, what they want. The Five of Wands indicates that the Subject is held back, or hindered, from achieving something they have set out to do, and feel passionate about. It could be a long held dream, or vocation, and they’re unsure how they’ll be able to succeed now.

There are always setbacks in life and it can be easy to find reasons and excuses to believe something is no longer worth the time and effort needed to achieve it. The ability to move past this hurdle lies firmly with the Subject. If this is something they are passionate about and have committed to, they can prevail.
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Love & Relationships

Friction rises quickly when pride speaks louder than understanding. Attraction may still burn strongly beneath the surface, but emotional competition or unresolved tension keeps turning closeness into conflict. not every battle is proof of passion.
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Material Life

Tension disrupts stability through competition, conflict or too many competing demands pulling at once. Energy becomes scattered easily here, especially when pride prevents people from working together effectively. Exhaustion often grows faster than progress when everything becomes a battle for position.
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Notes from the Artist

Five Wands stand sturdy in a circle of lively flames. The blooms and buds on the Wands are faring well. The Wand in the centre is taller than the rest indicating that something may have developed that 'stands' in the way of progress - some sort of problem or obstacle may have arisen.

From the archive

The Original Artwork, Reimagined

Before Five of Wands became part of the Simply Tarot collection you see today, it was drawn and painted by hand for the original 2011 Tarot House Deck. The style has evolved, but the meaning and character of the card remain at its heart.

Original hand-painted Five of Wands tarot card by Patricia House from the 2011 Tarot House Deck
2011 Original 2011 artwork Five of Wands Hand-painted by Patricia House
Five Wands stand in a circle of flames, the middle Wand stands taller than the rest. The Wands are rooted in the ground and there are buds and blooms still growing.
Today Five of Wands reimagined The current Simply Tarot artwork

The original first edition

Buy the Original 2011 Deck

The card shown above is part of the original 78-card Tarot House Deck. Every image was drawn and painted by Patricia House before the deck was professionally printed by Cartamundi in the UK. A limited number from the original print run are still available.

  • 78-card first-edition deck
  • Two tarot-spread cards
  • Short meanings leaflet
  • Brocade drawstring bag

£25.99

Shop Now Read how the deck was created

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