The Five of Wands (Tarot Triptych)
Name: Strife, the Five of Wands
Number: 5
Astrology: Fire, Saturn in Leo
Qabalah: Gevurah of Yod י
Chris Gabriel March 30, 2024
The Five of Wands is the very middle of Fire’s descent from Heaven to Earth, a place Fire does not want to go. It’s becoming heavy, and what was once pleasantly organized is starting to fracture. It is a card of conflict and annoyance, of too much weight on an already fragile situation.
When this card appears in a reading one can expect a situation will be brought to breaking point. Annoyances will reach “critical mass”, and the conflict that results from this will bring new weight.
In Thoth, we find four wands beneath one great leaden wand. The “Completion” of the four wands is being crushed by the fifth. Atop is Saturn, and beneath is Leo, Saturn is the lead wand, which forces too much weight on the four beneath it creating Strife. Two of the wands bear the head of a Phoenix, the other two Lotuses. We see the sunny yellow of Leo, and the indigo of Saturn clash.
In Rider, we find a depiction of five young men fighting one another with sticks. There are no apparent “sides”, no serious division along the lines of color. This is certainly not a life or death conflict, but a feud among family or friends, no one will die by the wand, but they may well take a beating.
In Marseille, we are given the same formation as Thoth, but lacking intentional esoteric symbolism. To grasp its symbolic significance we must look to the Qabalah.
As a five the card belongs to the fifth Sephiroth on the Tree of Life, Gevurah, which is severity or anger. Being Wands, or Fire, it belongs to Yod, the King. Thus it is “The Anger of the King”
We see this anger in Richard IV, for whom Shakespeare writes “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” which we oft paraphrase as heavy is the head. Great weight brings about unbearable internal pressure and conflict. Kingly anger puts so much force on what’s beneath it, it becomes volcanic and ready to blow up. Even in our best case, an absolute monarchy is fragile.
Kingly anger sinks down to those who serve the king, causing infighting and chaos where there was peace and order.
In our lives, we can see this as a source of pressure and strain, something that throws our insides into turmoil. Or outside ourselves in dysfunctional families, a parent who puts many demands on their children and spouse.
The Five of Wands is a card of conflict within structure, a “heavy heart”. When we are dealt this card we are asked to consider what is weighing heavy upon us and how we can get out from under it before we’re crushed.
