5 of Wands Reversed — What Does This Mean?

ANovak

Hey everyone,

I was doing my card of the day today and pulled the 5 of Wands reversed — actually, it came up twice reversed while I was shuffling. Yesterday I pulled Judgment, which felt like taking action and embracing change (I'm starting a new job and dealing with some family stuff, so big life changes lately).

Lately, a lot of my daily draws have been Pentacles, which I associate with grounding and self-care — feeling productive and relaxed.

So I'm a bit confused about the 5 of Wands reversed. Is it about me finally standing up for myself and pushing forward despite setbacks? To me, this card feels like growth, turbulence, and the energy of fighting for what you want. I'm still new to Tarot, so any interpretations or insights would be super helpful!

(RWS deck)

Emily192

I usually think of the 5 of Wands reversed as inner conflict, avoiding conflict, or releasing tension — Biddy Tarot actually lists all three. Normally I focus on the conflict side, but I really like that they include "releasing tension" too.

Based on what you've shared about your life right now, I'd probably lean toward that "releasing tension" meaning. Does that feel like it fits your situation?

ANovak

Emily192 Thanks so much for this! The 'releasing tension' angle really clicks with what I’ve been feeling lately. I hadn't considered that side of the card before, but it actually makes a lot of sense.

Mercer

The 5 of Wands is naturally a card about conflict and tension. Since you're starting a new job and things aren't going exactly how you'd like, I'd see this as a hint to take a non-combative approach. Now might not be the time to push hard or take a stand on certain things — focus on compromise and learning instead.

If that interpretation doesn't feel right, or you don't get other replies that clarify it, you might try doing a bigger spread. I'd bet the 5 of Wands could pop up reversed again, and seeing it in context with other cards might give you a clearer picture.

ANovak

Mercer Thanks for this perspective! The reminder to approach things with compromise instead of pushing too hard really resonates with where I'm at right now.