Five of Wands
Minor Arcana · Wands · number 5 · Cinque di Bastoni
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The Five of Wands is a scuffle: five young men fighting with staves, but it is a sham, a game, a training bout. Waite sees in it the strenuous competition of those seeking fortune and riches, the battle of life. That is why, he adds, some attributions read it as a card of gold, gain, opulence: the strain of the contest brings money too. If these days you feel in a race with everyone, colleagues, competitors, even your partner, it is no accident: there is energy looking for an outlet. It is not a sentence, quite the opposite: those who train win. Just be careful not to take every clash personally. The practical advice: channel the competition into something concrete, a sport, a work target, and keep it out of the home.
Source: Arthur Edward Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) · read the original passage
Reversed
Reversed, the Five of Wands stops being a game: litigation, disputes, trickery, contradiction. The sham battle becomes real, and may end up in front of a lawyer. If these days you find yourself in the middle of a dispute with neighbours, a conflict at work or a family argument where everyone says something different, it is no accident. Beware of anyone who changes their version depending on who is listening. It is not a sentence: it is an invitation not to feed the fire. The practical advice: put everything in writing, avoid arguments by voice, and seek an agreement before a lawsuit.