Five of Swords (Upright) | Tarot Card of the Day
“Know your limits.”
Five of Swords (Upright) | Tarot Card
The Five of Swords warns you not to take on more than you can handle.
Its message is that of pacing yourself. Less gets accomplished (not more), when you are spread too thin. Procrastinating will not help you manifest your dreams, but neither will inundating yourself with the present task (which is the opposite extreme). The Five of Swords encourages you to get organized in your thinking and break down your larger task into smaller, achievable pieces that can be accomplished over time. This will aid you in replenishing self-esteem and personal power.
YouTube video for the Five of Swords (Upright) | Tarot Card of the Day by Elliot Oracle
Is there a huge issue looming in your mind that is giving you anxiety?
Are you already so overwhelmed with current tasks and “to-do” lists that it’s hard to see how it will all get done? Do you feel spread too thin?
The Five of Swords depicts three squires, all trying to secure the job of assisting a brave knight. The two squires in the background are defeated. They are focused on the sea, the element of Water, which is a symbol for their “feelings.” They couldn’t lift all five heavy swords at once, and the knight’s horse, and the knight’s armor, and the knight’s demands, and, and, and…
Aggghh! It’s just too stressful! They quit!
A fresh breeze blows through the red hair of the squire in the foreground. The red hair can symbolize the element of Fire, which is fueled by Air. The squire initiates action (Fire), as a result of the idea brought by the fresh breeze (Air). The brisk winds are dispersing the gray clouds in the sky above. This symbolizes the element of Air, which in turn represents reason, logic, and intelligence. This red-haired squire finds that he can easily complete the tasks required by taking the initiative. Instead of seizing all the swords at once, he will collect only the amount he can carry. He can come back to the other two heavy swords lying on the ground once he gets the first task completed. In this way, he will do each task well. The reds and oranges depicted on this card symbolize the element of Fire and taking the initiative. It’s time to start, wherever you are.
The Five of Swords advises you not to waste another minute resisting your tasks with avoidance, exasperation, or procrastination.
Get organized in your thinking! Pull out your calendar. Partition off one sacred hour a day, for seven days, to plug away at the task. Keep your commitment to yourself. Once it’s in the calendar it must be done! This is a sacred contract with your integrity and will systematically help you regain self-esteem. If something comes up in life (as sometimes happens), schedule a make-up hour to keep your commitment to yourself. Open yourself to the fresh breezes of action, to break up the grey clouds of indecision.
As you keep your commitment to yourself a strange thing will happen. You will look forward to working on your task, because confronting it will continue to make you feel powerful. You can achieve your dreams, but first you must schedule the time to work on them.
The Five of Swords also warns you not to take on too much of other people’s issues. You may have to let others do their own work, without your coming to their rescue. Maintain healthy boundaries.
Looking to learn more? Click on the card names below:
Discover the Five of Swords (Reversed) meaning.
Learn what the Five of Swords means in matters of love, as part of my ‘Tarot in Love’ series.
