Court Cards: Practical Pentacles

The Suit of Pentacles is associated with the element of earth. This suit is very grounded, practical and hardworking. Concerned with matters of the material world, this isn’t a very spiritual suit, but it does have a love for nature and abundance. Sometimes called the Suit of Coins, it is also associated with money and financial concerns.

Often associated with The Empress, pentacles is nurturing and fertile. Let’s see how these qualities play out in the Court cards.

Page of Pentacles: This Page works and studies hard. They want to explore the world around them and work with their hands. This card may represent someone undertaking an apprenticeship. They might have a lot of hobbies, particularly practical ones. The Page of Pentacles sees the value in investing time and resources into a particular goal so that they can reap the rewards later. They are adventurous and may enjoy travelling. They care for their community and like to help others.

Knight of Pentacles: The Knight of Pentacles doesn’t know how to give up. They are responsible and productive. They are the least impulsive of the Knights, but still may take things to extremes. They are very focused but may burn themself out very fast. Determined and committed, they may experience inertia due to being so grounded.

Queen of Pentacles: The Queen of Pentacles is an expert in nurturing others and creating abundance. Sensual and strong, they love the natural world and feel intrinsically part of it. They are generous and interested in the mundane matters of the world, rather than anything too abstract. This person has accomplished much in their life, and manages to keep an excellent work-life balance. They cradle a rabbit in their arms, able to comfort nervous and fragile beings. Stability is hugely important to this Queen.

King of Pentacles: Materialistic in both good and bad ways, this King is good at business and has a well-developed professional life. They are generous and wealthy. They love luxury and want to share that with others. They may have started out with little and created this life for themself, as pentacles values hard work and achieving things by yourself. This King is a kind leader, but may assume that everyone wants the same things as them and not be able to see things from other perspectives.

I have now explored all 78 cards in the tarot! I hope that you have enjoyed these lessons. Please get in touch if you have any feedback or questions, and I’ll be back soon to write about other topics relating to tarot and more specifically how I use it as an Autistic person. Please follow me if you haven’t already, and have a wonderful day!

Court Cards: Rational Swords

The Suit of Swords contains some of the most painful cards in the tarot. The sword can be used to cut through illusion, and it is used by heroes. But it also can cause pain and suffering. In tarot, the swords represent thoughts, communication, and the mind. Many of us harm ourselves with sharp and painful thoughts, and sometimes we hurt others with angry or hurtful words.

How will you use the Suit of Swords? Each of these characters uses the swords’ potential in different ways. If you are careful and have good intentions, you can use this suit to appreciate your intellectual side, rationality, and an ability to see through illusion. Being able to recognise fake news is a good quality of this suit. But if you have bad intentions, this suit can lead you down a dangerous path.

Page of Swords: This Page is a little detached from the real world, and loves to learn new information. Always asking ‘but why?’ they are endlessly curious. They are known for being smart, but are still very inexperienced, as all pages are. The Page of Swords is a student, and wants to know the truth. The Suit of Swords is associated with the card Justice, so this page may have a very black-and-white view of what is right and wrong. Their inexperience can prevent them from seeing nuance. They love reading books and learning facts, and have great potential in academia.

Knight of Swords: Like the page, the Knight of Swords may be dogmatic and think they know it all. They hate being wrong, or perhaps just can’t accept it. Like all knights, they are impulsive, so they might learn something and run with it, rather than looking for nuance. They might be a bit of a fanatic. On a positive note, swordsy people can make excellent activists due to their love for justice. They are well-intentioned and idealistic.

Queen of Swords: The Queen of Swords has been through a lot of pain in their life. They may have done a lot of difficult work related to personal growth to get to where they are. The Rider-Waite-Smith depiction of this card includes butterflies, which shows that the queen has gone through a metamorphosis. This queen is very wise and intelligent, and always knows how to give excellent advice. Deep down, they may feel a lot of sorrow, but they use that to inform how they deal with the world around them. Though they may not always be the most sympathetic person, they certainly have a lot of compassion. They wish for a fair world.

King of Swords: The King of Swords is a rational authority. They may be a little closed-minded, having had a lot of experience and studied for such a long time that they have lost their beginner’s mind. They may be arrogant and overly logical, denouncing the use of emotion in any decision-making process. They are perceptive and can see through you if you try to lie to them. They are honest and say things how they are even if it’s hurtful. They have excellent life skills, but maybe not so many people skills.

Court Cards: Overflowing Cups

The Cups Suit is associated with water, and represents emotions, love, relationships, intuition, and so on. It focuses on your inner experiences, and how you connect to the world around you. Although it can often be a harmonious suit, strong and uncontrollable emotions can cause us a lot of harm. We see how that plays out in cards such as the Five and Eight of Cups. Perhaps the character in the Eight of Cups is escaping an abusive relationship, a situation where emotions have been used against them.

This little Cups family are romantic, dreaming of a better world. How does that play out with each card?

Page of Cups: The Page of Cups is the kind of person who has an active imagination, daydreaming, very open. They might be a bit of a crybaby. They love falling in love and might be spiritual. Some people describe Pages as messengers, so if you pull this card, pay attention to new emotional developments in your life. This card may be asking you to trust you intuition and your creative process. In many depictions of this card, the Page is surprised at the fish popping out of their cup. Think about how you cope with surprises, whether you welcome or fear them, and how to improve your ability to deal with new developments.

Knight of Cups: The Knight of Cups is a hopeless romantic. A knight in shining armour, maybe a little dramatic. Slightly impractical, this knight loves fantasy and being the hero. They are learning to embrace and rein in their emotions, but they haven’t mastered that yet. They aren’t afraid of love, and maybe haven’t been hurt or betrayed before. If you pull this card and you see yourself as this knight, take some time to consider how you react to difficult situations. If you don’t see yourself as this character, maybe it’s time to bring a little romance and levity to your life. Getting in touch with your emotions might be a good opportunity for you.

Queen of Cups: This Queen is very intuitive and may be doing some kind of therapeutic work. They have mastered their emotions, perhaps practice mindfulness and gratitude a lot. In order to get to this point, they have had to go through some difficult times, so they are very compassionate towards other people. They are an excellent listener. They are stable and a comforting presence to others.

King of Cups: Kings are more external than Queens, so the King of Cups using emotions to their advantage. The water around them looks choppy, so they may have difficulty with strong emotions. As a leader, they must learn not to lash out at other people or become paranoid at others’ intentions. This King does care about others, but may be a little passive until they feel attacked in some way. Once they have improved their feelings of security, they are a very compassionate leader, but may struggle to show their own emotions for fear of losing control.

Court Cards: Fiery Wands

A lot of people struggle to connect with the Court (sometimes known as Face) cards. Maybe it’s difficult to relate to royalty (for some maybe not!) or maybe it’s because there isn’t as much of a story in the images. The Pages all just stand there, the Knights are always on a horse, and the King and Queen always sit on thrones.

Some decks have tried to make these cards more relatable by renaming them. For example, Child rather than Page, or Elder rather than King. This can work really well, but it can also be a little confusing. Other people might relate each card to someone they know whose personality fits it. Maybe your mother is a lot like the Queen of Cups, or your friend is like the Knight of Wands.

I mentioned in the posts The Empress and The Sun that in Root Lock Radio, Weston uses a form of psychotherapy called Internal Family Systems Therapy as part of his practice. In particular, he uses this approach with the Court cards. The Page could be your inner child, the Knight your inner teenager, the Queen your inner mother, grandmother or any other nurturing figure, and the King the parent/guardian who is a voice of reason. They don’t have to match the same gender, so a King can be female, a Queen could be non-binary. Adapt any of these methods and find what works best for you.

If you recall that each element represents different areas of your life, and then try to imagine each court as a family, that can help make these cards click. That’s why I’ve chosen to cover each court separately, rather than the pages of the four suits, then the knights and so on.

Page of Wands: The page is quite youthful, wide-eyes, ready for adventure. They’re like the Fool. They don’t know much, but they are comfortable with that. The Page of Wands could represent starting a new project, something you have no experience in. Some people say the court cards can represent someone else in your life, so think about if there’s anyone in your life with this kind of energy and how you can help each other meet goals. Pages are optimistic, creative and open. Look back at the concept of Beginner’s Mind if you pull this card.

Knight of Wands: Knights remind me of teenagers, impulsive and self-assured. When you’re a teenager, you think you know a lot more than you actually do, and you’re more likely to take risks. Riding in on their horses, knights are adventurous and determined to win. This is especially true in the wands suit, fiery and creative. If you pull this card, think of areas in your life where you need to just go go go, without overthinking the consequences too much. The Knight of Wands is ready to put themself out there without fear.

Queen of Wands: This is one of my favourite cards. I love that this Queen has a black cat. The Queen of Wands is confident and self-assured, but with more experience and better balance than the Knight. Perhaps they have seen what can go wrong if you are too impulsive. There are lions on this Queen’s throne, which evokes memories of the Strength card, and the sunflower reminds us of The Sun. Not caring what other people think, the Queen is passionate and independent, a true master of their element.

King of Wands: The King is a leader of their element, inspirational and dominant. The salamander represents the element of fire, reminding us of the passion of this suit. This King is willful, and perhaps unwilling to accept compromise. Remember as we learned with The Emperor, that it is important to be aware of the difference between a good leader, and a tyrant. The King may face many challenges and threats, but if they are fair and compassionate, they can get through anything.

Ten: Cycles and Endings

Card 10 of the Major Arcana is Wheel of Fortune, which represents how your fortune changes, how you can be doing great one day and then be at rock bottom soon after. Have you ever been stressing out and dissatisfied with life, and then the next day something truly terrible happens and you wish you could turn back time to when you were just dissatisfied over nothing important? I’m sure the character in the Ten of Swords wishes they were the Ten of Wands, who in turn wishes they were the Ten of Cups or Pentacles. It’s all relative.

Take a moment to appreciate what you have today, because one day it will be gone. That doesn’t have to be a depressing thought. Without the changing seasons, the seed can never grow into a tree. If the leaves don’t fall to the ground and decompose, new plants can never sprout.

The number 10 is an end to a cycle, and what happens when it ends? A new one begins. Rebirth.

Ten of Wands: The character in this card is clearly overburdened. They can’t even see in front of themself. It reminds me of the feeling of burnout, when you’ve taken on so much sensory input, used up all your spoons and you feel like you’re about to drop. Sometimes it’s just not worth it, and you have to drop what has become too overwhelming for you. The person in this card could delegate their task, give some wands to someone else. They could have said no before taking all the ones they have. There is choice. Sometimes we don’t feel like there is a choice, especially if we are taking on all these responsibilities for the sake of someone else. But you can’t fill someone else’s cup if your own is empty.

There’s a story from Buddhism called The Raft Parable. Someone discovers he must cross a river and decides to make a raft to get to the other side. He puts a lot of work into it, and succeeds in crossing the water. When he gets to the other side, does he leave the raft or take it with him on land? He should leave it right, otherwise he will be overburdened. When something is no longer serving you, even if it was useful before, let it go.

Ten of Cups: This is like when you get to the end of a story and the last line is ‘And they lived happily ever after.’ Do you ever wonder, what does that even mean? What did they do next?

If you pull this card, take a moment and ask yourself: ‘what is my end goal?’ What would be your happily ever after? Does that even exist in real life? This card asks you to find joy in life, appreciate the love and friendship you have, and never stop cultivating it. Life takes constant effort, and as stable and harmonious as the people in this image appear, they have to keep supporting and appreciating each other to keep that harmony going.

I also think these characters look like when actors bow to the audience at the end of a performance. Don’t let your life be just an act.

Ten of Swords: When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change — Avatar Aang

This is a pretty disturbing card to look at. It probably feels like there’s no coming back from that. Remember though, that in the tarot, swords represent thoughts. They could represent having negative thoughts about yourself, thinking that you can’t possibly move on from whatever bad things have happened. Remember that as 10 is the end of a cycle, it means a new one will begin. Now you might be at the bottom of the Wheel of Fortune, but tomorrow maybe not. If you can change your perspective even a little bit, you might find a way to move forward. Like the phoenix, you can always be reborn and change your path to a better one.

Ten of Pentacles: We see several generations here enjoying their time together. The old man has achieved material wealth and abundance, and as his life cycle comes to an end, he can pass that on to the next generation, allowing them stability and comfort. I think the dogs look like greyhounds, which are famous for being lazy and loving to relax. Because the pentacles represent the material world, this card may be asking you to consider what else do you want to achieve if your physical needs are met? Sometimes it’s so hard to get to that level of stability that you might not have thought about what comes next.

I hope you have enjoyed my exploration of the numbered cards of the Minor Arcana. Next I will be writing about the Court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King, starting with the Wands suit. If you have any ideas for what you’d like me to talk about after the Minor Arcana is finished, please let me know!

Nine: One-Track Mind

It feels like I’m being called out if I’m procrastinating and pull a Nine of Wands. The Nines cards all ask you to do the work, the kind of work depending on which one you pull. Work isn’t just what you do to make money, it’s also working on yourself to improve your mental health, or working on your relationships so that they go as smoothly as possible.

Like The Hermit, card 9 of the Major Arcana, sometimes you have to just close the study door and get stuff done. Avoid distractions, have time to introspect. In balance, this is healthy, and necessary.

Nine of Wands: After you’ve done planning and preparation, it’s time to buckle down and get on with it. Rachel Pollack interprets this card as meaning that you are trapped in conflict and can only see enemies around you. Sometimes when you have been working on something for a long time, you develop an attachment to it, and can get defensive if anyone points out any criticism. Maybe it’s because you’re exhausted and can’t face having to edit a paragraph in an essay, or you feel like you can’t practice a song or speech even one more time.

I find that in these moments, we can experience a lot of growth. When things get hard, and we persevere and do better than we expected as a result, what a huge accomplishment that is. If what you are doing is truly worth it, you can power through a little longer. And then of course you deserve the most glorious rest.

Nine of Cups: The Nine of Cups is known as a ‘wish fulfillment’ card. It’s about enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Think of the song Feeling Good by Nina Simone. Write down things that bring you joy and revisit it anytime you need a little sunshine in your day. Here’s some examples to get you started:

drinking a cold glass of water, taking a bath, watching a sunset, playing with a puppy, being in nature, smelling a new book, fresh bed sheets, hearing rain hit your window, kicking autumn leaves, eating comfort food.

Nine of Swords: I think of this as the insomnia card. It represents nightmares, not being able to sleep for worry or fear. It’s usually about something that you’ve got out of proportion, the monster under the bed. It’s a horrible feeling of dread, but when the morning comes, it often fades away a little. If you pull this card, make plans for how to cope when you get these feelings so that you are more prepared.

Insomnia is truly one of the most horrible experiences we commonly experience. If you can’t sleep because you’re worrying about something, it might help to write down what is bothering you to revisit in the morning. Don’t lie in bed tossing and turning, get up and try to do something relaxing for a while before trying to sleep again. If you get nightmares, it can help to re-frame what happened in the dream in a more positive way. Take a moment to make calming or comical changes to what happened in the dream. The killer chasing you with a knife finds that the knife spontaneously turns into a bouquet of flowers, the exam you didn’t study for turns out to have been rescheduled for next week.

Nine of Pentacles: This is the card you can think of coming after the Nine of Wands. It’s about accomplishing something, usually in a material way. You’re self-reliant and self-aware, knowing who you are and how to achieve what you want.

Think of the skills and attributes that you have and think about how you can use them to enjoy abundance in your life. Think about what you’ve achieved and how you got there. If you feel that you’re still at the beginning of your journey, this card encourages you to have self-confidence. Create your own life, and be certain that you can achieve things. Side note, it took me ages to notice the cute snail in this card! Pentacles can represent nature, so notice the natural abundance of planet Earth, and remember to be grateful for the beauty that exists all around us.

Eight: You Can Do It!

We are nearing the end of the numbered cards now, so it’s kind of crunch time for your project or whatever situation you’re reading for. Some of these cards are pretty intense, and I especially like the imagery from the deck above, The Sasuraibito Tarot.

Card eight of the Major Arcana was Strength, and I think it’s good to revisit it if you pull any of the Eights of the Minor Arcana. It’s a time to be sure of your convictions, to make tough decisions, and to pursue what you truly want. Real strength takes compassion, and when reading some of these cards you must show yourself compassion, as well as others.

Eight of Wands: if you’re Autistic like me, you might enjoy this card. Do you ever get frustrated when people talk in circles, don’t tell you how it is, and you have to try to read between the lines? This card is saying ‘get to the point!’ and it’s so refreshing. This card represents swift motion, being dynamic, and cutting through the crap.

If you pull this card, consider how you communicate your ideas and passions to others. Do you ever hold back, worried about what someone might think, in case your idea isn’t good enough? This card is telling you to be confident, and just communicate clearly and honestly. It might be time to publicise your project, or take the next big step. If you are unsure of yourself, you might stumble, so don’t overthink it.

Eight of Cups: This card represents walking away from something. In the Sasuraibito card above, someone is cutting their hair. That’s something a lot of people do after a break up, so think about that kind of energy if you pull this card. One of the hardest things is leaving a situation that is stable but isn’t doing anything for you. This is an emotional card, but it can also represent leaving a job, moving home, or any other decision that is like pulling off a plaster.

This is a very free and healing card. You’re ending something because there is something better coming in the future. What might be waiting for you?

Eight of Swords: I recommend taking a look at the Rider-Waite-Smith version of this card, as it is slightly less abstract than the image above. This card represents feeling helpless and trapped by your thoughts. Maybe you’re in an unfamiliar situation and you’re having doubts. You might be placing demands on yourself that you just can’t fulfill. If you pull this card, ask yourself what you are insecure about. What are you trying not to see, what you are ashamed of even.

If this person could just get free of their bonds, they could walk away from the situation. This card represents what it can be like when you just can’t face the Eight of Cups. You’re not ready yet to leave something that isn’t working for you. Don’t be hard on yourself, take a deep breath and figure out what you can do.

Eight of Pentacles: I like that this depiction shows a monk studying hard, because it succinctly represents self-discipline. When you are concentrating on one task fully, you enter a state of flow, which can be very rewarding. There is no such thing as being naturally good at something. If you want to be talented at a particular skill, you have to work for it. Sometimes you’ll make mistakes, sometimes you’ll feel like you’re making no progress. That’s okay. If something is worth doing, you can get there.

if you pull this card, remember that when you get frustrated and want to quit something, that’s a completely normal feeling and you shouldn’t feel bad. Take time to relax, take some deep breaths and try again. I get it- I have learning difficulties, and some tasks that seem easy to others are harder for me. But I try not to compare myself to others, and keep persevering. Otherwise I’ll definitely never succeed at my goals. You can do it.

Seven: Mindful Decisions

According to Biddy Tarot, the number seven means reflection, assessment, and knowledge. Take a look at these cards and notice if you can see those ideas playing out. The Seven of Pentacles has a man looking like he is reflecting on some work he’s done. The Seven of Cups depicts someone assessing various options before them. And if you remember that swords represent thoughts, the person in the Seven of Swords is perhaps stealing knowledge.

Think back to The Chariot, which is card seven of the Major Arcana. We talked about the idea of monkey mind, which is when your thoughts jump back and forth like a monkey leaping from tree to tree. We can use mindfulness to give the monkey mind a job. Focus on breathing, or what you can sense around you in the current moment. In each scenario above, I think mindfulness can be used to improve the outcomes.

Seven of Wands: In this card, someone is trying to hold the high ground and fight off others who want to knock them down. It depicts a more serious conflict than the one in the Five of Wands. Have you been in a situation where someone is trying to discredit you, and you’ve felt defensive and had to stick up for yourself? In any situation, remember first to take a moment to ask yourself or your tarot deck questions such as:

Why am I feeling defensive?
How can I best stand up for myself?
Where is this other person coming from?
What can I learn from this situation?

Sometimes there is absolutely a need to stand up for yourself or others, in times when you see oppression or injustice. But rather than instantly react to a situation, make sure you are approaching it effectively, and from a place of compassion. For sure, get mad, feel those emotions. And then like The Chariot, channel them well.

Seven of Cups: So many options. This person is in awe at the treasures contained in the seven cups before them. But some of them might be a bit fantastical and unrealistic. Cups represent emotions, and sometimes when making decisions, we allow strong emotions to cloud our judgement. No decision can be made entirely devoid of emotion, but mindfulness will help you to make better choices. Rather than just grabbing a cup, and perhaps accidentally being bitten by the snake, take the time to evaluate your options. If you have a strong emotional reaction to one particular option, ask why.

If you pull this card, also consider whether you have too much going on right now. Having too many options can be paralysing. If the person in this card can’t decide, they might walk away with nothing at all.

Seven of Swords: I saw a meme about this card on Reddit that is really fun:

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In this card, someone is sneaking off with more swords than they can possibly use. They’re also carrying them by the blade which seems like maybe they didn’t think this through. This card is all about impulsivity and dishonesty. If you are prone to making decisions on impulse, this card asks you to take a moment to consider the consequences. This character is probably going to hurt their hands on those swords. The suit of swords is logical and rational. If you pull this card, consider where you could use more honest and direct methods of communication in your life. That means being honest with yourself as well as with others. Are you making a decision because it’s the best one, or are you avoiding something?

Seven of Pentacles: The person in this card is looking at the product of their hard work and taking time to reflect. It takes a long time for seeds to grow, and any project or idea that you take on is the same. Take some time to feel accomplished about what you’ve done, figure out if you’re on the right track, and make plans for future growth.

The suit of pentacles is very grounded, so if you pull this card, it’s a great time to try a grounding exercise. I’ll leave you with a technique called Box Breathing:

Close your eyes, and breathe in while counting to four. Try to focus on your breath.
Hold your breath for the count of four.
Exhale for the count of four.
Repeat the above steps four times, or until you feel calm and grounded.

Six: Moving On

Previously, we looked at dealing with setbacks. In any journey, there are challenges and successes. With the number six, we will see how your course can change, how sometimes big decisions have to be made.

Six of Wands: This card depicts some kind of a victory. It’s about being recognised by other people for what you did. Maybe your project is starting to reach people, maybe someone bought your art, or praised you at work. If you pull this card, it’s a time to think about your accomplishments, what you’re proud of. Pat yourself on the back. Sometimes people don’t like to celebrate their successes publicly in case they seem like they’re boasting. If you worked hard, you deserve to enjoy yourself. Remember that there are ten cards, so even though this card is a victory, it’s not the end. Keep trying hard!

Six of Cups: This card tends to represent nostalgia, recalling joyful moments from the past. maybe it’s time you think about where you come from, who you can thank for helping you to develop skills and qualities that you’re proud of. Like the Six of Pentacles, which we will talk about below, this card is about giving and receiving. But it represents more an older or more experienced person giving to a younger person. Is there something you can teach to the younger generation? There is a feeling of childishness in the RWS version of this card, and it can be nice to be reminded to be playful sometimes.

Six of Swords: In the RWS version of this card, two people are on a boat together, leaving somewhere. If you remember that swords represent thoughts, maybe there’s some heavy mental baggage that they’re bringing with them. These people seem like they could be refugees, leaving behind a horrible situation in hopes of finding something better. For everyone, there are times when things are so difficult or toxic, we have to just make a choice to leave that situation well behind. If you pull this card, ask yourself how your current situation is, if there’s anything toxic you could discard, and if not, take a moment to be grateful. Remember that you can’t fully heal if you are still in the midst of the negative situation that is causing you trauma. Take care of yourself, and be safe.

Six of Pentacles: In a way, this card is the opposite of the one before it. We saw in the Five of Pentacles that the characters were in a state of poverty. The person in the middle of the RWS version of card is able to give money away. They carry a set of scales, implying balance. But is there really balance in this card? There are two people dressed in rags begging, and one rich person. Remember that if you end up in a fortunate position that there are always still people who are struggling. Don’t forget to show humanity to other people when you can.

What do you think when you pull a Six? Now we are in the second half of the Minor Arcana journey, what has resonated with you most? I’ll remind you that it’s good practice to keep a tarot journal: pull a card a day and see what you intuitively read from that card. Then look up the meaning and think about how you could use that card today. Keeping notes of these readings is a good way to consolidate any insight you get from the cards.

Five: Dealing With Setbacks

So far on this Minor Arcana journey, we have conceived of and set out on a new journey, a new project, maybe a new relationship. So far we have had success, but then the inevitable setback occurs. It’s okay to be disappointed when this happens.

The Fives are difficult. It’s common to feel a bit disillusioned in your reading when you pull one of these cards. But conflict is a part of life, it’s another step in the journey, and you can work through it. In numerology, the number 5 represents humans. What is more human than messing up?

Card 5 in the Major Arcana is the Hierophant, and it’s certainly not the most popular card. It can seem a bit stuffy and controlling. It is natural to want to go against that and find your own way. There are many pros to that, but it also means you’re more likely to learn from your own mistakes.

Five of Wands: In this card, we see people battling each other with sticks. It doesn’t look like a serious fight, no one is hitting anyone else’s body with their stick. It might be a play fight, or maybe it’s a silly argument. This card asks you to pick your battles. It’s easy to get stressed out by bickering with your loved ones, and sometimes it’s best to walk away from a fight that no one will win.

I try to avoid spending a lot of time on social media because there’s always someone trying to pick a fight and if you get sucked in, you just feel bad for no reason. Of course if it’s about something important, sticking up for yourself is great, but the Five of Wands represents those tussles that are pointless and will only do you harm to engage in.

Five of Cups: In this card, we see someone whose cups have fallen over and they have lost what is inside. They don’t seem to notice that there are still two upright cups behind them. Remembering that cups represent emotions, we can see that this card is showing us that when something bad happens, it takes a while to remember the good. Feel the loss of the three cups, let that go through you, and then take a breath and appreciate what is left.

This card reminds me of the stages of grief. The person is in denial of the cups behind them, they might be angry and depressed about the loss in front of them. Eventually they will notice the ones behind them and think ‘well maybe I can salvage this…’ and then acceptance.

Five of Swords: This card is similar to the Five of Wands but where wands represents passions, swords represent intellect and thoughts. What is the hill you want to die on? Sometimes when we have an argument where we both think we are right, we pick tiny holes in the other person’s logic, and one of us ends up humiliated. No one really wins. The Five of Swords reminds us to avoid being defensive and lashing out. In the image, the person in front won the swords from the other people. But did they really need three swords in the first place? What really did they gain, and those other people lost everything they had.

If you pull this card, think of a time where you might have been petty to someone else, and consider apologising or reconciling with them. If you are the one who was wronged, try to let it go, as other people’s actions only affect you as much as you let them, after the fact that is.

Five of Pentacles: This is known as the card of poverty. The kind of hardship that is devastating to go through. The loss of everything, stability, abundance, a sense of identity. We see people out in the cold, walking past what could be a church. Do they see the potential for shelter, or would they feel unaccepted there? There is a sense of being an ‘other’ here. If you are struggling just now, don’t be too proud to accept help. Everyone needs their basic needs met, and you deserve kindness.

If you are in a position of privilege and you pull this card, consider reaching out to others with compassion and warmth. It makes all the difference in this world where the gap between the haves and the have nots is so vast.

If you are going through a hard time like these four cards depict, I wish you all the best. Next time we will begin to come out the other side with the cards numbered six.