Deeper Understanding of the Swords – The Five & Six of Swords

Deck pictured is The Unfolding Path Tarot by Athene Noctua published by Hay House, card art is copyrighted to Athene and Hay House.
Image description: The Five and Six of Swords lay on a gold and black tarot mat depicting the flower of life, amethysts peeking onto the mat. The Five of Swords depicts a woman with pale skin and dark hair wearing tattered clothing holding three swords. Two additional swords lay at her feet. She is walking away from a battle. The Six of Swords depicts an elegant and feminine Asian woman with long dark hair wading in a river next to a boat. The boat contains her belongings, a puppy, and six swords. The sun is setting or rising in the distance, signifying both an end and new things to come.

All the cards in the tarot can be seen as a balance of energies— both in their upright and reversed positions. No card is all good or all bad. The position of the card, the other cards nearby, and the intuitive messages that come through all add context in a reading. There are many factors that can be considered when interpreting any card, which is part of the power of tarot and part of why it is such an individual practice.

When I was first learning tarot many years ago, I felt immediate resistance when I hit the Minor Arcana suit of swords. Cups and wands were filled with joy, creative energy, emotion. Then came swords. At their best: intellectual, active, and stimulating. At their worst: emotional devastation, manipulation, nightmares, defeat. Not the vibe. So, I accepted that life isn’t always happy, and that these harder cards were needed to make the deck complete.

As I kept reading the cards and developing my understanding, I saw that the swords held power. Not only because they can represent some of the challenging experiences in life, but because they also carry richer wisdom from more nuanced interpretations than their initial impressions may suggest. I sat with the swords. I didn’t avoid them, and I didn’t catastrophize. I started seeing them in a new light. This blog is an introductory post to some examples of those more nuanced interpretations. As you read these interpretations, be open to your own new meanings coming through for you intuitively. I’m writing these in order of how I feel called to work rather than numerical sequence.

The Five of Swords

Content warning: surviving trauma is discussed in this portion.

Common interpretation - You won the battle, but at a cost:

You’ve made it through a battle, but just barely. You’ve faced ruthless enemies, and you’ve come out on top. This battle may have left you feeling drained, scarred, and potentially even ashamed of how low you had to go to win the fight. Give yourself grace that this has been a time of challenge. Do what you need to do to heal and move on from this situation. Be grateful for your victory and put this behind you. Gather your swords, lick your wounds, rest, and prepare for whatever comes next.

A nuanced interpretation – Loving ourselves after trauma:

The times of greatest challenge show us what we are made of. Whether that battle is with others or with our own minds, the depths of our struggles unlock the parts of ourselves that empower us to survive. We did not ask to face what has been handed to us, but still we find the strength to overcome. If we have acted in ways that we normally would not, ways we struggle to reconcile with our sense of who we truly are, that is not a reflection of our character but a reflection of the gravity of the situation we have survived. No one can be their best self when they are facing trauma. The parts that have allowed you to live to see another day kept you safe through the battle, even if those parts are hard to look at once the storm has passed. Forgive yourself if there is something haunting you. Hold all parts of who you are with tenderness, including those parts that you needed in those hard moments. Try to accept that others may not understand your experience. It is not their approval that you need, it is your own.

If the battle is over and you are struggling to move on from it, if you are feeling trapped in your memories, trust that you can put it behind you and heal. It is not easy, but it is possible, and you have proven that you have what it takes to overcome the impossible. You have already won the battle, now the challenge is allowing yourself to know what it feels like to be safe. What would it take to put down your sword? What would allow you to take a breath? Relief is waiting for you around the corner, are you willing to put in the work to get there? If you feel lost, know that the path forward is coming and you just have to keep going. The five of swords affirms that the worst is behind you, that you have what it takes to heal, and that all parts of you are worthy of love.

The Six of Swords:

Common interpretation – Moving on to better things:

With the struggle of the five of swords now behind you, the healing waters of the six of swords represent pursuing what comes next. You have the strength to embrace change and take the leap into something new. You leave behind old patterns or situations that no longer serve you. The six of swords may come with some sadness for what you’ve gone through, perhaps some sentimentality for the good times before the pain, but it also reflects an optimism that better things lie ahead. You might be changing jobs, leaving toxic exes, or moving to a new place. However you are changing, it is a necessary part of your journey, and you are encouraged to believe that better things await you.

A nuanced interpretation – Are you moving with purpose or are you running from yourself?

For many of us, there can be a temptation to cut and run when things get uncomfortable or hard in our relationships. We hit a certain level of intimacy that scares us, and our defense mechanisms start kicking in. Is this person I’m getting to know actually good for me, or am I letting them get too close? Should I get out of this relationship now before either one of us gets hurt? Sometimes we start feeling this way when we need to have conflict in our relationships, afraid that if we speak up for our needs in new ways that the other person won’t be able to meet us there. We have one foot out the door to try to protect our heart. The six of swords in this context asks you to evaluate your situation with greater objectivity, to face your fears, and to consider your actions with great intention. Are you actually listening to what’s best for you, or are you running away from your own healing (and calling it intuition along the way)? Pausing to consider your course is necessary to make sure that you are moving forward with intention.

This lesson of owning the direction of our journey also applies without any other person involved at all. Sometimes what we’re most afraid of is our own greatness, of being seen for who we truly are, with all our talents and complexity. We shy away from opportunities to shine, we don’t go after our dreams, we stay in the background. We steer ourselves to other shores, ones we think are safer, but really, we are running away from ourselves and our power. There can be a restlessness here, a sense of anxiety, or an avoidance of what we know to be true. What do you truly want from your journey? What are you manifesting? Who are you becoming? What are you working towards? Our actions align us with our destiny. The six of swords represents the power of personal transformation as we become the next version of ourselves. Here it represents letting go of old ways of being to make room for our new reality. How are you moving in the world? What do you need to let go of to align with your dream life?

The opportunities for personal interpretation are endless

These are just a few of a potentially endless number of examples of how these cards can show up in our lives. I share these examples not only to demonstrate the depth of the suit of swords, but also to illustrate to readers who are new or developing that your tarot interpretations can grow and change over time. Your interpretations will reflect your life and the lives of your clients, shifting and evolving based on each unique reading. Tarot is an archetypal system that has changed over time since it first started being used for divination. The more you develop your relationship with the cards by allowing yourself time and reflection to hear your intuition, the more you will grow and the deeper your readings will become.

Thanks for reading this blog. I offer tarot readings on a wide variety of topics, including overcoming obstacles and relationships. If you are looking for support and guidance on your tarot journey, I offer one-on-one tarot mentorships. It is my honor and joy to support readers as they develop in their own unique personal interpretations. If you’re interested in hearing more about tarot mentorships or readings, please reach out.