“You can never be happy at the expense of the happiness of others”.
– Chinese Proverb
Conflict, Hollow victory, Power struggles, Winning at someone else expense
Overview
Victory at the expense of someone else
As the saying goes, the winner takes it all, but what if the winner doesn’t stop there? This isn’t just a card conveying loss, but of someone going too far in their victory parade. It was just a game, and yet somehow they’ve crowned themselves king of everything in the process.
Before you take your win too far, consider how lonely it is at the top. When you’ve cut everyone in order to be number one, who will be there to celebrate your victory?
Symbolism
The Five of Swords depicts a victorious yet smirking figure in the foreground, holding three swords triumphantly while two more lie discarded on the ground nearby. In the background, two dejected figures walk away with slumped shoulders, suggesting defeat or retreat after a conflict. A stormy sky looms overhead, with jagged clouds adding to the tense atmosphere.
Meaning
Surrender
The two people who dropped their sword and walked away is a good depiction of you right now. You’ve surrendered, threw up your hands, dropped your weapons and walked away. Maybe you lost something precious in your unwillingness to continue this battle, but it was clear that you were swindled into a game of billiards with someone who was a professional.
Cut your losses and learn form this, never put the deed to your house up on a poker table.
Conflict
There isn’t anything to win with this struggle. You are fighting a fruitless battle against someone who out matches, or over powers you. If you attempt to tangle with this beast know when to quit. There’s more at stake than losing some vital implements of your armory.
Hollow victory
What kind of win is one handed to you aimlessly? Doing something heroic and being awarded the key to the city is one thing. That’s true accomplishment and recognition. But if you just beat the key out of the hand of the hero, that’s really not one at all.
This card indicates that you won by default, cheating or by competing in a league beneath your own. If you’re a heavy weight boxer in a feather weight division, there’s no doubt you’ll come out on top.
Power struggles
A proverbial tug of war is in constant occurrence between you and someone else. While you may find that you occasionally come out on top, it sort of feels like manipulation. Like someone who lets a kid win, you are struggling for dominance with someone who lets you taste victory once and awhile.
Winning at someone else expense
Victory! Sort of… Sure you won, but you cut every throat to get there and now there’s no one standing at the finish line to cheer for your success.
Someone has dampened your spark. You could feel jaded or bitter, numb, disassociated. There are new consequences active in your life and you are figuring out how to work with them.
This is time to work on yourself, putting reflections and ideas into action. Put your pieces back together and discard ones that no longer serve you. Empty spaces are opportunities to build better, stronger qualities. As the days go by your pilot light will start to kick back on, and it will feel like the earth is turning again. Its reigniting, and it’s up to you how it grows. Will you nurture this little spark to be a fire chicken, or a fire harpy?
The Four of Swords reversed
“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”
— Ralph Marston
Conflict, Resolution, Remorse, De-escalation, Willing to walk away, Ego battles
Overview
Meaning
Conflict
Don’t you dare for a second think that you don’t have a dog in this fight. There is a chance you can beat the competition but they will be ruthless and underhanded. Call them out on their bullshit, be as transparent as water and you’ll be indisputable.
Resolution
Things came to a head, then went haywire for a little while. But things are coming back together again. Compromises will be addressed and situations will change but resolution will ultimately come together for you.
Remorse
The way you handled things was, admittedly, not your best work. At the time, you could have been kinder, or worded something differently. There is no shame in admitting you where you went wrong and apologizing
De-escalation
It’s critical that you use strong deescalating skills in this coming conflict. The Five of Swords in the reversed position warns you that the other party is running hotter than hellfire. While you don’t need to roll over and submit, bring serenity to the forefront of the confront and refuse to engage unless they can come at you maturely.
Willing to walk away
Understand that not all endeavors your face will be for your highest good. Learn how and when to walk away from something, especially if it’s draining you more than serving you. If an argument is going in circles, and the feedback loop indicates that there are people unwilling to see things any other way there’s no shame in putting the swords down and walking away.
Ego battles
There was nothing productive to do or gain in this situation. This opinionated argument indicates that this is nothing but frivolous. It’s a battle of pride, like fighting with someone on social media. Just drop it and find something better to do.
