Five of Wands

Guiding words/ideas:

The possibilities that rest inside of conflict; healthy disagreement; conflict as a route to intellectual expansion; play allowing for broader perspective; learning to be comfortable with stress and friction; encouragement to engage in small conflicts with willingness to learn and grow.

Channeled guidance:

There is conflict in this card, and there is also so much learning and growth. The Five of Wands encourages us all to find the possibility that rests inside of small moments of conflict. Clashes are inevitable, and yet they make so many humans extremely uncomfortable. But there are ways to engage with disagreements, misunderstandings, and differences of opinion that are actually healthy, empowering, and full of opportunity. If humans always agreed with one another, there would not be as much intellectual expansion, and humans desperately need to expand in this way.

In this card, there are two young humans, one a little older than the other, and they are engaged in a playful version of a fight. It is similar to certain activities of other young animals. When animals are developing, they engage in playful conflict to learn how to strategize, fight, and recover. They are also learning how to be comfortable with stress and friction. When play fighting, the stakes are so low, one can see the scenario from a larger perspective. One can observe and respond to another being’s skills or lack of skill. And one can be aware of their own shortcomings.

This card invites you to fully engage in the smaller conflicts in your life with an open heart, an open mind, and a willingness to learn and grow. In doing so, you will be more prepared for when the conflicts are larger. You will have more skill and confidence and a greater perspective on what creates conflict and how to work within it. And even though you may not be a young human anymore, see if you can engage with a youthful attitude when you are in conflict with another.

Plant and metal guidance:

Coreopsis (golden-yellow in flame and older child’s shirt and shorts): We are here to smooth out any sharp edges and to aid in opening hearts.

Black walnut (medium-brown tones of skin, dark-brown hair and wands): The strength of our magic lies in our ability to clear space and provide opportunities for recharging and resetting.

Logwood (blue tones in shoes, blue shorts of younger child): Our color connects outwardly but its source lies deep within. We help you reach inside yourself to find strength and beauty.

Copper oxide dropped in coreopsis (orange in flame and older kid’s shirt and shorts): I magnify the properties of whatever plants I touch or impact.

Wild grape (purple of younger child’s shirt): We are the bubbly magicians of the edges (of forests, our fields and our minds). We share with you our positivity, creativity and trickster capabilities.

Chokeberry (dark purple in background): Our energy expands and contracts as needed, and we encourage you to do the same. We offer a rich balm for your wounds and a burst of energy to be used when you need it.