ALTERNATE NAMES: Strife,
Collaboration
While "strife" is a common word associated with this card, "strive"
seems very appropriated. It seems (to me) to be a much better keyword
in general (i.e. across decks), encompassing all the aspects of
conflict, competition, struggle, collaboration, ... (i.e. to strive
with, against, for, toward, ...).
BASIC RW DESCRIPTION: Five lads stand
in a group on open ground. Each brandishes a wand, but none is
actually striking another. No two Wands point in the same
direction.
FIRST THING THAT STRUCK ME: It's hard to
take the conflict too seriously when the guy in front is wearing
polka dots and mismatched shoes. Is he trying to travel two different
paths, or what?
UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Waite: A posse of youths,
who are brandishing staves, as if in sport or strife. It is mimic
warfare, and hereto correspond the Divinatory Meanings: Imitation,
as, for example, sham fight, but also the strenuous competition and
struggle of the search after riches and fortune. In this sense it
connects with the battle of life. Hence some attributions say that it
is a card of gold, gain, opulence.
Excitement, complexity, turmoil, conflict,
strife, struggle, confrontation, rebellion. Hassles and
irritations, minor setbacks, nothing goes right, annoying details or
trivialities, stress, anxiety about efforts or pursuits, keeping up
with an ever-changing field, tension in business, things going in
many different or unexpected directions. Working at cross-purposes,
lack of cooperation, differing opinions and strategies, dissension,
disagreement, quarreling, hot debate or argument, ego conflicts.
Challenge, competition, contest, exercise, game or
sport, mock battle, rivalry, hazing, initiation into manhood,
machismo. Violence, war, images of violence and influences dangerous
especially to children.
ALSO: First Blood. Working together,
bouncing ideas off each other, merging talents, each with their "iron
in the fire," group effort to create something powerful and even
theatrical, building and releasing youthful creative and aggressive
energies. Constructive collaborative effort that leads to something
grand.
REVERSED MEANINGS: Waite: Litigation,
disputes, trickery, contradiction.
Lapsing into complacency, stagnation, teen apathy, reticence,
dilution of efforts, resting on one's laurels without effort toward
maintenance or improvement, avoiding confrontation at all costs.
Glitches in business deals and contracts, complicated involvement,
too many options or opinions leads to indecision, straighten out
minor problems before they escalate into major ones.
ALSO: Long talks, conversations,
lectures.
BIBLICAL: "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." I Corinthians 9:25
"And Korah ... together with Dathan and Abiram ... proceeded to
rise up before Moses [and Aaron], they and two hundred and fifty men
of the sons of Israel ....
"And it came about that as soon as he had finished speaking all these
words, the ground that was under them began to be split apart. And
the earth proceeded to open its mouth and to swallow up them and
theier households and all humankind that belonged to Korah and all
the goods.
"And a fire came out from Jehovah and proceeded to consume the two
hundred and fifty men offering the incense." Numbers 16:1-2; 31; 35
(NWT)
"And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise." II Samuel 2:14
MYTHOLOGICAL: The dragon that
guards the treasure, the thorn bush that hides the princess, a mound
of straw to be spun into gold.
HISTORICAL: The Battle of Mount Batton,
when the kings of the British Isles banded together to drive off the
Saxons, and Arthur's empire was established.
ANIMAL/INSECT: Ants. They don't
always look like they're going the same direction, but they're
working to the same purpose.
HERBS/PLANTS: stinging nettle, chili
peppers
LANDSCAPE: open field
TIME/SEASON: indeterminate (not winter)
MUSIC: Heavy metal, esp. Guns N Roses
"Welcome to the Jungle"
FILM: "This is Spinal Tap"
The music (the volume that goes to 11), the disagreements within the
band circle (three musicians, manager, girlfriend), the controversy
(Smell the Glove), the collaboration on ideas (sitting around the
table at Denny's), the exploding drummer(s).
BOOK: Mallory's Le Morte
d'Arthur, because men are always "brasting their spears."
PUBLIC PEOPLE OR EVENTS: Bonfire of the
Vanities?
OCCUPATIONS: team sports player(s),
coach or trainer; stage group (e.g. band, circus, cast, etc.) member
or manager
SITUATIONS IN MY LIFE:
Mosh pit. Freischarmanoever.
THIS CARD IN MY LIFE: This card stands
for child-raising (the whole aim of which is to lose control). A
child (and parent) is subject to conflicting views and ways, whether
it be parents, grandparents, neighbors, peers, etc. It's one of the
challenges of motherhood to manage these conflicting views and way,
and help the child assimilate (or not) the concept. For example, just
because little Johnny's mother let's him eat cookies before
dinner...
PERSONAL THOUGHTS: As I've been
pondering the Five of Wands, it's occurred to me that one of the best
analogies for this card is slave labor. Slavery has been known
throughout history and across the globe. Slaves as spoils of war
represent the elements of conflict and strife. Since slaves were
acquired by conquering other tribes or countries, there was
diversity, thrown together in the same "class." Slaves labored
together to construct the world--from the pyramids of Egypt to my
grandaddy's North Florida church. (Today, they're making our clothes
and shoes, but that's another story.)
FAVORITE REPRESENTATION: Healing Tarot, in which this card is titled "Collaboration," and the figures use their five wands to create a star.
COMPARISONS TO OTHER CARDS:
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This page contains excerpts from my original contributions to an
online Tarot discussion. The
Comparative
Tarot list is made possible by Valerie Sim and Yahoo! groups.
Five of Wands IMHO page created July 21, 2004.
http://www.moonchild.ch/Tarot/minors/wands/w05/w05imho.html
