5 of wands?

magenta said:

Feeling an outsider, not fitting in, feeling left out or not deserving, even when these feelings are just our own inner state or perception, not necessarily backed of by a situation in the outside world.

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Interestingly enough, the 5/Pents often means "pride" rather than lack of Self-Esteem. They've made you an outsider, and you, in your pride, would rather starve in the cold than knock on their door, admit you were wrong, conform to what they want you to be, humble yourself, in order to gain their help

This is followed by 6/Coins where you *do* accept help--and someone is generous enough to give it without demanding you change or be something you're not.

If you're looking for lack of self-esteem in the 5's it's 5/Cups you want. That's the person weeping over the spilled cups saying, "What have I done? I'm such a klutz! I brought this on myself! Why didn't I see it sooner? I didn't deserve to have such nice wine in pretty cups....."

5 of Wands and 5 of Swords

5 of Wands: Competition. Challenges. Tests. Contests. Contestant. Runner-up. Competitor. Contender. Opponent. Scrimmage. Sparring. Practice. Training. Trainer. Martial arts. Wrestling. Grappling. Drums. Scramble. Stir. Catalyst. Reaction. Risk. Controversy. Contention. Provocateur. Provoke. Instigate. Tease. Taunt. Ruckus. Noise. Dissonance. Disturbance. Struggles. Strife. Squabbles. Quarrels. Altercation. Feuds. Antagonism. Rivalry. Agitation. Rowdy. Wild. Troublemaker. Disorderly conduct. Havoc. Riot. Scandal. Striving to be number 1. Personal best. Outdoing yourself. Rising to the challenge. Stirring things up. Stirring the pot. Provoke a reaction. Getting a rise out of someone. Raising a ruckus. Things get out of hand. Prove you wrong. I'll show you. In your face. Bring it on. C'mon. Here comes trouble. It takes two to make a quarrel. Stepping into the ring. Throwing your hat into the ring. Gettiing into the mix. Out of spite. Getting your goat. I can't compete with you. Working at cross purposes. Riot starter.

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5 of Swords: Savior. Redeemer. Redemption. Messiah. Ascension. Catharsis. Sacrifice. Salvage. Anchor. Esoteric. Reiki. Crystals. Baptism. Anoint. Conceding. Defeat. Lose. Failure. Wreckage. Sink. Scuttle. Underwater. Down. Low. Dismantle. Shatter. Pieces. Tear apart. Mutilation. Eviscerate. Scourge. Whip. Persecution. Mithras. Martyr. Crucify. Fallibility. Scapegoat. Humiliate. Mudslinging. Demoralize. Empty victory. Enemy. Disgrace. Ashamed. Violated. Neutron. Negative energy. Atomic. Nuclear. Fission. Radioactive. Toxic. Orange. Allergies. Sneezing. Unsportsmanlike conduct. Game over. Personal meltdown. Breakdown. Agony. Tempest. Thorn. Self-interest. Cult. Dredge. Deflate. Pick up the pieces. Cut your losses. Overcoming self-interest. Aim for higher consciousness. Clearing negative energy. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. Weathering the storm. Appeasing the gods. The Anointed One. The chosen one. Chain reaction. Accept defeat. Here's mud in your eye. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Everything falls apart. Swallow pride, accept defeat, pick up the pieces - you've been beat. Forcible swallowing of pride. Every man for himself. Looking out for number 1. It's all about me. Fall from grace. Finders keepers, losers weepers. Going negative. Scorched earth policy. Winning at any cost. Sore loser. You lose. The agony of defeat. Na, na, na, na. More than you. Better than you. Mumbo jumbo. You cannot damage a wrecked ship. The junk capsizes and the shark has its bellyful. We each have our own crosses to bear. Do unto others what has been done to you. Take apart. Piece by piece. A thorn in my side.

Thirteen said:

Interestingly enough, the 5/Pents often means "pride" rather than lack of Self-Esteem. They've made you an outsider, and you, in your pride, would rather starve in the cold than knock on their door, admit you were wrong, conform to what they want you to be, humble yourself, in order to gain their help

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ha! yes! I can see that....and that is exactly the case
It ain't going to happen, the worst thing for a person is to betray themselves, and embrace values and a lifestyle that does not make sense to them...the great thing about refusing to conform and choosing to stay out in the "cold", is that eventually you find some other fellows bystanders ...it is really not so lonely out there
So this 5 is about coping with being an outsider, lack of acceptance. It could signal a foreigner for example, new in a new country. Or the first day of school, or the boy/girl that "don't fit"....in truth this experience, even though painful and a bitter cup to swallow, makes people stronger, as it teaches them to stand up for themselves and don't compromise their integrity.
To learn to love who they are and say no, to the ones that won't accept their difference. Right?

This is followed by 6/Coins where you *do* accept help--and someone is generous enough to give it without demanding you change or be something you're not.

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and that is wonderful, that could be the gathering of bystanders that have experienced the coldness of the 5 . Like the foreign person finds a group of immigrants , the boy/girl that don't fit finally meet a teacher that inspires them and supports them or the person that refused to conform finds a way to express themselves without being judged.

If you're looking for lack of self-esteem in the 5's it's 5/Cups you want. That's the person weeping over the spilled cups saying, "What have I done? I'm such a klutz! I brought this on myself! Why didn't I see it sooner? I didn't deserve to have such nice wine in pretty cups....."

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yes, what a great explanation. Very different from the "hardy" 5 of pentacles, that is experiencing difficulty but is facing the snow storm. I often see the church window in the RW as the symbol of the person that is coping with that "out in the cold" experience by reconnecting to their spirituality...it is often in those moments, when we feel rejected and abandoned that we have the best awakenings .