What Was the 5 of Swords Reversed in Your Experience?

[Enlightenment23]

Hi guys!

I just wanted to get your input on your own personal experiences with the 5 of Swords Reversed in your readings. What event, person, or experience has the 5 of Swords Rx turned up for you?

Personally, I've seen the 5 of Swords Rx turn up as the "aftermath" of a conflict between two or more people. The fighting is over, but the tension is clinging in the air. Perhaps this card can describe the feeling of walking into a room with people that can't stand each other - "and you can cut the tension with a knife."

What's your experience with the 5 of Swords Rx? (Reversal readers preferred, though not necessary).

 

[pageoftemperance]

When I pulled 5 of Swords, it represented a toxic situation I was in when living with a "friend" who was volatile, abusive, and very self-centered. Like you said, the card seemed to talk more about the aftermath rather than what was happening during the worst of it - so much tension and residual anger/fear, a totally soul-crushing aftermath for me at least. I use Dreaming Way and the card has a picture of a smug person walking away with an armful of swords while the person in the background stands staring at the ground, forgotten by the other person and left alone in the background. Very accurate as I did feel like I was dropped out of that situation very empty and that the housemate had my power and reputation away.

(related, if anyone has some good curses they know to get back at an abuser . . . I am all ears)

Interesting to know that you also felt it as an aftermath card, I haven't seen that interpretation elsewhere!

edit: whoops, I missed that you were talking about reversals, I'm sorry! let me know if you'd like my reply to be deleted

 

[Enlightenment23]

When I pulled 5 of Swords, it represented a toxic situation I was in when living with a "friend" who was volatile, abusive, and very self-centered. Like you said, the card seemed to talk more about the aftermath rather than what was happening during the worst of it - so much tension and residual anger/fear, a totally soul-crushing aftermath for me at least. I use Dreaming Way and the card has a picture of a smug person walking away with an armful of swords while the person in the background stands staring at the ground, forgotten by the other person and left alone in the background. Very accurate as I did feel like I was dropped out of that situation very empty and that the housemate had my power and reputation away.

(related, if anyone has some good curses they know to get back at an abuser . . . I am all ears)

Interesting to know that you also felt it as an aftermath card, I haven't seen that interpretation elsewhere!

edit: whoops, I missed that you were talking about reversals, I'm sorry! let me know if you'd like my reply to be deleted

No way! Upright interpretations are totally alright.

I really love your take on this card, but hate what you had to go through. I've always seen the "victor" of the 5 of Swords to be saying "nah, nah, nah!" in the cruel, bullying way. They have no regard for others as they climb to the top so to speak. So I would definitely expect the 5 of Swords to pop up in such a nasty housemate situation like yours. Good think it's all over!

 

[Sibylline]

My interpretation is very much like yours, Enlightenment. It came up for me after a fight I had with a friend (who is no longer my friend, lol). This is such an interesting and psychological card.

I see the 5 of swords rx most often when two people are done viciously fighting with each other, but it tends to be a Pyrrhic victory in my readings with a very particular reversal of fortune. If the winner is nasty and vicious during the fight, I find that in the long run, the winner becomes the loser and the loser becomes the winner.

Whether he knows it or not, the "winner" winds up wounding himself due to the tactics or words he had to use in order to win. However, the winner tends to suffer a very deep and painful psychological wound (typical of the swords suit, right?). So much so, that he can't really savor the victory or feel a sense of achievement. If the person is a little more evolved he's like, "Since I was nasty in that fight, what kind of person does that make me now?" If he's not evolved, he will continue bullying, but we know that bullies are actually deeply wounded internally. In both cases, the winner loses.

Meanwhile, the "loser" may suffer a psychological wound and may feel victimized, but there is a sense of freedom and peace in the act of walking away. It's a feeling of, "Wow, that really hurt. But at least it's over and I can put it behind me now."

In the fight with my ex-friend, he wound up losing all of his friends and developed a bad reputation later on. Once he realized he was the one to blame for the after effects, he was left in a world of hurt. Meanwhile, I have happily moved on once I was done healing myself.

ETA: I've seen the same dynamic in bitter divorce cases when this card shows up.