Tarot: The Fives in the Minor Arcana

The Morgan Greer Tarot - Fives of the Minor Arcana

The tarot fives can often feel like bad news.  Looking at some keywords for the five of each suit, we get words like lack and loss for the five of pentacles, strife and conflict for the five of wands, battle and defeat for the five of swords, and sorrow and loss for the five of cups. In general, all of the tarot fives seem to share the energies of instability, challenge, and possible loss.  Yet it’s been my experience that when these cards appear, it’s not all gloom and doom. While they are often an acknowledgement of a less than ideal situation that they client is facing, they can also be harbingers of much-needed change.

I like to think of the progression of each suit through the numbers to clarify my understanding.  (If you’re a serious student of tarot, I suggest learning a bit about numerology to help you connect with the tarot minors.) Fives are preceded by secure and stable fours and followed by harmonious sixes.  What is required to get from a place of safety and security (four) to a higher level of balance, maturity, and success (six)?  You have to step out into life and engage and that usually means embracing change in some way, which is the power of the number five.

In fact, in numerology the number five is often associated with freedom, change, and adventure. Five is also linked to a strong sense of independence and a need for personal freedom. Fives may also struggle with a lack of stability or a tendency to become easily bored. Those influenced by this number often resist routine and predictability, preferring instead to live life on their own terms, but when we choose to go our own way, it may not work for everyone around us. 

In summary, the number five in numerology can represent adventure, change, and exploration. In tarot fives, there is a lot of trial and error.  The key is to view the fives as affording the energy of change and the stimulating possibilities that presents.  Are we battling a problem or confronting it? Are we holding on to a loss or actively letting it go?  You get the picture! 

I leave you with a quote for the day: 

“Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw