The Five of Wands

Strife and Conflict

From The Star Tarot, Cathy McClelland

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

The Five of Wands brings chaos and disruption with fire. Old forms and structures are burned away. Change is inevitable. Push comes to shove.

In the above image a volcanic eruption spews red-hot magma. It looks as though the stars are falling from the heavens. Sheltered in a green cloak, suggesting new life, a woman serenely holds white lilies giving a sense of hope that a purifying energy is enfolding her. The fiery power of life moves up through her chakras while she holds the balance of destruction and renewal in her heart. 

The force of fire is ultimately the Divine creative power of life. Transformation is a constant dynamic in the exterior world we live in as well as in our internal landscape. Ultimately they are connected; we are one with all of nature, one with the process of life as it manifests in our relationships, society, governments, and how we communicate with one another.

We are constantly creating with this fiery power whether it be our daily actions, a work of art, or an empire. But the life force needs to flow. When it becomes trapped in stagnant structures it pushes to find a release. Sometimes this shows up as a breakthrough in our way of living our life - a revelation that we need to liberate ourselves from rigid mind sets or habits into a rebirth of enthusiasm and activity. We start to recognize and use our creative power to express our talents and spend more time in activity that supports creativity in others. We also see that oppressing structures of government, society, even planetary cycles eventually fall to the fires of transformation. We are now witness to violent eruptions of change, upheaval and destruction. It is challenging to make sense of it all. We can feel burned-out, pushed to our limits.

We are all part of the change. Every level of our life is being burned to some degree with the purifying fires. To recognize the process as a purification is difficult. It took awhile for the pressure to build enough for all the disruption to happen and then create what seems like an explosive chain reaction. Fire burns away so new life can emerge. It can result in an epiphany or revelation of our spiritual awareness, but when a forest goes up in flames it is very hard indeed to see beyond the devastation.

As the image above reminds us, the sacred fire of our heart is where we seek refuge and find our center, our balance. This is where we can find shelter from the raging storms, create a haven for ourselves and others. We learn to live more in our heart energy, find courage, compassion, and are more able to reconnect with our creativity to bring something new into our own life and to the world we live in. 

During these challenging times may we remember to call upon the Divine Fire and to trust in renewal. May we find peace and shelter in the love we can give to one another. 

...Kathryn Ravenwood September 21, 2020