Five of Wands

There seems to be a lot of disagreement as to what the Five of Wands indicates. With regards to the most commonly known illustration by Pamela Coleman-Smith, I've seen descriptions that describe the young men as fighting, playing, competing, or constructing; it's perhaps an appropriately ungainly cluster of descriptions for this rather contentious card. But it's surely no more jarring than the sight of many beloved cartoon characters being used for war propaganda, which you'll find at Toons At War. Here we get to see what the likes of Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny were up to during WWII, and the ways in which their personas and images swerved off course to keep pace with the world. Does the fact that they're dressed up like soldiers mean they really intend to do battle, or are they, too, play-fighting?

After the period of rest and contentment in the Four of Wands, building up momentum again can be very hard. Sometimes we can't get moving unless we sense the emergence of a rival; in that way, competition can really give us a boost. However, when we're impeded (whether from within or without) we also have a tendency to look for someone to blame, and that could prove to be a big waste of time and effort.

So go ahead, fight your silly cartoon battles if it moves you along -- but remember that meeting your goals isn't just about stamping out about your competition. There was a reason you embarked in the first place, and it's important to keep from losing sight of it. [Via]