When the Five of Swords appears in your reading you can be sure that you will be cheated in some way. This card often signifies theft of some sort.
You or someone around you is using unfair tactics to gain an advantage and win at all costs. In the Rider Waite deck a combatant is displayed clutching the swords of his opponents. His victory is unfair as he has only “won” because others were at a disadvantage.
Storm clouds are shown brewing in the scene, a sure sign of further conflicts to come and the victorious swordsman wears a sinister grin on his face, revealing that he takes pleasure in disarming and bullying others. The Five of Swords notifies you that you are dealing with a highly unpleasant person or situation and that you ought to be on your guard and not trust anything or anyone blindly.
In a love reading, this card is without exception an ill omen. Most often it appears when the object of your affections has set their sights on someone else and are merely using you to fill their vacant time. You are unaware that you will lose your lover to someone else, but your lover knows that they are not intending to be with you in the first place. The Five of Swords does not just signify deceit in this context, it also can alert you to the fact that your love interest is taking advantage of you in some way, that they are an opportunist, insincere, or that they use abusive tactics to undermine you and dent your confidence.
In a work reading, this card means that you will be cheated of an opportunity or that peers or associates are using dishonest tactics to outwit you. If you are dealing with business partners, be aware that they are not being as transparent with you as you would hope for and be careful that they are not plagiarising your ideas. This card can often be seen when someone is looking for another work opportunity unbeknownst to their employer or that an employer is misleading someone into believing that they will get a promotion.
Key Words: theft, deceit, opportunism, bullying, undermining, plagiarism, cheating
