We see a group of five equally matched figures in the middle of a clash. It is obviously an everyone-against-everyone situation. We can connect this image with the everyday problems and obstacles that hinder our progress. Every now and then our plans are unexpectedly challenged by many little things we didn't anticipate. When little problems become numerous, they can put significant strain on one's enthusiasm and energy. It is about setting priorities and calmly resolving issues one after another. Generally speaking, we will hardly ever witness any great work done and finished without obstacles along the way. The lesson of this card is to be prepared and not to lose one's calm. Another theme of this card is opposing ideas. Maybe the strife is in our head. That is another moment when we must set our priorities, see what the best solution for ourselves is, and stop wasting energy on vacillation and procrastination.
On the card
Five young men stand close together on open ground, each holding a long wand, and they swing and raise their staves in every direction. The wands cross and clash in the air above their heads, forming a tangled pattern with no clear order.
Each of the young men is dressed differently, in tunics of different colours and patterns, which emphasises that each one stands for his own point of view. None of them is clearly winning, and none is clearly fighting one specific opponent. It is not obvious whether they are really trying to hurt one another or whether this is a game, a mock battle or a competitive sport.
There is no blood, no fallen figure and no visible injury. The landscape is plain and the sky is a clear pale blue, which makes the scene feel more like noisy rivalry than true war.
The card is often read as the struggle of competing ideas and ambitions: debate, rivalry, friction and the chaos that comes when many people, or many thoughts, push in different directions at the same time. It shows energy that has not yet found a common purpose.
Upright
Almost there, resolving doubts, ask yourself what it is that you really want, discussion about a creative endeavour.
Reversed
Obstacles, strife, agitation, excessive competition, trickery, indecision, stress, engaging in a battle, annoyance.