Victoria Regina Tarot - Five of Wands
Art: Sarah Ovenall
Book: Georg Patterson & Sarah Ovenall

Description: The backdrop of this card is a rocky coast pounded by surf. The sun is not far up the horizon...sunset? A pen (the suit symbol of the Wands) bisects the card vertically. On each side are people armed with (man height) pens, which are aimed at the person in the opposite corner.

Upper left, appears to me to be a woman, a servant perhaps, washerwoman, maybe. Clearly in the process of throwing the pen like a spear. Top left, a Scottish soldier (kilted), pen/spear held ready. Bottom right, peasant garbed man, position more defensive. Bottom left, coat-&-hatted soldier, Russian perhaps, with the pen held only in one hand and resting over his knee, while the other hand reaches in a belt-pouch, perhaps for more ammunition.

My takes: This is definitely an unquiet card. No tranquility here. The background contributes to a feeling of unsettledness, of conflict in the air.

This card, to me, begs the reader to question, "Who are you in this picture?" What is your role in the present conflict? Are you charging actively into the fray? Ready to fight if pushed? Only ready to defend yourself if required? Or are you collecting ammunition, readying yourself to enter the fight, waiting for a vulnerable moment to strike?

The sunset and the tense attitude of the figures makes me feel that this is a situation which will be resolved quickly.

From the book: First off, the book says they are all men (whoops) ... the figures at top left & bottom right were originally blacksmiths.

The book points out the contentious times that Victoria reigned over ... only 2 years of the reign did not involve conflict in the realm, on varied continents.

"Disorder, conflict & struggle are the keywords here. This can be a card of chaos or plans delayed, disrupted or dismantled. Although a certain amount of conflict is often inevitable, there is a danger in becoming so wrapped up in temporary problems that we lose sight of our goals. Sometimes we need to distance ourselves from the chaos in order to continue with our efforts.

“...can also speak of the necessity of change. Complacency is an enemy of progress... A bit of chaos & strife may be just the things to get the creative fires burning brighter. If we try too hard to avoid confrontation, we may find ourselves stagnating. Additionally, there are times when we have to speak up for ourselves to defend what we believe in...We should not place a higher value on stability than on ourselves & our ideas."

Blessings,
Janet