Understanding the Meaning of Five in Tarot Readings

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Tarot Readings

All numbers expanding out from “one” contains the power of all its predecessors within its vibration.  Therefore, “five” possess the combined energy of “one” through “four.”  The meaning of “five” reflects the expansiveness and ability to express the interactions of its core parts.  It is the first digit that embodies a constant, if not driven, state of balancing its personal equation.  Consider how “five” is tied with humanity.  People have five of the following: fingers per hand, toes per foot, and tactile senses.  Thus, “five” is yoked to the physical plane with a similar grounded vibration as “four,” but a deeper scale.

The Greeks viewed this grounding physical nature in their concept of the fifth element.  They philosophized “five” and honored the pentacle as a perfect symbol to represent the four elements (water, air, earth, and fire) as well as Spirit as a unifier.  Plutarch viewed this as the Divine ether to secure harmony between all the elements.  Furthermore, the Greeks postulated “five” governed spiritual knowledge and disperses it to all people so they can grow spiritually, similar to the meaning of the Tarot’s fifth card, the Hierophant.

Questions you may ask to better understand the impact of the number five

  • What unifies me?
  • What is central to my existence
  • What areas am I striving to do, know, or be more? Why?
  • What is the current state of my health? How do I perceive my physical body and its state of being?
  • What is the unifier of my physical, mental, and spiritual self to make it work in concert?
  • What does the “fifth element” mean in my life? How can I harness this power daily?
  • What would happen if viewed this as a driving force in life rather than something I have repress?

Notice how these questions reflect an increasing drive for greater expansion and intensity of Five energy.  Such is the tendency for “five” to be the number of travel, unpredictability, chaos, and apprehension.

Understanding “five” in tarot spreads

In addition to seeing five in each Minor Arcana suit, there is the fifth card of the Major Arcana, The Hierophant.  In tarot, “five’s” energy compels us to seek out greater expression, unity and understanding.  We are called to know who we are in the universal community.  It ask us to manifest our goals while balancing our inner motivations.

Common traits of Five in Western numerology and Tarot:

  • Vitality
  • Total honesty
  • Health
  • Apex
  • Exploration
  • Knowledge
  • Pushing limits
  • Growth
  • Unification
  • Hindsight
  • Physical body
  • Passion
  • Ideals
  • Synchronicity
  • Chaos
  • Overing odds

Visual representations of Five

  • Half circle – Desire for wholeness
  • Flag – Victory or if inverted, surrender
  • Table top – Putting it all out there. Candor
  • Arrow – Need for grounding. When pointed to the earth, a need for stability or land travel
  • Pentacle – The five-pointed star signifies the four elements and spirit both in concert with each other and independently.

Common association with Five

  • The color blue
  • The letters E, N, and W
  • Qabalah symbol “hay”
  • Both Jupiter and Aries in astrology

Personal traits of Numerological Fives

People with the numerology of Five posses its energy in the form of sincere interest in others, often serving as community activists.  They are high-spirited and enjoy traveling.  These individuals are highly adaptable in most situations and do well without routine or structure.  They face a challenge with ingenuity and big picture thinking.  They can multi-task easily, but can be poor with time management.  Unfortunately, this means they lose out on certain opportunities, but no matter the hurdle, a Five personality always achieves their endeavors and comes out ahead.