Five of Disks

The five of disks is not a card many like to receive. The picture is not one of the more joyful ones and can come across as very bleak.

 

We see two people in tattered clothing walking in the snow, one without shoes, the other with crutches and a bell around their neck. Their faces look despondent as they trudge through the cold, clearly feeling neglected and discarded. Behind them is what seems to be a church with stained glass window decorated with a plant that is sprouting 5 pentacles, leaves and two roses at the top. There are also two towers at the very top of the stained glass window, that can be easily missed if one doesn’t look. According to Madam Pamita in Madam Pamita’s Magical Tarot, the bell was a medieval sign of leporacy, so clearly this man is dealing with some illness that has left him an outcast. But the thing we need to take into consideration is the two towers on the window, as they tend to represent an opportunity to transform into a higher version of ourself. 

So we think this card has to do with literally being left put in the cold and being in poverty, severe lack, as that is what this card is often interpreted as. And yes that can absolutely be true, but more importantly if we ignore all the opportunities presented in the background for us to improve our situation, we very well could be the cause of it. Some people are so ashamed to ask for help they would rather suffer in silence, but if these people were wise, they would go to the church and ask for help, where they could most likely get some food and warm clothes and be directed to a place for shelter. They may be temporarily experiencing lack and poverty but it doesn’t have to last! There are opportunities for self improvement and assistance from others being presented, but if they’re too busy wallowing they may never see it. 

I used to always read this card as a card that was about nothing but poverty but Madam Pamita’s take on this card was really refreshing. It’s important for us to remember the tarot is a tool to show us where we are in the moment and it is up to us how we move forward and take action to get the support and help we need. Every moment is an opportunity for self transformation, but no one is going to do the work for us.