chosing your battles

Hi G.

Do you feel like you're fighting a losing battle against someone who has no interest in hearing your point of view?
Or perhaps you're feeling ganged up on or wrongfully persecuted by others.

The Five of Wands is associated with conflict, opposition and strife. It represents rivalry and discord; arguments and aggression; duking it out with others; and fighting for the sake of fighting.

While you may feel that you're not being heard, you'll need to look at where you may have contributed to the conflicts you're engaged in as well. You'll have to look at where you may have been pushing your own views on others or have been unwilling to hear their views.

You might not even realize that you're doing it, yet your actions can translate as pressure -- at least on some unconscious level. Petty squabbles can erupt into major arguments because no one's actually listening to what anyone else has to say.

The Five of Wands is aggressive, combative and competitive; it is associated with forcing your will on others, trying to be heard above the “roar" of opposing viewpoints and struggling against cross-purposes.

The important thing to remember is that most disagreements are based on misunderstandings in the first place. The inability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes –- coupled with the need to be heard — is behind almost every argument out there. This combination can be a recipe for disaster.

The Five of Wands calls upon you to choose your battles wisely and to fight them with fairness and integrity. It reminds you to lead with your heart and cautions you against allowing yourself to be defeated by those who don't.

You may find yourself having to stand up for your principles, or you may get into a confrontation with a bully who expects you to cower in fear. Your goal should be to hold your ground, not back down, and not compromise what you believe in just to preserve the peace.