The Five of Swords — Conflict & Defeat Playlist
The Five of Swords carries the sting of battles where no one truly wins. It’s the wound left by discord and the bitterness of walking away with a victory that feels hollow.
This card asks you to examine the cost of your fights. Is the win worth the wreckage? Or is the lesson in learning when to lay down the sword and walk away?
And that’s where music comes in. A playlist about conflict and defeat, like this one, acts as a spell. It captures the clash, the aftermath, and the uneasy truths that rise when pride outweighs peace.
But first, let’s talk about what this card means.
The Five of Swords in Tarot
In the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, the Five of Swords shows a figure clutching three swords, glancing back at two defeated opponents as storm clouds hang above. It is the image of pointless conquest.
At its core, this card represents:
✨ Conflict and Tension — battles fought where no one truly wins.
✨ Betrayal and Defeat — the pain of trust broken or rivalry taken too far.
✨ Pyrrhic Victory — questioning if winning was worth the cost.
When this card comes up in a reading, it asks you to reflect on the true price of conflict—and whether peace might serve better than triumph.
Music as Magic
To me, music is one of the simplest kinds of spellwork. A playlist can set the tone for an afternoon of creativity, a ritual, or even just a mood shift. The songs we choose become the energy we’re weaving around ourselves.
The Five of Swords playlist is one I imagine playing while:
Journaling after an argument to process the fallout.
Reflecting on the cost of “winning” versus walking away.
Moving through tension with a releasing ritual.
Letting the music hold both anger and acceptance.
It’s music for clashes, ego, and the emptiness of winning a silly fight.
The Playlist
Here’s the soundtrack I curated to capture the essence of the Five of Swords:
War – Edwin Starr
Few songs drive home the pointlessness of battle like this one. Opening with “War” frames the Five of Swords as a fight where no one truly wins. It’s the clash before the fallout, demanding you face the reality of what’s lost when a fight becomes the only option.Bad Blood – Taylor Swift
Here, the battlefield turns personal. “Bad Blood” captures betrayal between people once close, highlighting how trust curdles into animosity. Its placement shows the shift from outward fights to inward wounds, where the hurt of broken bonds stings just as much as swords clashing.You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette
This is betrayal’s raw scream. Alanis’ furious honesty rips through denial, forcing acknowledgment of deep emotional cuts. It sits here to intensify the energy, pulling us deeper into the heat of the discord where anger burns bright, leaving scars that can’t be unseen or unheard.Backstabber – Kesha
Betrayal can also wear a false smile. Kesha’s biting pop anthem reminds us that sometimes enemies sit in disguise, pretending to be friends. Placing it here underlines the deception within the Five of Swords and the hollow victories won at the expense of trust.Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
The playlist pivots into rivalry and ego with “Take Me Out.” Its sharp riffs echo the clash of opponents who are more concerned with winning than with the consequences. It belongs here as the fight peaks, illustrating the intoxicating yet destructive rush of outward competition.R U Mine? – Arctic Monkeys
This track’s restless energy mirrors the obsessive edge of a dispute. “R U Mine?” asks questions that are less about love than about control, reflecting how the Five of Swords traps us in cycles of grasping and proving. It keeps the tension alive as we move forward.Smile Like You Mean It – The Killers
Conflict often leaves a hollow mask, and this song embodies that false front. The smiling face that hides regret speaks to the emptiness of hollow victories. Here, it begins the descent from fiery battle into aftermath, showing what remains when the dust settles.How You Like Me Now? – The Heavy
Swagger after squabbling rings false. “How You Like Me Now?” struts with bravado, but beneath it lies emptiness. It represents the victor’s empty gloating in the Five of Swords, where triumph isolates rather than heals, and the spoils of battle feel shallow and unsatisfying.We Used to Be Friends – The Dandy Warhols
Here, the aftermath turns bittersweet. A song about fractured relationships, it captures the losses we carry long after an altercation ends. Its placement reminds us that once-trusted bonds may never be the same, even when the battle is over, which is a perfect reflection of the Five of Swords.Pompeii – Bastille
The closer takes us into ruins. “Pompeii” isn’t just about loss; it’s about standing among the ashes of what once was. Ending with this track underscores the devastation of the Five of Swords: the haunting reminder that even victories can leave behind nothing but silence and rubble.
Journal Prompts for the Five of Swords
If you want to go deeper into the energy of this card, try reflecting with these prompts:
Where in my life am I fighting battles that cost too much?
How do I react when conflict leaves no true winners?
What lessons can I learn from betrayal or defeat?
If you want to explore these prompts more deeply, I created a free worksheet to guide you.
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Bringing the Five of Swords Into Your Life
This playlist reminds you to reflect on the cost of battles.
Hostility Reflection: Journal about recent arguments and what they taught you while listening.
Cutting Ties Ritual: Burn a slip of paper with words you no longer wish to carry.
Shadow Work: Let the songs guide you into honesty about your role in altercations.
Affirmation Work: Say, “I choose peace over empty victory.”
By making listening intentional, you transform music into magic.
Final Thoughts
The Five of Swords asks us to look at the cost of conflict. Winning doesn’t always mean peace. This playlist delves into the sting of rivalry, betrayal, and the pain of walking away.
So press play while reflecting on battles you’ve fought. Let the music remind you that surrendering in an unworthy battle can bring more peace than winning.
✨ Want to go deeper? Pull a card for “what am I ready to lay down instead of fighting?” as you listen.
