The Archetype and The Tarot: The Rebel and Five of Wands
Through the Rebel and the Five of Wands, this week we’re being called to embrace the energy of disruption and tension. Can we allow ourselves to face the conflicts in our lives with courage, letting the friction spark innovation and propel us toward meaningful change?
Welcome everyone! For an overview of what I’m doing here, please check out this post all about it. THANK YOU to all my subscribers! My heart and soul are filled with gratitude for your presence here. I LOVE this community that we are building! (If you’d like to support this work by making a one-time donation, you can buy me a cup of coffee here.❤️)
The Rebel Archetype
The Rebel is one of those archetypes that most of us recognize immediately. Rebellion is accepted as a normal part of adolescence as we come into our own empowerment. One of the gifts of the Rebel is the ability to be okay—to maintain an inner confidence—in the midst of chaos or disruption. With tremendous power of innovation, they can buck conformity and, for better or worse, introduce something new into a system.
In the light, the Rebel has forged their own path to empowerment, but doesn’t stop there. Because they have the ability to see when systems have become outdated or oppressive, the Rebel in the light breaks the pattern (and sometimes the rules) to bring about something better. They consider what is best for others in their desire to change these systems. This is one of the most profoundly significant archetypal patterns. The light side of the Rebel is present every time a system of oppression comes to end or an expansion of perspective is made.
The shadow Rebel, on the other hand, holds only their own interests in mind. Not wanting even a reasonable amount of authority held over them, they might have a general attitude of “don’t boss me.” Often they rebel out of a sense of thrill-seeking, causing chaos and disrupting safety nets for their own amusement. But before we judge too quickly, it’s important to remember that we all have at least a little shadow Rebel in us. When we feel that pull to rebel, we’re being asked to pause and shine a light on our deepest motivation underlying the desire.
Because the Rebel came up this week, I believe we’re being shown that there's something in our life that needs to be disrupted, something that we need to rebel against and approach with innovation.
Some questions to consider this week:
In your life, what has been feeling oppressive lately? It might be an external system, but could also be a thought or emotion pattern.
Who are your favorite Rebels in the light?
In what ways has the shadow Rebel appeared in your behavior?
How do you tend to react when you see others rebelling?
Five of Wands
The Five of Wands, to me, invites us into the energy of conflict. The figures on the card look tangled in their wands, almost as if they’re trapped in the tension of the moment. I believe fives in the tarot signify destabilizing events—those moments when the stable structures of the fours give way to disruption. In the Five of Wands, this feels like a conflict or clash of wills, a moment when contrasting energies collide.
I see this card as asking us to reflect: What conflicts are we locked in? Where are we so caught in our own perspective that we can’t see another? The stakes feel high here, as this energy is tied to our vitality. It could be that a passionate exchange lights us up with life force, or maybe we feel our life force is threatened, prompting us to defend it fiercely. Either way, the clash feels alive and intense.
For me, the call of this card isn’t to rush toward resolution. Instead, it’s an invitation to sit with the tension for a moment. I think when we rush to fix things, our perspectives can narrow, and we might cling to righteousness or react from unprocessed emotions. But when we pause and open ourselves to the energy of the conflict, something can shift. That pause might create space to see other perspectives or allow resolution to arise naturally, in its own time.
How does this pair work together?
Here I see that the Rebel catches a glimpse of something in their life that desperately needs disruption—something stale, oppressive, or outdated. But fear creeps in, and they hesitate, wrapping a blindfold tightly around their eyes. In this blinded state, they accidentally wander into the melee happening in the Five of Wands. As wands clatter around the Rebel, the blindfold is knocked free. Now, the Rebel has no choice but to confront the conflict directly.
I believe our call this week is to recognize something in our lives that’s ready to be disrupted and to stay present with it—to hold steady in the fight and allow the energy of rebellion to flow.
Ooooh, this feels like potent energy to me! Rebellion and sticking with the fight isn’t my usual M.O. I think I’ll have to dig deep this week. Let me know how you do with it all by leaving a comment below or sending me a message. Sending you all love and support! 💖💖💖
Reading this my thoughts do not go to the personal but the collective and where we are at this point in history. The message you brought us today is so applicable. However, there is the reminder to bring this energy home, to my own life, and put it under the microscope to see what needs to be done. Thanks Jenna❤️
I echo Donna. It does seem you’ve pulled and interpreted two cards tapped into the collective.