Five of Swords

A knight in full armor is kneeling in the center of this card.
He is supported by his own sword, while four blades are directed towards his head. His knighthood implicates a previous fight. He is not dead but downed. Even the geometric patterns indicate that faith is striking down on him. He cannot fight any more but has not yet been stripped of his sword. This is a card with ambivalent meaning. Not all is lost, but the knight finds himself at someone’s mercy nevertheless.
He is defeat, and knows, that this is the case. To fight on wouldn’t make sense, because it would turn his situation to grow dire.
The challenge of this card is, to accept our fate, at least for now. We cannot play an active part in our current story anymore and must submit to passivity at this point. No decision is to be made here.
This is not a time to argue, or to stand up to someone, but to wait and see what happens next. It is necessary, to allow the subordination to happen naturally. We cannot be always on top of things. We are not used to be out of our own game, but nevertheless this will happen from now and then to all of us.
To concede defeat will lead to a new and wider perception of truth. In these times, the key to faith is time itself. These two symbols can be found left and right of the kneeling knight.
To await the issue is the only possible solution in finding a way out of this situation.
Even if treason, illness, or loss are the cause, this archetype holds the possibility to grow to be a better person. There is a chance to find confidence and remuneration in this setback. The knight wears a crown of thorns, as a reference to the suffering Jesus Christ. Right after he is betrayed by Judas Iscariot, he enters his episode of being imprisoned and cannot act anymore. In most cases, myths of holy men, heroes and demigods offer a rich variety of stories about times of suffering. Usually, the heroes learn that these circumstances are necessary to grow stronger, become more deliberate and wiser. Eventually they prevail, are reborn or return home as improved versions of themselves. We must believe in ourselves and let the situation resolve itself, as it did for our heroes.