The Five of Ribbons

The woman is now almost entirely wrapped up in long ribbons of different colors. A ribbon covers her eyes; another wraps around her breasts and arms, binding her arms to her sides. Three more ribbons wind around her waist, further pinning her arms; her legs, preventing freedom of action; and her ankles, making walking difficult.

In a reading, this card indicates some situation in which the Querant is so wrapped up in one specific outcome of his or her dreams, one specific goal, that he or she is virtually unable to move. When we convince ourselves that our dreams can only manifest themselves in one particular form, and we lose track of the idea that there might be many different ways our dreams can be realized, they cease to be inspirations to us and instead hold us back.

The Five of Chains

A beautiful woman struggles to walk through thick, wild undergrowth. She wears manacles on her wrists and ankles and a collar is locked around her neck. Five chains extend behind her into a huge, tangled, and heavy ball of chain, which is carving a deep furrow in the ground as she strains to move forward. So intent is she on the struggle that it never occurs to her to look behind and see what is causing her trouble.

When it appears, this card is a symbol that the Querant is struggling to move against the weight of something keeping him or her back. Exerting still more effort might allow the Querant to struggle forward, step by halting step, but all the things that are holding him or her back have a single source. Sometimes, the best use of our energy is to name the thing that is causing our problems, and therefore reduce their power over us; simply putting words to the problems can help us to begin to find a solution.

The Five of Books

The girl sits at her desk facing us, lost in thought. Four books are piled on the desk in front of her, while a fifth book, open, leans against them. She is so intent on reading that she does not notice that the pile of four books is resting against the candle on her desk, and the stack of books is going up in flames.

In a reading, this card symbolizes ruination. The Querant has failed to protect him or herself from damage. Because of that, the Querant's resources have been needlessly squandered and consumed. Sometimes, failure to pay attention causes us to lose the things we need, and it's not always possible to recover what was lost. The sacred tomes that have been destroyed by the girl's carelessness and inattention cannot be replaced; the damage is irrevocable. Some lessons are very expensive, and the best that we can do is hope that we learn enough from those lessons to be worth the price.

The Five of Tentacles

Four tentacles hold the helpless and naked schoolgirl upside-down, with arms and legs apart. A fifth tentacle snakes out from the edge of the card and rubs the captive schoolgirl between her legs directly over her clit. Even though she is unhappy about her predicament, the schoolgirl can't help but moan; the rubbing feels good, and she enjoys it in spite of herself.

This is a card of frustration. The captive schoolgirl is frustrated because she can not move, frustrated because she can not escape, frustrated because the tentacle between her legs feels good, frustrated that she can not control what is happening to her. Previous commitments and choices have placed the Querant in an untenable position, and now conflicted emotions are rising to the surface. The Querant is not be able to change his or her course, and different emotions, including anger, resentment, or even pleasure, may be appropriate...or inevitable.