What does the Six of Cups card mean in a Tarot Reading?
Let’s talk about one of the most romantic and light cards in the deck – Six of Cups. This is the Arcana of pleasant memories, warm ties that have been going on for a long time, a common cozy past.
This is such a cute, friendly card! However, it comes right after the mixed feelings of the Five of Cups and just before the complexity and marginal blessings of the Seven of Cups. This is a card that indicates some kind of emotional haven or an emotional ally.
This card means comfort and peace. Where we are at home, where we feel safe, we can give vent to our simplest and most natural feelings – kindness, tenderness, love. This card tells that there’s no need to “keep” your feelings. Make it clear to your loved ones that they are dear and necessary to you. Protect them from bad emotions that visit your soul, but feel free to share your joy with them.
“Little happiness”, profit three cents on the dollar, but without any risk. Good for beginners and people of “home”, cozy warehouse. For enterprising people, adventurous spirits, it means stagnation, swamp.
Goal: Creating Beauty Through Creativity
Element: Water
Planet: Venus, Moon
Astrological sign: Scorpio, Virgo, Pisces
Depiction
A boy offers a bowl of flowers to a little girl. In the background you can see a colorful village landscape, a thatched house and a stone tower. In the foreground there are four Cups in a row – also filled with flowers. Another bowl of flowers stands on a nearby podium decorated with a heraldic cross.
(For a detailed depiction, analysis of the Symbols and all Elements of the Six of Cups Tarot Card, click here)
The Main Meanings of the Card In an Upright Position
Key Words and Phrases
Innocence. Memories of childhood and events associated with it. Exchange of impressions and memories. Upright talk. Rebirth of love. Renewal of old ties. Restoring harmony. Reflections on bygone times. Loved one from the past. Return of the past. Old friends. Karmic connections. Happy memories.
Anniversaries. Emotional renewal. Extracting hidden emotional treasures. Warm greetings. Holidays. Present. Sentimentality. Family values. The joy of being in a family circle. A trip to close relatives. New job offer. Moving. Inheritance. Communication with children.
The main meanings of the card in an upright position
comfort, peace;
little income, little happiness;
pleasant memories;
old friend;
gift, news;
new opportunities;
daydreaming in all matters, lack of pragmatism;
wandering in dreams-memories;
a promise for the future;
memory of childhood, ideals of the past;
connections with the past;
strong family ties, family celebrations;
good prospects: love, happiness, family;
awakening old feelings;
the appearance in the life of people from the past – old friends, loved ones, acquaintances;
receiving an inheritance.
Situation and Advice
You will have the opportunity to renew old acquaintances. You may be attending a family reunion or a meeting of school friends. Someone from the past will reappear in your life. Your thoughts are directed to childhood and to the most precious and exciting moments of this period. Some event rooted in the past will give its results. Six of Cups advises to gather strength and not be afraid of returning to the memories of the past.
Perhaps you will meet your old love. An old friend will bring you news that will entail a change of job or place of residence. During this period, children will play an important role in your life. You need to return to some events of the past, perhaps it will be easier to do this in a frank conversation with a person whom you completely trust. A case may occur that provides you with the opportunity to apply old, long unused skills.
Persons designated by Upright Six of Cups Tarot Сard
Old friends. Those who are almost like relatives to us. Childhood friends. Children. Former lovers. People associated with our past.
The Main Meanings of the Card In a Reversed Position
Key Words and Phrases
Unwillingness or inability to adapt to the situation. All thoughts are in the past. Unwillingness to let go of “mother’s skirt”. Unnecessary nostalgia. Desire to return to old security measures. Vanity. Memories that cause suffering. Inability to pay the loan. Ghosts of the past in the present. Skeleton in the closet. Adherence to old traditions and beliefs. Reluctance to try something new. The need to look into the future. I don’t want to grow. The questioner will have to part with some of his friends, put an end to old deeds and affections, for he has long “grown” out of all this.
Do not trust the future, no matter how pleasant it may seem! Let the past bury its dead! Take action! Take action! And live in the present!
The main meanings of the card in a reversed position
everything remains as before, no changes are foreseen;
live in the past;
omission of the expected award;
concern for children;
something important, significant will happen soon;
future;
rebirth, resurrection;
reproduction, resumption, repetition;
an indication that something will happen earlier than planned or expected;
renewal, coming, inheritance;
strong family or friendship ties;
meeting new people, new knowledge or skills;
vanity, haste, impatience;
an event that occurs earlier than expected.
Situation and Advice
Family ties or past relationships hold you back. Are you still holding on to your mother’s skirt? Perhaps you are haunted by the memory of some event in the past, or maybe your past love interest affects the present. Something you expect is delayed or postponed. You need to keep living on, but, most likely, old connections or indecision prevent this.
It is possible that feelings and values that were instilled in you as a child or during any relationship in the past are interfering with your current progress. Are you still clinging to outdated beliefs and values? The time has come to live here and now, boldly looking into the future. During this period, you may be overwhelmed by concern for children. It is possible to receive an inheritance in the near future.
Persons designated by the Reversed Six of Cups Tarot Сard
People who live on memories of the past. Mama’s sons and daughters. People with outdated, impractical views.
In the Spreads
The main meaning of the card can be understood from its image. These are pleasant memories of childhood and spending time with loved ones, bright dreams and happy moments that were in the past, but allow you to feel love in the present. Six of Cups is a card of emotional uplift and happy nostalgia.
Six of Cups has an extremely favorable meaning in an upright position and a fairly good value in a reversed position. This card is one of the positive Arcana, which does not carry any categorically negative answer.
In an Upright Position
Six of Cups is a good Tarot card. It means harmony in life, the origins of which must be sought in the past, in the distant childhood years. The connections and work of the past are now bearing fruit, and the querent is enjoying them. Happy memories, old friends or beloved ones have a special place in the life of the querent. The Six of Cups also speaks of a new job or a new home.
The card evokes a feeling of spirituality, the desire for new stages and achievements. The experience of the past provides a solid foundation for the implementation of the main goals, and the knowledge gained from experience gives strength to change life for the better.
The meaning of the Six of Cups Tarot card: memories, a look back (especially in childhood), thoughts of past love. Happiness coming from the past, from thoughts of the long gone. Promise for the future, future renewal, happiness and love.
In an upright position, the Tarot card Six of Cups symbolizes sincere, ingenuous, vivid feelings – just like in childhood. This means both the ability to enjoy life, enjoying every minute, and the ability to build strong, real relationships with loved ones.
In your life there is a place for true friendship, love, a happy family – tells the Six of Cups to the querent. This is your foundation, a guarantee of confidence in the future, harmony in your soul and future success.
In addition, the upright Tarot card Six of Cups, depending on the spread, can mean positive events in your life that will come to you from the past. This can be a meeting with a former acquaintance or a money transfer for an old project. In general, the Six of Cups promises you happy changes, stability and prosperity, based on your strong family or friendship ties.
The Six of Cups in an upright position always indicates something good in the past. Memories of this good will allow you to restore energy, feel happiness and move on. These are the past moments that give us strength and joy.
Falling out in fortune telling or in an upright position, the Six of Cups Tarot card takes us to the land of memories. It shows that the past is still alive in us, that we return to it in romantic dreams or in nagging nostalgic experiences. Happy memories, old friends or loved ones have a special place in our lives. However, Arcana also indicates that a person who has experienced a lot in the past begins to feel himself reborn to a new life.
The card expresses generosity, respect and love, joy of life and inner harmony, as well as prosperity and emotional uplift. If the Six of Cups Tarot card fell out as the resulting card, it means the embodiment of some long-forgotten dream into reality.
Also, this card speaks of the proximity of solemn events, holidays, anniversaries, and possibly a meeting with old acquaintances.
Unambiguously, the drawing of the Six of Cups in the spread informs the questioner that the present situation has developed due to some circumstances that have occurred earlier.
In a Reversed Position:
The reversed Six of Cups, as opposed to the upright one, is more focused on the future. Its meaning is associated with a person’s desire to forget some traumatic moments or people, leave it in the past and move on on their own.
Reversed Six of Cups speaks of events in the near future. These can be new goals, aspirations, dreams, very significant events in life. A person expands his outlook, horizons, grows and develops, gaining new knowledge and new people around him.
Old interpreters give additional meaning that in the near future it is necessary to reflect on the current state of affairs and adjust the “correct course”. Therefore, the reversed Six of Cups is not at all as harmless as it seems at first glance.
In the reversed position, the Six of Cups is, first of all, striving into the future in order to forget about the past, changes in life that are expected in the near future. The card advises not to get too attached to the past, since the old feelings have already exhausted themselves and now only interfere with new experiences, moving forward.
The reversed Six of Cups Tarot card speaks of new friends, new knowledge, new surroundings. Changes in mood and relationships. Something important, significant, is about to happen.
In a reversed position, the Six of Cups reminds the querent that he is associated with close people by strong, real, sincere feelings, such as friendship and love. Thanks to this, your life flows in a confident direction. By relying on the support of loved ones, you can calmly build your future. In this case, new things, emotions and impressions await you: meeting new people, launching new projects.
However, the reversed Six of Cups also suggests that the flow of your affairs can be disrupted by unnecessary fuss and impatience. In addition, in a certain scenario, the Arcana can mean that the querent lives in the past (memories, regrets, past love), and this prevents him from moving forward.
There is another meaning for the reversed card – this is the receipt of an inheritance, small, although more significant than was expected. Some experts talk about the unwillingness to live in the father’s house, to observe family responsibilities, which entails running away from home or leaving the family.
In the Spreads for Different situation
In an Upright Position:
Everything is going well. You get pleasure and satisfaction from the situation. There is a chance for self-realization, new projects and opportunities. It makes sense to go back and finish the once abandoned business, the result will be successful.
In a Reversed Position:
Do not try to get away from the problem and forget everything. Perhaps you are now mistaken about some of the questions due to negative experiences in the past. Try to remove the emotional component and bad thoughts and not postpone solving the situation.
In the Spreads for Relationship
In an Upright Position:
Six of Cups for love and relationships can have several meanings. Usually, the most common are pleasant moments lived together, the memories of which strengthen the connection in the present and give perspective to the future. It may be a partner with whom you have been dating for a long time, and you have had many events that unite you. Or a former partner suddenly gives a chance of reuniting now. Also, perhaps, a friend or acquaintance with whom you just had a good time and suddenly fell in love, etc. Another meaning is romantic. Usually it can fall out at the beginning of a new relationship and symbolize the initial dates, joint dreams, flirting.
If the Six of Cups falls out in an upright position in fortune-telling and dealing with love and relationships, most often it means warmth and kindness, characteristic of the period of fabulous love. Sometimes it can describe memories of such a period. It is in this area that the dreamy, sometimes sugary-sentimental side of this card is most strongly expressed, although it contains both poetry and genuine romance. Arcana leaves no doubt that you can easily achieve what you want, not only without spoiling your relationships with loved ones, but also making them much more durable than before.
In a Reversed Position:
Indicates intentions to leave something in the past, not remember certain unpleasant events, or even break off painful relationships altogether. You will do this in order to confidently go into a bright future.
The reversed Six of Cups predicts a truce, regardless of common sense or experience. It indicates a more complex and problematic situation than it seems. If fortune-telling is carried out on a new relationship, then Arcana portends their futility.
In the Spreads for Dates
In an Upright Position:
Get to know your potential partner better before rushing into the maelstrom of passion. What you find out can make a big difference in how you feel about him.
In a Reversed Position:
Beware of being overly suspicious of your partner.
In the Spreads for Family
In an Upright Position:
In a family, you feel love and protection. It gives you a wonderful sense of security that helps you face current challenges with confidence.
In a Reversed Position:
Don’t let your family be your only source of comfort and safety. Let your friends and mentors help you too.
In the Spreads for Friendship
In an Upright Position:
A friend from your past returns for a short visit. Rejoice as you remember the good old days with him.
In a Reversed Position:
You’ve focused too much on the friends you’ve lost or left behind. Now we need to continue our journey and make new friendships.
In the Spreads for Money
In an Upright Position:
On financial issues, this Arcana has a fairly good meaning. Most often, this is a sign of not too large, but a reliable income and a good quality of life.
In a Reversed Position:
In a financial situation, it can indicate old debts or loans, keeping money at home, hoarding.
In the Spreads for Education
In an Upright Position:
One particular teacher is especially supportive and encouraging right now.
In a Reversed Position:
You treat your studies in such a way that it is not easy to help you – for teachers it is almost overwhelming work. Stop pushing away the knowledge they are trying to give you.
In the Spreads for Career
In an Upright Position:
This is a favorable card in work matters. It means a cozy, comfortable work environment and satisfaction in your actions. It may symbolize a return to previously discussed ideas in order to bring them to life.
The Six of Cups in an upright position suggests that we perceive our work more romantically than pragmatically, and we are carried away by our ideal idea of it, and not by everyday routine. In creative professions, this is even a plus, however, where neatness and organization is required, this approach only hinders both us and those who work with us.
In a Reversed Position:
This Arcana can symbolize a reluctance to quit unprofitable business or hard work due to habit. If there is a good chance, a person leaves everything as it is.
When the Six of Cups falls out in fortune telling in a reversed position, it tells that the existing problems are actually not as small and insignificant as they seem at first glance. And the unwillingness to take a fresh look at their affairs, fixation on the past and adherence to old connections can not only worsen the situation in the present, but also slow down success in the future.
In the Spreads for Health
In an Upright Position:
In general, this card means good health, positive dynamics of recovery. Not very serious illnesses or minor complications after illnesses suffered in childhood are possible. Six of Cups indicates any restrictions, age or simply a weakening of energy. Long-term illnesses may appear. Be attentive to your condition.
In a Reversed Position:
The reversed Six of Cups for health does not give an exact answer, its meaning is blurred. This may include a desire to forget about past illnesses or ineffective treatments for current ones. If your question was related to physical condition, it is better to pull out another card for clarification.
Indicates the return of old diseases, relapses. Infectious diseases and heart diseases.
Answer to Yes / No Tarot Spreads
In an Upright Position:
No, it’s already in the past
In a Reversed Position:
Yes
Self-Development Lesson
Reflect on how your relationship and the lessons you have learned from life have enriched you. But after that, be ready to move on – we all have to emerge from the past, live in the present and open up to what lies ahead.
Type of person in an upright position:
The card means a person who is emotionally stable, consistent, with a kind heart, but he cannot be manipulated. He is reliable, he takes a responsible approach to solving any problems. Strives to strengthen family ties, prone to nostalgia, sadness for the past.
Type of person in a reversed position:
Means a person active, but capricious, fickle. He changes his mind very often. Vanity, but his desires are contradictory. He cannot focus on anything. He likes the change of impressions, seeks to diversify his life in every possible way, but does not want to be responsible for his actions.
Arcana’s warning
Don’t regret the past, you cannot change it. If you make any mistakes, try not to repeat them in the present. Don’t live in the past, don’t get stuck in it.
Final Advice of Arcana
Your past largely determines who you are now. Appreciate it and accept all the events that happened with understanding.
In an Upright Position:
Look back to the past, to your own experience. Do not step twice on the same rake!
In a Reversed Position:
Don’t be afraid to make changes in your life. But before doing this, you need to clearly define your priorities.
Conclusion
Your previous dissatisfaction with the current situation logically led to this card. The Six of Cups of the Tarot describes thoughts of past love and departed happiness. This is a card of memories and a look back to the time when you were happy as a child. How these memories affect you is up to you. Do not indulge in painful thoughts about what you have lost.
If you use your memories to re-learn happiness, to revive your childhood innocence, and most importantly, to remind yourself that you were happy, you can be happy again. In a particularly favorable scenario, the appearance of the Six of Cups Tarot card indicates that someone or something will make you see the good in your life.
Discover other Minor Arcana:
Suit of Swords
Ace of Swords
Two of Swords
Three of Swords
Four of Swords
Five of Swords
Six of Swords
Seven of Swords
Eight of Swords
Nine of Swords
Ten of Swords
Page of Swords
Knight of Swords
Queen of Swords
King of Swords
Suit of Wands
Ace of Wands
Two of Wands
Three of Wands
Four of Wands
Five of Wands
Six of Wands
Seven of Wands
Eight of Wands
Nine of Wands
Ten of Wands
Page of Wands
Knight of Wands
Queen of Wands
King of Wands