Card Meaning

The Six of Swords represents transition, healing, and moving forward. It reflects a journey—physical or emotional—toward calmer waters. This card encourages leaving difficulties behind but warns against carrying unresolved issues with you or avoiding meaningful closure.

Card Themes

  • Transition and Healing
    Reflects moving away from difficulties.
  • Journey to Clarity
    Encourages leaving the past behind for peace of mind.
  • Guided Recovery
    Highlights support from others in difficult times.
  • Calm after Storms
    Represents gradual improvement and progress.
  • Unresolved Issues
    Warns against carrying emotional baggage forward.

Card Symbolism

  • The Figures
    A cloaked figure and a child travel across water in a boat, guided by a ferryman, symbolizing transition and moving away from difficulties.
  • The Swords
    Six swords stand upright in the boat, representing the weight of thoughts and experiences being carried forward.
  • The Water
    The calm water ahead contrasts with the choppy waves behind, symbolizing hope and smoother times ahead.
Six Of Swords

UPRIGHT

Six Of Swords

REVERSED

Upright Meaning

When drawn upright, The Six of Swords represents transition, healing, and moving away from difficulties. It signifies a journey—physical, emotional, or spiritual—toward calmer waters and a more peaceful state of mind. This card encourages you to leave behind what no longer serves you, trusting that better days lie ahead. It reminds you that healing takes time and that seeking support from others can ease the journey. The Six of Swords invites you to embrace change and focus on progress rather than dwelling on the past. However, it cautions against carrying unresolved issues with you or resisting the process of moving forward.

Upright Keywords:
Transition, Change, Moving forward, Moving on, Learning, Journey, Travel, Distance, Progress, Healing

Reversed Meaning

When drawn reversed, the Six of Swords represents difficulty moving on, unresolved issues, or resistance to change. It reflects a struggle to leave behind painful experiences or transition into a new phase of life. This card warns against clinging to the past or avoiding the effort required to heal and grow. It may also indicate setbacks in plans, travel, or personal progress. The Six of Swords reversed invites you to confront what is holding you back and take steps toward resolution, even if the journey feels challenging. It cautions against staying in situations that hinder your ability to move forward.

Reversed Keywords:
Stuck, Unable to move on, Resistance, Baggage, Unfinished business, Return, Travel issues, Obstacles, Delays, Difficulty

Tarot Reading

Love & Relationships

Upright Meaning:
The Six of Swords upright in a love reading speaks to healing, transition, and moving forward. If you’re single, it suggests leaving behind past difficulties and heading toward calmer emotional waters. For those in a relationship, it indicates resolving challenges and working together to rebuild peace. The card encourages embracing change and trusting the journey in love.

Reversed Meaning:
The Six of Swords reversed in a love reading represents difficulty moving on, emotional baggage, or resistance to change. If you’re single, it suggests holding on to the past, preventing progress in your love life. For those in a relationship, it indicates struggles with resolving conflicts or navigating a challenging phase. The card encourages addressing unresolved issues and embracing the journey of healing.

Money & Career

Upright Meaning:
In a career context, the Six of Swords upright represents transition, moving forward, and finding solutions. It suggests leaving behind a challenging situation or job to pursue better opportunities. This card encourages you to embrace change, trust the process, and focus on creating a smoother path in your professional life.

Reversed Meaning:
In a career context, the Six of Swords reversed represents difficulty moving on, feeling stuck, or resisting change. It suggests that professional challenges or old patterns may be holding you back from progress. Financially, it warns of lingering debts or reluctance to address financial issues. The card advises embracing change and seeking solutions to move forward.

Health

Upright Meaning:
For health, the Six of Swords signifies transition, healing, and moving toward better well-being. It suggests leaving behind unhealthy patterns or situations that have negatively affected your health. This card encourages focusing on progress, even if it feels slow, and trusting that you are on the path to recovery or improvement.

Reversed Meaning:
The reversed Six of Swords in health readings signifies difficulty moving on, lingering issues, or resistance to change. It suggests that unresolved health concerns or emotional baggage may be holding you back. The card advises addressing these issues head-on and seeking help to navigate toward a healthier state of being.

Spirituality

Upright Meaning:
In spirituality, the Six of Swords upright represents transition, letting go, and moving toward spiritual clarity. It suggests that you may be leaving behind old beliefs or emotional baggage in favor of a calmer, more aligned spiritual state. The card encourages you to trust the journey and allow healing to guide you to higher understanding.

Reversed Meaning:
In spirituality, the Six of Swords reversed symbolizes difficulty moving forward, resistance to change, or feeling stuck. It suggests that unresolved issues or fear of the unknown may be holding you back on your spiritual journey. The card advises confronting what is keeping you stagnant and trusting in the process of spiritual transition.

Tarot Cards

Arcana Type

Six Of Swords is part of the Minor Arcana.
The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards that represent everyday events, challenges, and influences. Divided into four suits—Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles—these cards focus on the practical, emotional, mental, and material aspects of life. While the Major Arcana reflects overarching themes, the Minor Arcana delves into the details of daily experiences, offering insight into decisions, relationships, and actions within specific situations.

Suit Type

Six Of Swords is part of the Suit of Swords.
The Suit of Swords represents intellect, communication, and conflict. It delves into mental challenges, decision-making, and the power of truth. Swords often signify clarity, struggle, or the need to confront obstacles and find balance in thoughts and actions.

Suit of Swords Keywords:
Intellect, Thought, Communication, Truth, Clarity, Decisions, Conflict, Challenges, Mental-Activity

Numerology

Six Of Swords has the numberology number 6.
The numberology meaning of 6 is defined as having harmony, responsibility, love. The nurturing number. Represents care for others, home, and finding solutions.

Zodiac Signs

Libra:
Charming and fair-minded, Libra seeks harmony in relationships and environments. They are natural diplomats, valuing balance and a sense of beauty in all things.

Aquarius:
Charming and fair-minded, Libra seeks harmony in relationships and environments. They are natural diplomats, valuing balance and a sense of beauty in all things.

Gemini:
Versatile and curious, Gemini thrives on communication and intellectual exploration. They are skilled at adapting to new situations and bringing fresh perspectives to any conversation.

Tarot Mystic

Element

Six Of Swords is associated with the Air element.
Intellectual and communicative, Air represents thought, ideas, and clarity. It governs logic, learning, and the power of expression and connection.

Chakras

Throat Chakra:
Expressive and truthful, the Throat Chakra governs communication, self-expression, and the power to speak one's truth with clarity.

Third Eye Chakra:
Intuitive and insightful, the Third Eye Chakra represents inner wisdom, vision, and the ability to see beyond the surface to deeper truths.

Duality

Six Of Swords has the duality of Active.
Dynamic and outward-focused, active energy represents action, initiative, and the drive to create and influence the external world.

Season

Six Of Swords is associated with the season of Spring.
Fresh and full of potential, Spring symbolizes growth, renewal, and the beginning of new endeavors. Its a time of energy, inspiration, and blooming opportunities.