Six of Swords
Moving toward calmer water.
A slow move away from trouble. Healing is underway.
- transition
- moving on
- calmer waters
Element: Air
What the card shows
A ferryman poles a boat carrying a hooded woman and a child, with six swords standing upright in the bow. The water ahead looks calmer.
Six is the number of harmony after trouble. The swords are what they carry with them. The calmer water on the far side suggests a hard passage with something better ahead.
▲Upright
A transition away from difficulty, carrying lessons with you.
What am I leaving behind, and what am I carrying with me?
▼Reversed
Delayed passage, or trouble that follows you.
What would I need in order to cross?
Six of Swords in a reading
In love
Moving past a rough patch together or apart.
Reversed: Delayed passage, or trouble that follows you.
At work
Changing jobs or leaving a hard situation.
Its shadow side: unresolved baggage.
As one of the Swords
Thought, conflict and truth. The suit's element is Air. It shows where in daily life the reading plays out.
Related cards
The other sixes, and The Lovers, Major Arcana card 6: the same stage of a story in other parts of life.
The Lovers
Six of Wands
Six of Cups
Six of PentaclesRead it with other cards
Questions about Six of Swords
What does Six of Swords mean in tarot?
A transition away from difficulty, carrying lessons with you. Keywords: transition, moving on, calmer waters.
What does Six of Swords mean reversed?
Delayed passage, or trouble that follows you. Blocked: stuck at the shore. Excess: running away. Fading: the transition stalling.
What does Six of Swords mean in love?
Moving past a rough patch together or apart.
What does Six of Swords mean for work?
Changing jobs or leaving a hard situation.
What question does Six of Swords ask?
Upright: What am I leaving behind, and what am I carrying with me? Reversed: What would I need in order to cross?
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