Suit: Suit of Cups
Card Type: Minor Arcana
Tarot Element: Water
Star Sign: Scorpio
Planet: Sun
Angel: Archangel Gabriel
Key Meaning: Something From The Past Returns
The Six of Cups means a blast from the past. An issue, person or opportunity from the past re-emerges. There is a sense here of nostalgia.
Number 6 Meaning In Tarot
All sixes, including the Six of Wands, Six of Pentacles and Six of Swords refer to your relationships with other people. As Cups refer to emotions, then we are talking about relationships of the heart – romance, family and friends. When this card turns up, it can mean spend quality time with the people you love, or live in a place that feels like ‘home’. This is where your happiness lies for now.
To think about: We remember the things, experiences and people that make us feel.
A to Z: List of Tarot Cards
Six of Cups Keywords
🥰 Upright: Past memories, soulmate, home environment
🥰 Reversed: Let go of the past, growing up, healing from past traumas
Six of Cups Description
This description is based on the Rider Waite Tarot Deck. In this Tarot card a boy hands a cup with a flower to a little girl. The cup signifies he is bearing gifts of the heart. The scene is an old-country garden in a medieval village. There is an adult with his back turned to us in the background, signifying what happened in the past, has marked our present as adults. The children may represent memories from your youth. Notice the ‘X’ etched into the pillar behind the boy? It is like saying “X marks the spot” – this is where your happiness lies. This reminds us that sometimes it is good to go back and remember – be that for pleasure or healing.
LOVE: What does The Six of Cups Mean When You Ask About Love?
❤️ When the Six of Cups turns up in a relationship reading, it can represent meeting someone from your past, such as an old lover or childhood friend. The chance meeting will be important, on an emotional level, and will help you move forward. You can always find out more about this connection by drawing another card. For example, the Six of Cups and Judgement combination can mean an old lover returns. The Six of Cups and Three of Cups combination means you reconnect with an old friend or group. Or the Six of Cups and Three of Pentacles can mean reconnecting with former work colleagues.
❤️ If you asked is this person my soulmate? – then the answer is yes. The 6 of Cups is a classic soulmate card. You may know your soulmate from childhood, or from a past life. This is why you feel such a strong connection.
❤️ If you are worried about the age difference in your relationship, don’t worry – this will not prove a major obstacle. Your souls are ageless.
Children: What does This Card Say About Kids?
💖 If you are worried about a child, then the Six of Cups wants to reassure you that they are doing fine. Challenges are a part of growing up, and you must be careful not to overprotect and deny them growth opportunities. Have more confidence in their ability to overcome and thrive.
💖 This is a good time to create family memories with your children – memories which they will treasure into their adulthood.
💖 If you asked, is this child special? The answer is yes – this child is spiritually powerful. In fact, you shared a past life together.
💖 If you asked will I fall pregnant? The answer is yes. It’s just a matter of waiting for the right time (your baby may be working to a different schedule to you).
CAREER: What does This Card Signify When You Ask About Work?
When you ask about work or career, and receive the Six of Cups, then the guidance is to look to your past for direction. This could for example, mean returning to a job you used to do, or a company you previously worked for.
Or, maybe you are thinking about renewing an interest in a hobby that once impassioned you? If so, the timing is right now to take it to the next level, or return to school.
If you are an Ex-pat considering moving back home, or you are thinking about relocating closer to where you grew up – this card says yes. The idea is a good one.
What Does The Six of Cups Say About Your Life Purpose?
In numerology, the number 6 is associated with the home. So, if you asked about your life purpose and what job or business to pursue at this time – consider anything that allows you the freedom to work, at least part-time, from home. Online businesses and services are a good option. If you don’t know how to use ‘tech’, don’t let that put you off. Time to move out of your comfort zone. Six is also associated with caregiving, so being a consultant, creator, coach or teacher are options.
You are being shown here as something of a teacher – although you may not realize it yourself at this point. But others are increasingly coming to the conclusion that you have something important to say and that you deserve an audience. Your message may or may not be known to you consciously, but it resonates with the lives of others and is having an impact on the way in which they are choosing to live.
MONEY: What is the Meaning of The 6 of Cups in a Money Reading?
💲 If you asked the Tarot about money and finances, and you receive the Six of Cups, it can mean that your finances will improve through your romantic partner. When he or she does well, then so will you. Support your partner if they want to work harder or take a few calculated risks.
💲 If you are single, then this card is a sign that your future soulmate will be financially stable. This is how you end up buying a nice home and other items.
💲 Finally, on occasion, the Six of Cups can signify receiving money from siblings, parents, grandparents or anyone associated with your childhood.
Tarot Card Combination Meanings
“Six of Cups combined with Knight of Swords” – Something happens very soon.
“Combined with Nine of Swords” – Moving closer to home helps you overcome anxiety.
“Six of Cups combined with Page of Cups” – You meet your soulmate.
“Six of Cups combined with Ace of Swords” – A trip down memory lane sparks a great idea.
HEALTH: What does The 6 of Cups Mean When You Ask About Health?
If you are worried about your health and the Six of Cups turns up – it can signify a need to go back to your childhood or the past to root out the cause of your illness. The past is not meant to hold you back.
It may be that the tissues in your body are holding on to past traumas or shocks, such as the sudden death of a loved one, bad breakup, or a car accident. Illness associated with the Six of Cups include fibromyalgia, lupus, IBS, chronic fatigue, anxiety and PTSD.
As our bodies can only handle a limited amount of stress – trauma results whenever an experience exceeds our abilities to handle it. In response, the body locks away that trauma in our tissue and disconnects the brain from that part of the body. Any area of our body that our brain is disconnected from, won’t heal itself or remain healthy. A combination of massage and talk therapy may help release the memories, finally allowing chronic pain to heal.
YES/NO: Does The 6 of Cups Mean Yes or No in a Reading?
❓ When you ask a Yes or No question and the 6 of Cups turns up, then the answer is YES.
TIMING: Does The Six of Cups Predict any Particular Timeframe?
🕔 The 6 of Cups is only a timing indication when you specifically asked a timeframe question. For example, if you want to know if something will happen, and when, then you need to draw two separate cards. These are in fact, two separate questions. This is a fundamental principle to understand if you want an accurate tarot reading – and it is core to my teaching in my book Tarot in 5 Minutes.
🕔 Using my timing method, the 6 of Cups is about 6 months. If the card is reversed, timing will be slightly longer – so up to 9 months.
Karina’s Timing Method:
Swords are days. Wands are weeks. Cups are months and Pentacles are years. Please note this is my personal timing method. Feel free to adopt it (or not).
What is the Meaning of The Six of Cups Reversed?
✔️ When the Six of Cups is reversed, then the past has less of a hold over you. This may be a good thing! For example, if you are hoping to heal from past traumas or disappointment in love, then this is a sign you are approaching the finishing line.
✔️ The general advice here is do the opposite to the upright interpretation: in other words, do not look to the past for a solution. This is not the time, for example, to move back home or return to an old job or occupation.
✔️ A reversal can also signify younger people are ready to grow up and become less dependent on family for emotional or financial support
Other keywords associated with Six of Cups reversed include: clinging to the past, unresolved issues, wishful thinking and undergoing or training in past-life regression.
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Six of Cups Symbolism
Read Next! – Six of Cups Symbols
Previous Card: Five of Cups | Next Tarot Card: Seven of Cups
Complete List: Tarot Card Meanings
Karina, author of Tarot in 5 Minutes.
