Upright Keywords:
Healing, Escape, Travel, Peace, Calm, Change, Maturing, Closure, Freedom, Stability
Reversed Keywords:
Instability, Personal Growth, Delays, Disruption, Speaking out, Feeling trapped, Resist change, Delay, Separation, Isolation
The number six in all Tarot suits is about change and movement. It may represent your decision to switch things around or warn you that a journey is ahead. Whether that’s scary or exciting, number six cards ask you to face it; don’t run, and don’t hide.
The great news is that whatever struggles may lie ahead, the outcome will bring peace and harmony.
Upright Meaning
Turning an upright Six of Swords in a Tarot reading brings a message about change. This could be an emotional or a physical journey, perhaps representing the transition from one life stage to another.
The Six of Swords often means there’s some grief, stress, or pain ahead; the outcome is positive. It’s sad to leave something precious and familiar behind, even when you really need to.
Although this card suggests change will happen, whatever you do, it’s still essential that you make good, solid plans. The upright Six of Swords isn’t an excuse to abandon yourself to fate; it’s more like an early warning to help you be as prepared as you can be. Use logic as well as intuition to form your strategy for the future.
All Sword suit cards are ruled by the element of air, with is connected to ideas, thinking, and brainpower. This is why the movement and journey an upright Six of Swords reveals will have a strong emotional element to it.
Reversed Meaning
In a Tarot reading, revealing the reversed image of the Six of Swords means things have got serious! While your journey is still the main focus, the current situation is quite different indeed. You may be on the water, but progress is slow, and the risk of capsizing is much higher than before.
This is mainly the fault of those six swords, which now represent your dark thoughts and negative energy. They are going to hold you back, to strangle your ambition, to have you rowed in endless circles, so you never get ahead. If you keep splashing around and resisting change, your boat will never go forward; it may even capsize.
Perhaps you have tried to get past these problems but failed. You may need to forgive yourself and others, accept the situation, and simply try to make the best of it. Acceptance is the only way to avoid disaster with this card.