Suit: Swords
Six of Swords: tarot card meaning
A transition, moving toward calmer waters.
Yes or no: Yes
Upright position
A boat carries people to a quiet shore. The card is about the hardest part being behind you and moving toward something better, even if you bring some of the old baggage along.
More about the card
A ferryman takes a woman and a child across the water, with six swords standing in the boat. The water around them is calm, and in the distance is a shore with small houses that they are heading for. The Six of Swords is about a transition from a difficult period to a calmer one. It may be a move, a trip, a change of job or just an inner sense that the worst is behind you. The pain is still near, but you are already on the way to something better.
Reversed position
The reversed Six speaks of an unfinished transition, or of going back to what you were running from.
Symbolism of the card
A ferryman takes a woman and a child in a boat toward a quiet shore; there are six swords in the boat. The swords mean the experience and pain they carry with them, and the calm water around them the hope of a better stage ahead.
In love and relationships
The relationship is coming out of a difficult period. A move together is possible.
At work and in finances
A change to a calmer job, a trip, a new setting.
Reversed in love
It is hard to let go of the past, and old problems travel along with you both. Or a move that keeps being put off. The card suggests deciding what exactly you are not taking with you into the new.
As a feeling
Quiet recovery: a wish to leave the difficult part behind and move toward calm.
The card as a person
A person who has lived through hardship and is now moving forward. They are quiet and tired, but full of calm hope. Sometimes it is the one who helps others cross difficult times.
As the card of the day
A good day for trips, moves and gradual change. Leave behind what drained you. Don’t try to solve everything at once: just take the next step.
Yes or no
Yes, gradually. The card speaks of movement toward calm.
Combinations with other cards
- Six of Swords + Eight of Cups
A conscious step away from what no longer fulfills you, toward a new life.
- Six of Swords + The Chariot
A journey or move that opens a new page.
- Six of Swords + Four of Swords
Rest after a storm, the return of calm.
Questions to ask yourself
When this card comes up, it helps to answer honestly:
- What am I leaving behind?
- Where do I want to cross to?
- Who is helping me in this transition?
The card’s advice
Keep moving, even if slowly.