Six of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The card depicts uncertainty and change. It's too early to know whether those changes will bring good fortune or trouble. For now, everything feels unsettled and unclear. A boat moves across the water, guided by a ferryman's pole.

Its passengers, a woman and child, wait quietly and sadly for the long journey to end. They've said goodbye to the past and are heading toward new shores in their lives. Six swords stand before them like crosses, symbols of anxiety about an unknown future.

The Six of Swords describes a transition, with all the doubts, uncertainty, and instability that come with it. Perhaps the best approach is to gather your optimism and let the current carry you, taking comfort in the thought that everything happens for the best.

Often, the card predicts a move, a vacation, or a business trip, with travel by water. You might as well look into a cruise: things are on hold anyway, and you don't yet know which way to go or what to do. At least you'll get to rest, clear your head, learn something, and broaden your horizons.

By the end of the voyage, your next plans may have taken shape. Or you could finally decide to move. The Six of Swords says this is the right time. A new place will bring new activity, and life will start coming together!

The journey may also be an inner one: learning a new subject, undertaking scientific research, or exploring the inner world of someone who interests you.

Upright Six of Swords: Key Meanings

• Sorrows left behind, new shores, and a quiet harbor.
• A cruise, a trip, travel, research, study, self-discovery, a change of scene or home, new inner priorities, and a parting.
• An unsettling future, uncertainty, sadness, and waiting.

The Six of Swords reversed likens your behavior to an ostrich facing danger: you've chosen to bury your head in the sand so you won't have to see or solve the problems. But delaying important decisions and avoiding an unpleasant situation won't improve reality. The problems are growing like a snowball and threaten to become a catastrophe.

Don't make things worse by stalling or running away. Otherwise, you'll be adrift in a sea of trouble for a long time, dealing with the consequences of losing your nerve. The reversed Six of Swords urges action. Every delay multiplies the risks and adds to the troubles you've already had more than enough of lately.

Reversed Six of Swords: Key Meanings

• Delay, indecision, inaction, no progress, routine, hopelessness, and stress.
• A discovery, an explanation, an admission, and a confession.
• A postponed journey or departure, changed plans, and bad news.

In a love reading, the Six of Swords upright predicts recovery after a crisis, healing from heartbreak, and the beginning of a new relationship.

Old conflicts are resolved, differences overcome, and hurt feelings fade. It's time to leave the pain behind and begin a life filled with friends, new acquaintances, and enjoyable journeys. You may meet a kindred spirit on a trip, someone who helps you find inner harmony again and begin building new plans and personal happiness.

Reversed, the meaning turns around: an unresolved conflict between lovers and an attempt to run away from problems.

How They Love

Upright, this person tries to avoid complications and decisive moves in love. Flirting and games don't excite them. They want things clear and simple.

Reversed, it says this person struggles to take a serious step. They prefer events to unfold on their own, or for their partner to take the initiative.

In a career reading, the Six of Swords means workplace conflicts resolving and business improving. New shores and fresh successes await anyone willing to change.

Things are slowly stabilizing. Negotiations go well, opening new possibilities and leading to worthwhile contracts. There are still rough edges and problems, but their weight is lighter now. More freedom and opportunities are appearing. Stay alert and don't miss a chance to improve your finances!

Reversed, the card points to a dead end in business or resistance to change.

Upright, this is someone in a transitional stage. They've sailed away from one shore but haven't reached the next, and can't yet imagine what awaits.

Reversed, it describes someone trying to escape their worries. They're afraid to make a firm decision, preferring to stall and wait.

Upright, the card advises you to trust the current of fate and calmly wait to see what happens next.

Reversed, it asks you not to let things drift. Stay informed so you can keep control of the situation.

Upright, the outlook is fairly favorable. You'll need to trust the river of fate; it will guide your life into the course it has chosen.

Reversed, the outcome is uncertain. A lack of control and a wish to let events take their own course could stand in your way.

Mercury in contact with Mars, and Mars in Cancer: the need for great achievements, resisting temptation, and gathering strength.

The Fool — A difficult trial; an unpleasant truth; trying not to notice problems.

The Magician — Travel you can't avoid, business trips, moving home.

The High Priestess — A valuable secret, groundwork for the future, a willingness to wait.

The Empress — Discovering a secret about your parents; obtaining compromising information; change under the pressure of problems.

The Emperor — Progress with a bitter aftertaste; an exhausting victory; tougher conditions.

The Hierophant — A work trip, a difficult mission, a forced move, possibly because of a divorce.

The Lovers — Great responsibility, a difficult mission, an important trip.

The Chariot — Learning from your mistakes, a painful but useful lesson, a second chance.

Strength — Getting your way with great difficulty, an exhausting struggle finally behind you, valuable life experience.

The Hermit — Making a pilgrimage; going to church; losing faith in former beliefs.

Wheel of Fortune — Avoiding trouble; stepping away at the right moment; steering clear of arguments.

Justice — Exposing a thief; changing the course of your life; cutting ties with someone selfish or dishonest.

The Hanged Man — Blaming fate; railing against the order of things; a hard lesson from loved ones or people around you.

Death — A farewell; self-sacrifice; a mournful mood.

Temperance — Running a household or handling practical affairs; organizing something dull; routine.

The Devil — A dangerous journey; a forced move; splitting a shared home after divorce.

The Tower — No escape; a bitter experience; a road to nowhere or dividing a home after divorce.

The Star — Learning your lesson; a second attempt that goes better; making sense of your experience.

The Moon — Giving up the fight; moving or changing your social circle; a muddled mind.

The Sun — Taking precautions; belated vindication or a restored reputation; reaching the stars through hardship.

Judgment — Evading an answer in time; hiding far away; fleeing abroad with your family.

The World — Starting with a clean slate; moving to another country; seeking opportunities with foreign companies.

Ace of Wands — Understanding a complicated scheme too late; priceless experience gained through heavy losses; an urge to restart a failed venture.

Two of Wands — Unfamiliar territory; learning a new profession; vague plans and readiness to retreat at any moment.

Three of Wands — Learning from mistakes; testing new ideas; looking for like-minded people.

Four of Wands — A forced move; dividing a shared apartment; worse housing conditions.

Five of Wands — Escaping pursuit or debts; an unhappy audience; moving away to start again.

Six of Wands — Entering an international market; expansion; leaving your comfort zone.

Seven of Wands — An enforced departure; escaping pursuit; difficult life circumstances.

Eight of Wands — Running from problems; finding yourself alone; dismantling your former life.

Nine of Wands — Analytical work; exploring interesting possibilities; delving into an unfamiliar field; traveling alone.

Ten of Wands — Leaving a long-established home; moving against the current; setbacks in your affairs.

Page of Wands — Plans for the future; studying abroad; changing universities or moving with your family.

Knight of Wands — Wanting to leave everything behind; plans to start over; business abroad.

Queen of Wands — Leaving a job or abandoning a venture; tiredness and lost interest; dividing a home and having to move.

King of Wands — Untangling a web of intrigue; getting out of difficulty; a move with a bitter aftertaste.

Ace of Swords — A plan nearing completion; cool calculation; a strategy with many moves.

Two of Swords — Leaving for an unfamiliar place; moving at your own risk; escaping a difficult situation.

Three of Swords — A badly timed journey; leaving against your wishes; a necessary separation.

Four of Swords — Not wanting to leave or take a business trip; an emotional low; unsettling uncertainty.

Five of Swords — Knowing how to avoid danger; a talent for not being left with the blame; avoiding direct confrontation and staying in the background.

Seven of Swords — A diversion; deception used as cover; going away for a while or pretending.

Eight of Swords — A decision imposed on you; leaving out of desperation; pressure from every side.

Nine of Swords — A path toward remorse or rethinking your actions; hiding from the world; dealing with stress alone.

Ten of Swords — Self-destruction; a crooked path; a poorly chosen direction or approach.

Page of Swords — Provocative behavior; acting badly far from home; fleeing a bad reputation; leaving a partner you've grown tired of.

Knight of Swords — The risk of being left with nothing; a worsening situation; foreseeing trouble or arguing with your partner.

Queen of Swords — Feeling weighed down; outside pressure or harsh self-criticism; an enforced journey.

King of Swords — Looking for a protector or patron; needing support; an influential acquaintance.

Ace of Cups — Leaving a partner; escaping painful memories; starting life again with the weight of experience.

Two of Cups — Separation from loved ones; difficult circumstances; being torn from your familiar social circle.

Three of Cups — Taking someone's side; understanding their position; leaving familiar acquaintances behind.

Four of Cups — An unsuccessful property purchase; false economy or a dishonest deal.

Five of Cups — Closing a chapter; changing activities or careers; deciding to leave a partner.

Six of Cups — Returning home; moving in with parents or with your children; reuniting with loved ones after a long disagreement.

Seven of Cups — Hoping for a vacation; looking forward to travel; problems with a move.

Eight of Cups — Leaving things to chance; an unclear goal; craving change without a specific wish or plan.

Nine of Cups — Exposing hypocrisy; a boycott; psychological pressure or deliberately ignoring someone.

Ten of Cups — Separation from your household; trying to quiet emotional impulses; leaving a familiar place.

Page of Cups — Agreeing to a trip or business journey; recognizing the need to move; deciding to relocate abroad.

Knight of Cups — Walking away from a problem; disillusionment with naive beliefs; refusing to compromise; losing to a romantic rival.

Queen of Cups — Clearing your head; making a pilgrimage; visiting interesting places and learning a great deal.

King of Cups — A journey into the unknown; leaving with a light heart and no worries; trying to keep your courage.

Ace of Pentacles — A serious determination to improve your finances; wanting wealth; traveling to find work.

Two of Pentacles — Uncertainty about which direction to develop in; inconsistency; illogical actions.

Three of Pentacles — The first steps in carrying out a plan; returning to a former job or repairing family relationships; a more mature approach.

Four of Pentacles — Leaning toward conservatism; aiming for stability; needing a steady income.

Five of Pentacles — The wrong course; hardship or self-imposed limits; the risk of losing property.

Six of Pentacles — Seeking help; volunteering; taking part in a charity event; a compassionate person.

Seven of Pentacles — Delaying the inevitable; seeking more time to repay a loan; looking for better options.

Eight of Pentacles — Looking for work; moving abroad or to another region for a job; remote work; someone working away from home; an immigrant.

Nine of Pentacles — Putting financial gain first; materialism; chasing fame and admiration; meeting an interesting person on a journey.

Ten of Pentacles — A journey to your home region; your ancestral homeland; returning to your family; restoring good relations.

Page of Pentacles — Seeking recognition or a higher income; adapting to unfamiliar circumstances; an exchange student; a young woman from abroad.

Knight of Pentacles — A path to progress; adopting new technology or useful experience; studying abroad; an experienced young employee.

Queen of Pentacles — Cynicism; a practical, money-minded approach; maintaining your status.

King of Pentacles — The right direction for growth; stability and prosperity; a sensible man or manager.