Six of Swords: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
Upright Six of Swords Meanings
Keywords
Transition, Rite of Passage, Moving On, Journey, Leaving Trouble Behind, Sadness
Generally
The Six of Swords represents a necessary transition or a journey away from a difficult or painful situation towards a more peaceful future. The figures in the boat are leaving behind choppy waters (the past) and moving towards calmer seas (the future). This is often a sad or reluctant departure, but it is a necessary one for healing and progress. This card signifies a rite of passage, moving from one state of being to another, and carrying the lessons of the past with you as you seek out a place of sanctuary and recovery.
In a Love Context
In a love reading, this card often signifies leaving a difficult or painful relationship. It represents the sad but necessary process of moving on from conflict, heartbreak, or a toxic environment. While there is sorrow in the departure, there is also the promise of future peace. It can also represent a couple moving through a difficult phase together, leaving conflict behind and working towards a more stable and harmonious connection.
In a Money/Career Context
This card can indicate leaving a stressful job or a difficult work environment. It may be a literal move to a new company or a new location, or a mental transition away from a project that has caused turmoil. It signifies a move towards a more stable and less stressful professional situation. Financially, it represents a gradual move away from debt or financial hardship towards greater stability.
In a Spiritual Context
Spiritually, the Six of Swords represents a journey from a period of spiritual turmoil or a crisis of faith towards a place of greater peace and understanding. It is about leaving behind old, painful beliefs and moving towards a more healing and supportive spiritual framework. This is a quiet, contemplative journey of recovery.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
It is time to move on. Acknowledge the sadness of the situation, but know that this transition is necessary for your well-being. Seek a path towards calmer waters.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A necessary but sad departure. A transition to a more peaceful situation. You will move on from current troubles.
As Obstacles
A refusal to leave a difficult situation behind is blocking progress. You are clinging to the past. The journey itself feels too difficult to undertake.
As Hidden Energy
A deep, subconscious desire to escape your current circumstances. The process of moving on has already begun, even if you are not consciously aware of it.
As Resources/Alliances
The help of others to guide you through a difficult transition. Your own logical mind telling you it's time to go. The promise of a more peaceful future.
‘The Six of Swords’ Reversed
Keywords
Feeling Trapped, Resisting Change, Difficult Transition, Unfinished Business, Stagnation
Generally
Reversed, the Six of Swords suggests a feeling of being stuck or trapped in a difficult situation. The transition to a better place is blocked, or you are actively resisting the necessary change. This can be due to fear, unfinished business, or a sense that you are simply going in circles, unable to escape the choppy waters of your past. It can also indicate a transition that is fraught with unexpected problems and delays, making the journey feel impossible.
In a Love Context
In a love reading, this card reversed can mean feeling trapped in an unhappy relationship, unable to see a way out. It can also signify a breakup that feels unresolved, with emotional baggage preventing you from truly moving on. You may feel like you are trying to leave the past behind, but it keeps pulling you back in. The healing process has stalled.
In a Money/Career Context
This can signify feeling stuck in a dead-end or stressful job with no clear path forward. A planned career move may be delayed or cancelled, leaving you in limbo. It represents a feeling of professional stagnation. Financially, it can feel like you are taking one step forward and two steps back, unable to escape from debt or instability.
In a Spiritual Context
Spiritually, this card reversed suggests feeling lost or spiritually stagnant. You may be trying to move on from old beliefs but feel unable to find a new path that brings you peace. It is a feeling of being in a spiritual no-man's-land, with the old world gone but the new one not yet in sight.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
You must confront what is keeping you stuck. Address the unfinished business before you can truly move on. Re-evaluate your escape plan.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A failed attempt to move on. A period of feeling trapped and stagnant. The conflict will continue.
As Obstacles
Inaction in the face of karmic consequences.You feel you have no choice but to stay.
As Hidden Energy
A secret fear of the unknown is keeping you stuck in a familiar (though painful) situation. An unacknowledged sense of hopelessness, shame or guilt.
As Resources/Alliances
The clarity that comes from realizing your karma can be a powerful realization to positive action.
Additional Notes on The RWS ‘Six of Swords’
Waite’s Divinatory Messanings of The Six of Swords
"A journey by water, route, way, envoy, commissionary, expedient. Reversed: A declaration, confession, publicity; one account says that it is a proposal of love." (The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911)
RWS Six of Swords Symbolism
A.E. Waite’s Six of Swords depicts a ferryman poling a boat across a body of water. In the boat, a cloaked woman and a small child sit with their backs to the viewer, suggesting a departure. Six swords are stuck upright in the floor of the boat, representing their past thoughts, pains, and memories that they carry with them. The water behind them is choppy, while the water ahead is calm, symbolizing the movement away from turmoil and towards peace and a distant shore.
Meditations On The Six of Swords
What karma could I reduce if I put in the work?
What immutable karma am I dealing with in my life?
What decisions can I make to eventually produce good karma?
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