Six of Swords Tarot Card Symbolism

1. The Basic Meaning of the Six of Swords Tarot Card

Have you ever experienced a time when, after a period of difficulty, conflict, or sorrow, you made a conscious decision to move away from the turbulence towards a calmer, more peaceful horizon, even if the journey felt a bit sad or uncertain? That feeling of a necessary transition, of leaving troubled waters behind in search of healing and a more hopeful future, is the first, often quiet, whisper of the Six of Swords. This card isn’t just about travel; it’s about a journey away from adversity, a passage towards mental peace, and the process of healing that comes with moving on.

The Six of Swords stands as a symbol of transition, moving on from difficult situations, finding passage to a more peaceful state, and often, a journey that brings relief and a sense of recovery. When this card appears, it often signals that you are leaving behind a period of strife, stress, or sorrow and heading towards a place of greater calm and clarity. It suggests that while there might be a lingering sadness for what has been left behind, the path ahead offers hope and a chance for a fresh start. It’s an invitation to embrace this transition, to allow yourself to heal, and to look forward to calmer waters.

2. Picture This: Unveiling the Symbols Within the Six of Swords

In many traditional tarot images, the Six of Swords depicts a poignant scene. A figure, often a woman and child (or sometimes just one cloaked figure), is shown seated in a small boat, being poled across a body of water by a ferryman. Their backs are typically turned to the viewer, suggesting a departure from something and a focus on the journey ahead, though often with a sense of quiet sorrow or contemplation rather than excitement.

Six swords are planted upright in the boat, point down. These swords can represent the burdens, sorrows, difficult thoughts, or painful truths that are being carried away from a past situation. Their upright, orderly placement in the boat might suggest an acceptance of these difficult experiences, or that they are being transported with a degree of conscious awareness rather than being chaotically left behind.

The water the boat glides upon is often depicted as choppy or troubled on the side being left behind, and calmer on the side towards which they are heading. This symbolizes the movement away from turmoil towards a more peaceful state. The distant shore, if visible, often appears calmer and more inviting, representing a place of refuge, new beginnings, or greater clarity. The ferryman, often standing and poling the boat, represents a guide, a helper, or the means by which this transition is being made. The overall atmosphere is one of quiet passage, a somewhat sorrowful but necessary journey, and the hope of reaching a more tranquil destination.

3. The Heart of the Matter: What the Six of Swords Means When Upright

When the Six of Swords appears upright in a reading, it generally points to a period of transition, moving on from a difficult situation towards a more peaceful and stable future. It brings a message of hope, recovery, and the positive outcome of leaving troubles behind.

Core Upright Meanings:

The central message of the Six of Swords is one of making a necessary transition away from past difficulties, sorrow, or conflict towards a calmer and more positive environment or state of mind. It signifies that you are consciously choosing to leave behind a painful or stressful situation and are embarking on a journey, either literal or metaphorical, that will lead to healing and greater peace. This card often appears when you are recovering from a period of hardship (perhaps the conflict of the Five of Swords or the sorrow of the Three of Swords), and are now moving towards a place where you can find respite and clarity.

Key themes for the Six of Swords include transition, moving on, passage, recovery, finding solutions, and journeys (often over water). It encourages you to embrace this journey of healing, to allow yourself to grieve what is being left behind, but also to look forward with hope to the more peaceful future that awaits.

The Six of Swords can indicate a literal trip, especially one over water, that serves as a means of escape or a path to a fresh start. More often, it symbolizes an internal shift – a move towards a more positive mindset, letting go of old thought patterns, or finding a logical way out of a difficult intellectual or communicative situation. It suggests that by using your intellect (Swords) and perhaps with the help of others (the ferryman), you can navigate away from turbulence. This card often brings a sense of relief, even if tinged with sadness for what has passed.

The Number’s Voice (Numerology Connection for 6):

The Six of Swords carries the energy of the number 6. In numerology, the number 6 is deeply associated with harmony, balance, love, family, responsibility, community, service, and nurturing. It often relates to creating beauty, fostering supportive environments, and taking on caring or protective roles, especially within a close-knit community or family. Your numerology resources consistently highlight that the number 6 is about compassion, understanding, and the need to find peaceful resolutions and harmonious states of being. It often signifies a return to balance after a period of disruption.

Connecting this to the Six of Swords, the number 6 powerfully underscores its theme of moving towards a state of greater harmony, peace, and emotional or mental balance. After the conflict and potential upheaval signified by a “five” card (like the Five of Swords), the 6 represents a conscious effort to restore equilibrium and find a more supportive environment.

The journey depicted in the card is a passage towards this harmony. The energy of the number 6 gives the Six of Swords its feeling of seeking solace, its hope for a more peaceful future, and the underlying desire for a balanced and less troubled state of mind or circumstance. It’s the number that says, “I seek harmony and balance, I move towards peace, I am responsible for finding a better way forward.”

Bringing Meanings to Life:

Imagine you have been through a very stressful period at work, perhaps dealing with intense conflict or overwhelming pressure. You make the decision to find a new job in a more supportive environment, and as you begin that transition, you feel a sense of relief and hope, even if there’s some sadness about leaving the familiar. That journey towards a calmer professional life is the energy of the Six of Swords. Or perhaps you have ended a difficult relationship and are now taking time to heal and move towards a more peaceful emotional state, leaving the past turmoil behind.

It might also appear when you are consciously working to change your mindset after a period of negative thinking, using your intellect to find more positive and constructive ways to view your situation. It’s about those times when you make a deliberate choice to sail away from troubled waters, even if the journey is quiet and a little somber at first.

When I feel that need to move on from a painful situation, and I take those first steps towards a more peaceful future, even with a heavy heart for what was, that feels like embarking on the healing passage of the Six of Swords. It reminds us that even after storms, calmer seas can be found if we have the courage to journey towards them.

4. The Six of Swords Reversed

When the Six of Swords appears reversed, its energy of a smooth transition towards peace and recovery can be blocked, delayed, or experienced with more difficulty. It might suggest an inability to move on, a journey that is stalled, or perhaps that you are being forced into a transition you are not ready for.

One common interpretation of the Six of Swords reversed is that it can point to a feeling of being stuck in a difficult situation, unable to move on or leave past troubles behind. You might be clinging to old sorrows, conflicts, or negative thought patterns, preventing yourself from finding peace. The journey towards healing may be blocked or feel impossible.

Another perspective is that the Six of Swords reversed can indicate that a necessary transition is being resisted or is particularly turbulent. You might be trying to move forward, but obstacles keep arising, or the journey feels overwhelming and chaotic. It could also suggest that you are “rocking the boat,” perhaps by not fully committing to the decision to move on, or by bringing old conflicts into new situations.

Sometimes, the Six of Swords reversed can also suggest that you are feeling trapped with no way out, or that a planned escape or journey is delayed or cancelled. There might be a sense of unfinished business from the past that is preventing you from truly moving forward. It could also point to a situation where you feel you have no choice but to stay in a difficult environment, or that important information needed for a clear passage is being withheld.

The reversed Six of Swords is an invitation to look honestly at what is preventing your movement towards peace and healing. Are you truly ready to let go of the past? Are there unresolved issues that need to be addressed before you can move on? Are you resisting a necessary change out of fear? It’s a call to find ways to clear the blockages, to seek support if needed, and to make a more conscious and committed effort to navigate towards calmer waters, even if the journey is challenging.

5. Seeing It in Your World: The Six of Swords in Your Daily Life

The transitional and often healing energy of the Six of Swords, whether guiding you towards peace upright or highlighting a difficult passage when reversed, can be felt during periods of significant life changes and mental shifts.

When the Six of Swords’ upright energy is active, you might find yourself finally making the decision to move away from a toxic environment or relationship. You might be taking a much-needed vacation to clear your head after a stressful time. Perhaps you are successfully using therapy or self-reflection to overcome past traumas and adopt a more positive mindset. It’s a time when you feel you are making progress towards a more peaceful and hopeful future.

If the lessons of the reversed Six of Swords are more prominent, you might find yourself constantly thinking about a past hurt, unable to let it go and move on. You might feel trapped in a dead-end job or an unhappy living situation, with no clear path out. Perhaps a planned move or trip keeps getting delayed, causing frustration. It could also manifest as trying to make changes but constantly getting pulled back into old, negative patterns of thought or behavior.

A couple of questions to reflect on when the Six of Swords’ energy is present:

“What difficult situation or painful past am I currently moving away from, and how can I make this transition as smooth and healing as possible?”
“Am I truly ready to leave troubled waters behind and embrace a more peaceful future, or are there any lingering attachments or unresolved issues I need to address?”

6. Echoes and Connections: The Six of Swords Among Other Cards

The Six of Swords often follows the conflict and potential defeat of the Five of Swords. After the painful outcome of that battle, the Six represents the necessary act of moving on, seeking refuge, and beginning the process of mental or emotional recovery. It’s a journey away from the “battlefield.”

It is the Swords suit’s expression of finding a degree of harmony and balance (the number 6) after disruption. It contrasts with the other Sixes: the Six of Wands is about public victory and recognition; the Six of Cups is about nostalgia and innocent giving/receiving; and the Six of Pentacles is about material generosity and balanced exchange. The Six of Swords is uniquely focused on a mental or physical transition away from strife towards a more peaceful state of mind or environment.

The journey depicted can be seen as a necessary passage before one can reach the more challenging mental states of later Swords cards (like the anxiety of the Nine of Swords) or, more hopefully, the ultimate clarity and new beginnings represented by the Ace of Swords if a new cycle of thought is initiated after this healing journey. It also shares themes of passage with cards like The Chariot or even Death, though the Six of Swords is usually a quieter, less dramatic, and more sorrowful but hopeful transition.

7. The Wisdom of the Six of Swords: Your Gentle Takeaway Message

The deepest wisdom of the Six of Swords lies in its compassionate acknowledgment that there are times in life when the most courageous and healing action we can take is to consciously move away from situations of conflict, sorrow, or mental turmoil towards a place of greater peace and clarity. This card reminds you that it is okay to leave difficulties behind, and that such transitions, while sometimes tinged with sadness for what has been, are essential for recovery and a fresh start. It teaches that even in difficult passages, there is often a guiding force (the ferryman) that helps us navigate towards calmer waters.

The Six of Swords encourages you to trust the process of moving on. It emphasizes that by making a conscious choice to seek a more peaceful state of mind or environment, you are taking an important step towards healing and a brighter future. It’s about understanding that you don’t have to remain trapped in a cycle of negativity or strife; you have the capacity to find a path towards tranquility.

Think of the Six of Swords as a gentle but steady boat carrying you away from a stormy shore towards a calmer horizon. This card invites you to allow yourself this passage, to release the burdens of the past (the swords in the boat), and to look forward with quiet hope to the peace and clarity that await you. It’s a call to embrace necessary transitions, to seek healing, and to trust that calmer seas are ahead.

8. Quick Questions About the Six of Swords

Here are a couple of common questions people have about the Six of Swords:

Q1: Does the Six of Swords always mean a literal journey or travel over water?A: While it can sometimes indicate a physical journey, especially one involving crossing water, the Six of Swords more often symbolizes a metaphorical journey – moving on from a difficult state of mind, leaving a troubled situation, or transitioning into a new, more peaceful phase of life. The “water” often represents emotions or the subconscious that are being navigated.
Q2: If I get the Six of Swords, does it mean my problems are completely solved?A: The Six of Swords indicates that you are moving away from problems and heading towards a more peaceful situation. It’s a very positive sign of progress and recovery. It doesn’t necessarily mean all challenges are instantly and completely eradicated, but it strongly suggests that you are on the right path to leave the worst behind and find greater calm and clarity. It’s about the journey towards resolution.
Q3: Is the Six of Swords a sad card because the figures often look sorrowful?A: There can be an element of sadness or melancholy with the Six of Swords, as it often involves leaving something behind, even if that something was difficult. Letting go, even of pain, can involve a sense of loss for what was or what might have been. However, the overriding energy of the upright card is one of movement towards a better, more peaceful future, so it also carries a strong sense of hope and relief.

Six of Swords: Your In-Depth Guide to Transitions and Moving Towards Peace

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