Suit of Cups · Six
Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning
Children share a cup of flowers in an old garden: nostalgia, sweet memories, innocence and kindness from the past.
Keywords · Upright
- nostalgia
- childhood
- innocence
- kindness
Keywords · Reversed
- stuck in the past
- idealising
- moving forward
- growing up
- Arcana
- Minor Arcana · Suit of Cups
- Number
- Six (6)
- Element
- Water
- Astrology
- Sun in Scorpio
- Yes or no
- Upright: Yes · Reversed: Maybe
Advice from Six of Cups
Offer a small kindness and reconnect with something you loved when you were younger.
Draw six cardsSix of Cups upright meaning
In the courtyard of an old house, a boy leans toward a smaller girl and offers her a cup filled with white star-shaped flowers. Five more cups of flowers stand around them on the stone. In the background, a guard walks away. The scene feels safe, sunny and a little old-fashioned, like a memory seen through warm light.
The Six of Cups is about the past and the sweetness it can hold. It brings back childhood, old friends, the places where you grew up and the simple kindness of giving without expecting anything. It reminds you of who you were before life became complicated, and suggests that some of that innocence is still worth keeping.
It might show up as a message from a school friend, a trip to your hometown, or a favourite old song or food that brings everything back. It can also mean being kind in small, unselfish ways, or reconnecting with a hobby you loved as a child. Memories here are a source of comfort and gentle inspiration.
Six of Cups reversed meaning
Reversed, the past holds on too tightly. You may be comparing everything to 'how it used to be', idealising an old relationship, or finding it hard to accept that people and places have changed. Nostalgia is lovely as a visit, but it is uncomfortable as a place to live.
The card can also mean growing up in a healthy way: leaving home, outgrowing old habits, or finally moving on from a childhood pattern. Keep the warmth of your memories, but let them support who you are becoming rather than hold you back from it.
Six of Cups in love, career, money, study and family
Love and relationships
Upright: Sweet, innocent affection, a childhood friend, or someone from the past who reappears. Simple gestures mean a lot.
Reversed: Holding on to an ex or an old ideal may be blocking something new. Let the past be the past.
Career and work
Upright: Returning to old skills, a former employer or a childhood passion can open doors. Kindness at work is noticed.
Reversed: Relying on 'how we always did it' is limiting you. It is time to update your skills or approach.
Money
Upright: Help or a small gift from family, or money linked to something from the past. Simple, modest choices feel right.
Reversed: Old money habits may no longer suit your life. Adjust them to where you are now.
Study and exams
Upright: Revisiting old notes, the basics or a subject you loved as a child helps. A course close to an early passion can feel right.
Reversed: Past results do not define you. Leave old labels behind and approach the subject as the person you are today.
Family and home
Upright: Warm memories, visits to grandparents or the hometown, and caring for younger siblings. Family history brings comfort.
Reversed: Old family patterns or roles may need to change as you grow up. Honour the past while setting your own path.
Is Six of Cups a yes or no card?
Upright, Six of Cups leans towards yes. Reversed, it is a maybe, leaning neither way.
In a full reading, look at the cards around it too: one card is a lean, not a verdict.
Element and astrology
Tarot tradition links Six of Cups with the element of Water and with Sun in Scorpio in astrology.
Advice from Six of Cups
Upright: Offer a small kindness and reconnect with something you loved when you were younger.
Reversed: Treasure the memory, then turn your attention to the life you are building now.
FAQ
Six of Cups: questions and answers
Does the Six of Cups mean an ex is coming back?
It can point to someone from the past reappearing, including an old flame or friend. It does not promise a reunion, but it suggests old feelings may surface.
What does the Six of Cups mean for career?
It often points to old skills, past contacts or a childhood interest that becomes useful again. It can also suggest work with children or in caring roles.
What does the Six of Cups reversed mean?
Reversed, it suggests being too attached to the past, or finally outgrowing it. It asks you to keep the warmth of memories while moving forward.
More from the Suit of Cups
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