Six of Swords
Leaving troubled waters for calmer shores. Things are slowly getting better.
- Card
- Minor Arcana · Swords (Air)
- Upright keywords
- Transition, Improvement, Journey to recovery, Leaving behind
- Reversed keywords
- Stagnation, Can’t get away, Carrying problems along, Delays
- Yes or no
- Leans yes
Traditional correspondences Golden Dawn: Lord of Earned Success / Thoth: Science / 2nd decan of Aquarius · Mercury / Sephirah: Tiphareth (Beauty)
Upright meaning
Moving away from difficulty towards calmer waters.
A ferryman poles a boat carrying a woman and child across water towards a distant shore; six swords stand in the boat. The Six of Swords is transition: leaving difficulty behind, a journey towards recovery. Upright, things are improving, even if slowly.
Reversed meaning
Hard to move on, or carrying problems with you.
Reversed, the move is blocked or you take your problems with you. Deal with what you’re carrying before you go.
For ways of reading reversed cards, see how to read reversals.
Love
Moving on from a hard time together, or after a break-up.
Unresolved issues following you.
Work
Changing jobs or moving to a better situation.
Delays in a transition.
Money
Getting out of a tight spot.
Ongoing financial issues.
Relationships
Leaving behind difficult relationships.
Old problems resurfacing.
Health
Gradual recovery.
Slow progress.
Tarot does not diagnose physical conditions. If you have symptoms that worry you, please see a doctor.
Mind and spirit
Moving towards peace.
Carrying old baggage.
As a person
Someone moving on, or a helper who guides you.
Someone stuck.
Timing
Things improve gradually over weeks. In the calendar, late January to early February is also a guide (roughly January 30 to February 8).
Advice
Move towards calmer waters.
Resolve what you carry before leaving.
Questions to ask yourself
- What am I leaving behind?
- Where am I heading?
- What am I carrying that I should let go?
A common misreading
The Six of Swords isn’t always literal travel. It is a transition towards something calmer.
The story of this card
Six restores harmony after the conflict of the Five. The mind finds a way out.
The Waite deck’s picture and symbols
In the Waite deck a ferryman poles a boat carrying a hooded woman and a child towards a distant shore. Six swords stand upright in the boat. The water is rough on one side and calm on the other.
History and differences between traditions
The Golden Dawn named it Lord of Earned Success. Crowley called it Science.
Words for today
I move towards calmer waters.
I let go of what weighs me down.