Six of Cups
Six of CupsMinor ArcanaSuit of Cups
- Element
- Water
- Astrology
- Sun in Scorpio
- Numerology
- Six: harmony, exchange and the pleasure of giving
- Yes or no
- Yes
Upright
- nostalgia
- childhood
- innocence
- reunion
- kindness
Reversed
- clinging to nostalgia
- unrealistic memories
- leaving home
- maturity
- releasing the past
Sweetness remembered. The Six of Cups is nostalgia, innocence and the simple generosity of childhood.
On the card
In the courtyard of an old town, a boy in a hood bends to hand a cup filled with a white star-shaped flower to a smaller girl. Six cups in all hold the same flowers, arranged on a pedestal and on the ground. A guard walks away in the background and a manor house rises behind. The scene is protected and gentle, a memory of a time when giving was uncomplicated.
Upright
General
The past is reaching into the present. This card brings nostalgia, a reunion with someone from long ago, a return to a childhood place, or a quality of innocent kindness that adults rarely allow themselves. Enjoy it, and let it remind you what you valued before life got complicated.
Love & relationships
An old flame returns, or a relationship that feels familiar and safe. Childhood sweethearts, family bonds and children are all in the frame.
Career & money
Returning to an old employer, a former colleague reappearing with an opportunity, or work connected to children, heritage or the place you grew up. Small gifts and favours are exchanged.
Reversed
General
Memory has become a place to hide. Reversed, the Six of Cups describes idealising the past, refusing to grow up, or being unable to leave a story that ended years ago. It can also show the healthier version: finally letting an old memory go, leaving home, or seeing your childhood clearly for the first time.
Love & relationships
Comparing every partner to an idealised ex, or repeating patterns learned in the family. Alternatively, you are ready to stop living on nostalgia and meet someone in the present.
Career & money
Clinging to how things used to be done, or to a role that suited a younger version of you. Step forward; the old comforts are not coming back.
Advice
Enjoy the memory, then come back to now. The kindness you remember can still be given today.