Are you curious about the Six of Cups meaning in your life? This card is known to be associated with your past. What you can see on the card is a memory of a little girl. Here she is looking back at the time when she felt most safe and protected. The guard in the background is there to protect the courtyard. So she’s here to play and every time this card shows up it’s trying to show you significant evidence of what brings you joy in life.
Ask yourself, what has given you genuine bliss in your life? Don’t rush; take as much time as you need to figure this out. But if you can try to reach back as far as you can, grab those memories of where you were at your happiest. This is crucial since this will help you realize the things, people, and situations that would fulfill you in life.
It can be difficult to rack your brain trying to figure out your purpose in this world. So much so that you forget to live in the moment, in the here and now. In this post we are going discover what inspiration we can get from the Six of Cups tarot card meaning, as well as explore the following:
- Why should you be aware of the Six of Cups reversed meaning?
- What does the meaning of the Six of Cups bring to your life and relationships?
- Is the Six of Cups love meaning something to look forward to?
- How do you benefit from reading the 6 of Cups tarot guide?
- Can you use the 6 of Cups reversed to your advantage?
Let’s get to it and learn all about the Six of Cups tarot card meaning!
The Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning: An Overview
The traditional Six of Cups card shows two kids a lovely courtyard. They are surrounded by six large cuplike planters that are full of beautiful flowers. The first child is handing out flowers to the second child. It is a nostalgic card, full of reunions and happy memories with friends and families you haven’t seen for so long.
This tarot card also pertains to a happy childhood and the innocence of youth. Moreover, it is indicative of gifts, sensual (not sexual) pleasures, and blissful times shared with other people. It reminds you not to take life too seriously, and to not be afraid to laugh at yourself and your imperfections every once in a while. Remember the animated film Inside Out? Your happy memories help you solve issues you are currently facing. Review your past to find answers for your present.
The Six of Cups Meaning Upright (General)
This card is indicative of a karmic relationship from your past. It’s the type of relationship that is full of an all-consuming passion but is virtually impossible to maintain. Such relationships are not meant to last, although they are learning experiences for people who have them. This is usually the case especially if the Five Pentacles or Justice card is nearby. So this is a nostalgic card that encourages you to examine your past relationships positively, and hopefully learn from them.
Earth-Based Reading
For an earth-based reading, this could mean the comeback of an old co-worker or client. It may also be a chance for those looking for work to finally get a job that they specialize in but haven’t been involved with for quite some time.
Fire Based Reading
The challenge with a fire-based reading of the Six of Cups upright points to your tendency to dwell on the past. Avoid doing that if you do not wish to be stuck in a rut. Know that some things are better left alone. Don’t force things to be resolved, do and do not demand closure if they do not want to give it to you. In short, learn the art of letting go.
If Five of Cups is anywhere close this could pertain to someone who’s using their wounds or their pain like a suit of armor. They are terrified of looking inside for fear that their worst nightmare comes true: that they are nothing but an empty shell.
Water Based Reading
For the emotional aspect reading with water, Six of Cups upright could mean someone new may be coming into your life whom you share a karmic bond or a past life with. Or getting together with an ex with whom you ended up on good terms.
There’s also a possibility a spark between you and an old friend could ignite. You never had the opportunity to veer into a romantic relationship, but now you do. Now that you are more mature, it goes beyond the raw, carnal need. You both will find ways to satisfy each other mentally and emotionally as well.
Air Based Reading
There will be some form of communication that will reach you about an ex. They have already moved on with someone else. If they have been bothering you and causing annoyance for years, this may be good news. However, it can be a big disappointment if you’re still hoping for a reconciliation.
The Six of Cups Meaning Reversed (General)
When the Six of Cups is reversed it means you need to be moving forward, not backward. Stop expecting too many things at once because this will only stress you out. There are so many painful things that you want to abruptly come to an end and it’s just not possible at the moment. Be patient and give it time. Nothing lasts forever. This too shall pass.
There are some effective things you can do to transform the negative aspect of this reversed card if it keeps showing up in your spread. Be mindful that you are facing a situation that is persistently triggering memories from the past. You’re finding it hard to move on from them so you can stay in the present and create a better future. But there’s a way to do this and find empowerment.
Remember that the Six of Cups upright symbolizes childlike fun, innocence, and nostalgia. It allows you to approach life with childlike abandon. When this card is reversed, however, it points you to the negative areas of your past. It’s telling you that it is no longer serving you and that it’s time to address these issues.
Dealing With Painful Childhood Trauma
Some people may have suffered abuse as a child in one form or another. This could be physical, sexual, or psychological abuse. The energy of this reversed card tells you that you are still lagging around this pain, thus keeping you from chasing happiness in the present.
A lot of things may have happened to you during your formative years that are almost impossible to forget because they were embedded deep inside of you. Since it happened during the most receptive state of your brain. This further contributed to your overall expectations and beliefs in life.
Dealing With Six of Cups Meaning The Conventional Way
Other Six of Cups reversed meaning could pertain to your unrealistic expectations about life, about your spouse, and other situations you are struggling to handle. Years after being a full-grown adult you still have that naivete in you. You do not want to look at things mature and practical manner.
For those who have undergone psychotherapy, you may be aware that plenty of therapists encourage the approach of inner trial exploration and healing its pain. Many go through this therapeutic approach of examining their past in great detail. Therefore so many people spend years in therapy with little to no progress.
Good thing there’s a new wave of support and a generation of therapists who take psychological healing to a whole new level using a different approach. They do not believe in the premise that you spend an infinite amount of time talking about childhood issues to address the patient’s pain. This could only make things worse since it is focusing mainly on the problem and not the solution.
Getting Through The Six of Cups Meaning Via Energy Psychology
Energy Psychology is the new approach where clients are asked to tap on various Chinese meridian points all over their bodies while feeling their pain simultaneously. By doing this they can release the emotional charge of their past circumstances to put their energy and attention back on the present. Only then can they can create a better future by coming from an empowered state.
This method taps into the body’s energy systems, one of them being our Chakras. For years, Chakras in the West were interpreted as something esoteric and not tangible. But thanks to modern science, it has been able to detect high electrical activity of a bundle of nerve points where the Chakra are located.
Thus, if the electrical flow of this energy is in any way blocked, it may affect one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Hurt and trauma in one’s life interfere with this free-flowing energy in the Chakras. Practitioners use this method to their clients help release stuck pain and energy coming from their past so they can rebuild their future with real joy in their hearts.
Exploring Other Alternatives To The Six of Cups Meaning
The Six of Cups does not only symbolizes past loves coming back into your life, it can also be a former friend or colleague. Or it can just mean going back to an old place of work. There are times when it represents visiting your hometown or someplace you used to spend a lot of time in when you were young.
If the Six of Cups keep popping up in your reading, it could mean past situations could repeat themselves. It’s not always a bad thing, of course. Unless something terrible happened like battery or infidelity issues.
Keeping Your Guard Up
If you look at the traditional image closely, you will see the guard in the background. You will also notice that there is some form of castle or fortress on the premises. This may be a warning you to keep your guard up. Many people love looking at their past with rose-colored glasses and they can’t see the real situation for what it is.
This is especially true if they’re dead set on getting back with their former flame. They choose the good parts, and that’s all they remember. Suddenly they forget the horrible aspects of that particular relationship. You are remembering it for what you want it to be, not for how it was in reality.
Another clue that you should be keeping your guard up is the little girl’s gloved hands. In fortune-telling and divination, gloves are a symbol of care and protection. So this is a message that you must protect yourself at all costs.
Interpreting The Contrasting Imagery
If you don’t know by now, the contrasting imagery in the Six of Cups is very much deliberate. These figures are drawn in a way so one cannot tell if they are children or older people who just happen to be, well, short.
The flowers also have a double purpose. First, they could be used for spells and medicine to cure. But at the same time, they could also be used as spells to cause one misfortune.
Next, the female figure on the card is painted in a way to represent two faces. On one side you see a youthful face. But the other face has a scarf over her face and head. So at one point, she looks like a young girl, but in other aspects, she looks like an old lady.
These contrasting images are quite common in historical art since it is meant to symbolize two contrasting things. Like the old and the young, the living and the dead.
Six of Cups: Your Life, Your Choice
In the art world, this type of symbolism is known as vanitas or futility. It is supposed to represent the vast difference between a person’s earthly life and spiritual life. The body can decay, but the spirit lives on. Whether in heaven, hell, or any place that you desire. Thus, when you see the Six of Cups, know that you can always choose to move on and that there’s no need to go back to the past. You can always leave and live a new life. In the end, it’s totally up to you.
