The Six of Swords tarot card is about acceptance and moving on from the past. It’s the card of starting over.
Traditionally, this card shows a man ferrying a woman and child across a river to their new life. They don’t want to leave, but they must.
They are leaving behind a painful situation to start over. They have accepted the reality of their situation and their backs are turned on the past. They are facing their destiny while hopeful for the future.
When you are ready to leave your sorrows behind and start a new life, the Six of Swords is the card for you. You must look at things as they actually are, not as you wish them to be. Accept the reality of the situation, no matter how painful it is to admit the truth. Move on and don’t look back.
Once you accept the reality of your situation and move on, the struggle will be over. The pain will be in your past. You are ready for something new, even though you don’t know what the future holds.
This a very hopeful card. Once you take action to move toward your new future, you will have smooth sailing and things will change with ease.
In some cases, this card may indicate a literal move or relocation, or a short trip or vacation. If that’s the case, you will likely travel over water.
Keywords for the Six of Swords Tarot Card
- Moving to a safer environment
- Leaving the past behind and starting over
- A regretful but necessary rite of passage
- Travel (over water), relocating
Keywords for the Six of Swords Reversed
- You’re stuck and can’t move on
- Someone is holding you back
- Fear of travel or travel problems
Patterns and Correspondences of the Six of Swords Card
- The Swords = rules the mental and intellectual world
- Suit of cards = spades
- Timeline = hours to days
- Number 6 = harmony, hearth and safe harbors
- Zodiac sign = Aquarius
- Element = Air
Keep reading for sample tarot readings using The Six of Swords card, but first…
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Six of Swords Tarot Card Meanings for Love
In a love reading, the Six of Swords usually indicates moving on from heartbreak.
To move on, you will must leave your anxieties behind and jump into the unknown. But things get much better from here, so don’t be afraid of the leap.
If you are looking for new love, you must make a clean break from your past. Your future is much brighter than anything you can currently imagine. Let the past go so you can welcome this new future into your life.
If you are in a committed relationship, you still must let the past go. Forgive yourself and your partner and make a new start together. You have the opportunity to build something better and stronger, but you must let the past stay in the past, for good.
Six of Swords Tarot Card Meanings for Work
This card indicates a regretful but necessary transition, such as being laid off or losing an important client. However, this is for the best, as it opens you up for something even better.
While this situation may feel crushing, it is not a permanent blow. You have so many options now. Ask for advice from someone outside your field and focus your attention on the positive changes and opportunities you now have.
If you’re feeling stuck in your career or work, it may be time to find another way to reach your goals. There will be a big leap ahead, but you will be ready for it. Find the work that interests you (in your current job or elsewhere) and throw yourself into it.
Most adults have multiple careers during their lives. (Not just multiple jobs, but multiple different career paths). Your future might be radically different from your past or the present. To find this new direction, begin by removing everything that doesn’t fit. As you eliminate the things that don’t fit, you will create a vacuum of space and energy to attract what is truly you.
Six of Swords Tarot Card Meanings for Health
You must look at things as they are, not as you want them to be. Once you see clearly, the struggle will be over and you will be able to commit to your next step.
This is a hopeful card. Although the past has been awful and the current situation isn’t ideal, this is the turning point toward something better.
But you must take action. You can’t sit around waiting for things to change. You must make a commitment to your future by doing the one thing you fear the most.
Six of Swords Tarot Card Meanings for Money and Finances
The Six of Swords card can indicate a relocation, move, or short vacation – all of which cost money.
If you have made stupid financial decisions in the past, forgive yourself and accept your current situation as it is. There is no point in wishing for the past to be different. While you can’t change the past, you can change your present situation and the future.
It is time to take specific actions to make your financial life better. This means growing up and taking responsibility for every financial decision you make.
The pennies count. If you treat them with respect, the dollars will take care of themselves.
Six of Swords Tarot Card Meanings for Spiritual Guidance
Step back to gain perspective on your problems. There are many things you don’t see and will never understand about the events in your life and how they effect you. As humans, our knowledge is limited by our own experiences and what we learn by observing others.
No matter how hard we try, we will never fully understand or know the people in our lives. They have their own secrets, desires, wounds, and motivations. And their actions will impact your life, in both good and bad ways.
You must learn to separate yourself from other people and trust your own wisdom. You must forgive them and yourself. And you must leave behind your sorrows, disappointments, and unfulfilled hopes before you can create the life you desire.