TAROTSix of Swords
Upright
A possibly difficult transition to a better eventual period of life
Moving away from a difficult situation or people via a potentially difficult journey, but to an ultimately rewarding destination.
Planning a life transition from one place or state to another.
Intuition
This card show how the ancients really saw their Gods. The Gods did not appear in their human form, but as the animals that represent them. This is because the original archetypes are almost certainly the animals not the Gods, and the ancient archeological record backs this up.
Reversed
Inability to make a required change in your life.
Failing to move away from a difficult situation or people because of inertia, fear, self-defeating beliefs or avoiding the issues.
Stagnation to an unhealthy or repetitive period of your life because inertia is keeping you there.
Astrologia
Breaking free of the past through innovation and the unconventional (or ability to understand the lessons of the past). Strong humanitarian instincts and being open-minded. Works well in a group through excellent communication. Intellectual curiosity. Can be torn between conflicting needs for independence and intimacy, as well as thinking in the abstract whilst downplaying emotions.
Six of Swords
The Six of Swords is about putting the past behind you and moving on to something better.
It can also signify a move from a situation that is not necessarily bad, but that you have outgrown.
As with all Tarot cards, the image is symbolic. The water being traveled over indicates an emotional transition, not a physical sea voyage. Because Swords govern intellect and communication rather than emotion, this card represents the planning of the journey and the reasoning behind it.
The choppy water behind the boat represents the emotionally fraught situation left behind. The stormy clouds indicate high emotion. A salmon leaps in this water, symbolizing the determination and renewal associated with the journey. Without this determination and acceptance of change, the journey fails to start, leaving the traveler stuck in a hopeless situation.
Ahead, the water is calmer and appears golden. The brighter sky and the sun indicate happier times ahead.
Six swords stick upright in rocks beside the boat. Three dark swords represent the reasons for leaving the current situation. Three bright swords represent the reasons for choosing the new destination.
Note that this card does not just look at the reasons to leave the place you are moving away from, but also reasons to select the place you are travelling to. You need both planned to make a good life-transition.
Unlike some other decks, there is no ferryman to propel the boat yet is moves quickly. So what is the story? You already know it; Cinderella.
Rhodopis
The most well-known version of Cinderella dates to around 1700. A far older story, written around the first century CE, concerns Rhodopis ('Rose-cheeked'), a woman born in Greece.
She is a former slave or hetaira who makes it to Egypt. While she bathes, an eagle swoops down, stealing one of her sandals and dropping it into the lap of the Pharaoh. Surprised by the beauty of the sandal and the strange event (the eagle was the protector of the Pharaoh, marking this as a significant sign), the Pharaoh sends men to find the owner, ultimately making Rhodopis his queen.
In this deck, the story of Rhodopis begins in the Ten of Pentacles. Rhodopis and her son stand by the far wall, dressed in white and serving food. She stands by a doorway opening out to a lake, flanked by wall paintings of three figures: the gods Athena, Aphrodite, and Apollo.
In the Six of Swords, Rhodopis and her son make their escape from slavery in a boat moving across the same lake. The three gods from the Ten of Pentacles aid her escape: Athena’s owl, Aphrodite’s dove, and Apollo’s raven.
Description and Symbology
We see a woman and child in a fast moving boat.
A woman and child travel in a fast-moving boat.
Behind the boat, choppy water and dark storm clouds signify an escape from a difficult situation. The journey up to this point has been fraught.
A leaping salmon breaks the choppy water, acting as a symbol of determination and rebirth. Starting this journey required immense determination, but success guarantees transformation.
Calm waters and a sunny sky lie in front of the boat. The sun shines on the waters ahead, giving them a golden glow. Around the boat fly the symbols of the gods: Athena, Aphrodite, and Apollo. They appear in cards related to the woman’s current position: Strength (determination), the Ace of Cups (new emotional beginnings), and the Ace of Swords (new intellectual beginnings).
To the side of the boat, six swords are arranged in two groups of three. The dark swords represent reasons to leave home. The bright swords symbolize reasons to travel to the new destination.
As noted in the previous section, the woman is Rhodopis, or rosy cheeks. It looks like her future has also suddenly become rosy.
The difficult past
Behind the boat we see rough waters and storm clouds denoting a difficult past. The salmon in the rough water signifies the determination of the people in the boat and the transformational nature of their journey.
The brighter future ahead
We see brighter skies and calm waters ahead. The boat sails towards this better future.
Strength and new beginnings
The boat has no apparent means of motion. It is driven by three ideas or ideals. The first is strength of the woman in the boat (symbolized by the owl/Athena, who appears in the Strength card). The second and third are the dove and raven (Aphrodite and Apollo, who appear in the ‘new beginnings’ cards of the Ace of Cups and Ace of Swords).
The swords
The six swords are shown stuck in two rocks near the boat. Three are dark, representing the reasons for wanting to leave the past situation. Three are bright, representing reasons to travel to the destination. They represent a full plan for the journey, remembering you need reasons to want to leave and reasons to travel to the chosen destination.
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
You will need to move on emotionally from a difficult situation. This ‘moving on’ may be difficult and daunting or filled with sadness but will be positive in the long run.
If the situation within the relationship is truly difficult and not just a difference of opinion, then the card is pointing to a split.
For lesser problems, this card points to a clean break via significant changes within the relationship. You and your partner need to move on from old behaviors to a new life that suits you both. This is not unusual. People change after first meeting and sometimes the relationship needs a kick, but if either of you are not willing then the relationship may suffer.
If you are considering a past relationship, this card suggests a no. You are more likely to want to move on from the past.
If you are considering a new relationship then this card suggests moving forward from the past, but that may make the new relationship a brief ‘rebound’ fling! Be sure what you really want in a new relationship, and make sure you have really disengaged from the past and are ready for something new.
You are resisting changes that you know must happen within the relationship. This may be caused by not wanting to lose something or someone. It could be because of a hope of change. It could be because leaving is harder than staying, or the inability to make a difficult decision.
This card can also refer to a past relationship that you cannot let go. It may be caused by a separation or death that you find it difficult to move on from.
In either case, there needs to come a time when you start to consider your future rather than holding on to the past (or merely hoping for change without making it happen). That time should not be rushed. This is a difficult transition, and you should be sure of it rather than pushed into it.
Your growth and increasing experience (or need to try other avenues through dissatisfaction with your current role) will lead to a transition within career.
This transition may be a move or promotion, but in either case do not rush, otherwise the move may be just a change of scenery. The aim of the move is to move somewhere better that gives you space to grow further.
You are finding it difficult to progress your career and this may be caused by your current environment attempting to fix you in place or your own resistance to change, inertia or simply lack of drive (and leaving decisions to others or always picking the safe option).
You need to take more of a lead in your own career by setting your own goals and a plan to achieve them, remembering management often create their own plans first then fit you into it. You perhaps need to create a reasonable plan that considers you first!
If the question being asked is about a known condition, then the worst is over, although you may not feel it for a while and things may actually seem worse. Trust in the process. The pain is the pain of transition towards cure and recuperation.
If the question is about mental issues or stress, then the cause of the problem is a situation that you either need to address or move away from. A bad relationship, stressful workplace, or a stressed family life. It is time to make a change to your life or move away from the root cause. This will initially cause more stress, but the end result will be better overall.
If the question being asked is about a known condition, then you are struggling to recover or are experiencing setbacks. This may be because you are not acknowledging the condition and trying to get back to normal too quickly, or simply becoming frustrated.
Recovery will take time, and it will take the same amount of time, whatever you worry about it or not. Patience is key.
Previous events have impressed on you the need to move and transition to something better. This move may involve distance, but is more likely to involve a move from one emotional state to another: increased happiness, increased stability or increased potential for growth. It is also important to check your values and long term aims in all of this. Ensure you have not just moving for ‘better’ but also a ‘better you’. The way you do this is proper planning beforehand, rather than acting like you are jumping from a burning building and must do everything straight away!
You are struggling with direction or finding the answers you would like. Consider if this is happening because you are standing still rather than moving forward in other areas of your life.
You could also be moving backwards rather than forward by trying to come to terms with issues in the past. If that is the case, then you need to give yourself time whilst at the same time not wallowing in the past by keeping an eye on the future.
You have been avoiding or ignoring a situation that is draining you financially (and perhaps emotionally) and it is time to put it right. The problem is either your habits, the habits of someone else, a relationship, partnership, or workplace.
This will be a difficult decision, as it may mean feeling poorer rather than richer for a while. It will be beneficial in the long term, so long as you aim to move to a more stable state or one that allows greater personal growth vs. just a change in scenery with the same issues travelling with you.
You are struggling with your finances, possibly because you are focused on the past rather than the present and future.
The root issue may be a fear caused by previous losses. It may be because of an inability to move forward from a past experience in your personal life. It may be because the plans you have put in place are not performing and fail to budge despite your best efforts.
Whatever the reason, it is time to start considering the future and/or seeking help if you cannot do it on your own.
Yes, because you are putting the past behind you and moving forward with determination.
No, because you are unable to move forward or will be blocked.
Reading the Card
The Upright Card
The upright Six of Swords denotes a transition in your life. This transition will take you from one difficult emotional state or position to another that is better, but the transition itself may be difficult or painful.
It hurts because you suffer loss at leaving something or someone behind (notice the boat on the card is nearly empty: you take only yourself and your most valuable possessions). You will also potentially throw yourself into a less familiar environment for a while and need to overcome the inertia of your old life. The message of the card is ‘this is a transition you have to take to move forward in your life’.
The message of the card is ‘this is a transition you have to take to move forward in your life’
Also, notice that we use transition and not journey. The card does not necessarily mean running away from your problems or a physical journey. Water represents emotion in Tarot, so the ‘journey’ can occur without you moving. It can represent a new understanding or a realization that a situation is bad, and you need someone else to leave.
The problem can also be at your door. You may have to accept responsibility for your own actions and your reticence to take action when you should have.
Notwithstanding all of this, the Six of Swords is a positive card overall. It signifies you are currently in a poor situation and need to make changes to get to a better position. These changes (or transition) will be difficult, but the cost is worth the prize in the long run.
The Reversal
The Reversed Six of Swords represents a 'failure to heed the call to action'. You know issues exist and that you must take difficult actions, yet you choose not to.
You are failing to move forward in life because of an emotional problem, and this problem can be that:
- You are living in the past. A bad relationship or negative event prevents you from attempting the same thing now, causing self-defeating behavior. You rationalize this as shyness or a lack of readiness for change, but the root cause is an inability to move past the old issue. The Reversed card nudges you to look deeper.
- You are convincing yourself everything is fine. Hope is good, but can sometimes be a waiting room that nobody ever leaves. You have to find your own way out.
- Inertia holds you back. Waiting for change drains you, but it feels safe, whereas setting out in search of something better is fraught with the fear of failure; so you stay put. Look to the eventual prize alongside your fears. The fears dissipate once you secure that prize.
- You are the one causing the problems. This is the difficult one. Sometimes you need to step up and realize where you are is no longer for you. Either you need to change or move. This can be the most painful transition or journey of all, but finding somewhere where you finally fit can also be the most transformational thing in your life.
Card Design Process
This card contains many elements, and it was a stretch to get them all in! The final layout has the woman placed first in the center and the other elements arranged around her.
Final Words
The Six of Swords represents a transition to a better state or a recovery from adversity toward a place of growth, healing or a new start.
Starting the transition or journey will require overcoming inertia, fear, internal excuses and other resistance, but the end prize will be worth it.
