Six Of Swords

💨 Air Jupiter Aquarius

Arcana Minor Arcana

Element Air

Planet Jupiter

Sign Aquarius

Yes / No Yes

Correspondences

Crystals

AquamarineBlue Lace AgateLabradoriteMoonstone

Herbs

LavenderValerianLemon Balm

Chakra Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

Colors

Blue, Grey, Silver

Scents

Sandalwood, Bergamot, Sea Salt

Musical Note G

Across the waters that separate what was from what will be, a small boat carries its passengers toward a distant shore. A cloaked figure—often a woman and child—sits huddled in the bow while a ferryman poles steadily through the water, his back to the future he guides them toward, his attention on the work of navigation. Six swords stand upright in the bottom of the boat, planted in the wood like sentinels or memories, traveling with the passengers though their weight would seem to threaten the craft. Behind them, the water churns with the turbulence of what they are leaving; ahead, it smooths toward calm, toward peace, toward the new shore that waits to receive them. This is not a joyful journey—the passengers are not eager but resigned, not celebratory but relieved, carrying with them the weight of what drove them to leave. Yet the card speaks of progress nonetheless, of the courage it takes to push away from a familiar shore, however troubled, toward unknown waters that promise only this: they are not where you have been. The Six of Swords is the crossing that begins when staying becomes more painful than leaving.

✦ Upright Meaning

The Six of Swords emerges as the archetype of necessary transition—the journey from troubled waters to calmer shores that may not feel like triumph but is undeniably progress. This is not the card of joyful new beginnings but of the melancholy relief that comes when you finally leave what has been hurting you, when you push away from a troubled shore toward unknown waters because staying has become more painful than leaving. The figures in the boat do not look back with longing; they look forward toward a destination they cannot yet see clearly, carrying with them the swords that represent both their wounds and their wisdom. The Six of Swords asks you to acknowledge both the difficulty of what you are leaving and the courage it takes to leave it. The ferryman guides the crossing, but you must be willing to get in the boat. And the swords come with you—not because the past is forgotten but because the lessons it taught will serve you on the shore you are moving toward.

❤️Love & Relationships

In the realm of love, the Six of Swords speaks to the necessary transitions of the heart—moving on from relationships that have caused pain, finding peace after the turbulence of difficult love, the slow journey toward emotional stability after being tossed by romantic storms. This is not the card of passionate new beginnings but of the quieter progress that comes when you finally leave what has been hurting you, when you allow yourself to be carried toward calmer emotional waters. For those healing from heartbreak, the Six confirms that you are making progress even if you cannot yet see the new shore. For those in relationship, this card may indicate a period of transition toward greater peace and stability. The Six of Swords speaks to the courage of emotional departure and the hope of emotional arrival.

💼Career & Work

The Six of Swords arrives in your professional landscape as the energy of necessary transition—the job change that removes you from troubled environments, the career shift that carries you toward calmer waters, the professional journey that may not be joyful but is undeniably progressive. This is the card of leaving behind work situations that were causing harm, of moving toward professional circumstances that promise peace even if they remain uncertain. Your career may be asking you to release what has been draining you and allow yourself to be carried toward something better, even if that journey feels melancholy rather than celebratory. The Six of Swords confirms that the crossing you are making is taking you somewhere worth going.

💰Finance & Money

In financial matters, the Six of Swords speaks to the transition from monetary turbulence toward calmer waters—the debt that is finally being left behind, the financial recovery that is steadily progressing, the move from scarcity toward stability even if the journey is slow and the destination not yet reached. This is the card of financial progress through patient navigation, of leaving behind the troubled waters of past financial difficulties, of the slow but steady improvement that comes from consistently moving in the right direction. Your financial situation may be in transit from worse to better—not yet arrived, but unmistakably moving. The Six of Swords confirms that your financial journey is headed toward peace.

🌿Health & Wellness

The Six of Swords brings the energy of progressive healing to all matters of physical wellbeing—the recovery that may be slow but is unmistakably happening, the transition from illness toward wellness that represents genuine progress even if the destination has not yet been reached. This is the card of health journeys that are moving in the right direction, of the patient who is getting better even if they are not yet well, of the body that is leaving troubled waters behind. Your health may be in transit from worse to better, and the Six of Swords encourages you to honor this progress even if you wish it were faster. The crossing takes the time it takes, but you are moving toward calmer waters.

🔮Spirituality

The Six of Swords appears in spiritual matters as the journey between spiritual states—the transition from doubt to faith, from confusion to clarity, from the turbulence of spiritual crisis to the calmer waters of integrated understanding. This is the card of spiritual progress that may feel more like exhausted relief than enlightened joy, of the soul's passage from troubled times toward peace, of the wisdom that comes from leaving behind beliefs or practices that no longer serve. Your spiritual path may be carrying you toward new understanding, new practice, new ways of relating to the sacred—not in triumph but in the quiet determination of one who knows that staying where they were would have been worse than leaving.

✦ Wisdom & Guidance

Advice

The Six of Swords honors the courage of necessary departure—the leaving that comes not from strength but from the recognition that staying would cost more than going. You are in transit, crossing waters that separate what was from what will be, carrying with you both the wounds of the past and the lessons they taught. This is not a journey of triumph but of progress, not a celebration but a relief, not an arrival but a moving-toward. Allow the crossing to take the time it needs. Trust the ferryman—whether that is a person guiding you, circumstances carrying you, or your own steady determination to reach calmer waters. The swords in the boat are not threats but reminders: you carry your past with you, but you do not have to let it sink you. The shore you are approaching may still be unclear, but it will not be the troubled place you left. That alone is worth the journey.

Affirmation

"I am gracefully moving toward calmer waters, leaving behind what has hurt me and carrying forward only what will serve my journey. I trust the process of transition, knowing that every stroke of the oar carries me closer to peace."

? Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Six of Swords tarot card mean? +

The Six of Swords represents necessary transition—the journey from troubled waters to calmer shores. It signals moving on from difficult situations, progressive healing, and the courage to leave what has been hurting you.

Is the Six of Swords a yes or no card? +

The Six of Swords is a YES card, indicating positive movement and transition toward better circumstances. While the journey may not be joyful, it represents genuine progress away from difficulty.

What does the Six of Swords reversed mean? +

The Six of Swords reversed indicates stalled transition—unable to leave, stuck between what was and what could be, or unresolved issues preventing the journey to calmer waters from completing.

Why are the swords standing in the boat? +

The six swords standing in the boat represent the wounds and lessons you carry with you—the past travels alongside you. They symbolize that healing doesn't mean forgetting, but moving forward with hard-won wisdom.

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