Six of Cups in the 5-Card Spread with the Rider Waite Tarot

Six of Cups as second card : Challenge / Obstacle
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In contrast, the Six of Cups reveals a difficulty in letting go of the past, a tendency to idealise, or a refusal to fully enter into the emotional present.

The consultant may be too focused on what has been, to the point of depriving themselves of real emotional growth.

They may dwell on or idealise a former relationship, or take refuge in a comforting but frozen memory.

Sometimes this card indicates that the past is returning in a disturbing way, not as a sweet memory, but as an unresolved ghost, an unhealed wound.

It can also reflect emotional immaturity, a need for childhood security that prevents the person from entering into balanced adult relationships.

The person may be seeking to repeat patterns from the past, even if they are no longer appropriate.

The opposition here invites us to let go of the illusions of the past, to accept that nostalgia can be a hindrance, and to bring our awareness back to the present, where the real possibility of transformation lies.

Six of Cups as third card : Advice
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

As advice, the Six of Cups invites you to reconnect with the sweetness of the past without becoming attached to it, to revisit your memories with kindness, and to allow emotions related to childhood or emotional history to emerge without judgement.

This card also advises you to get closer to what touches you deeply, to surround yourself with those who truly know you, or to cultivate tenderness in your current relationships.

It may encourage you to welcome a return from the past, to forgive, or to reconnect with a person, a memory, or a place that can support you on your path.

The Six of Cups also tells you to rediscover your ability to love without fear, to give simply, without calculation, to feel without constantly protecting yourself. It is about making room again for emotional innocence and authenticity of heart, without fleeing the maturity of the present. Returning to your inner child means returning to your roots, not to shut yourself away, but to draw on a forgotten light.

Six of Cups as fourth card : Outcome
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In the outcome position, the Six of Cups heralds a happy return, reconciliation, deep emotional healing, or reconnection with a fond memory that brings liberation. The consultant may be able to rekindle an old relationship, heal a painful memory, or rebuild an emotional bond on a new, more peaceful foundation.

This outcome can also translate into the creation of a stable, warm emotional space or the feeling of reconnecting with an essential part of oneself.

Sometimes, this card indicates the building of a home, the birth of a child, or positive family transmission. The heart of the outcome is peace, recognition of what has been, and the integration of the past into a dynamic of inner peace.

This is not a flamboyant triumph, but an intimate, gentle, lasting victory that allows the consultant to feel emotionally aligned and at peace with their history.