Six of Cups in the Rider Waite Tarot
Table of contents
Table of contents
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
Six of Cups Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation
Minor
Water
The Six of Cups is a card of happy nostalgia, emotional memories, tenderness and purity of heart. It invites you to reconnect with what used to make you feel good, to revisit the past, not to lock yourself in it, but to draw gentle and precious emotional strength from it. It speaks of a return, of reconciliation, of rediscovered simplicity, in relationships as in emotions. It reminds you that some true things never change: sincere love, faithful friendship, generosity without expectation. It’s a card that heals, soothes and envelops. If you’re going through a difficult time, it’s a balsamic for the heart: it invites you to remember that you have been loved, that you can love again, and that what is pure always comes back to you.
RWS Tarot : Arcana Six of Cups readings
Love / Sentimental reading
with the card Six of Cups
In the sentimental domain, the Six of Cups speaks of a love imbued with tenderness, purity and shared memories. It can herald the return of an old love, the reappearance of someone from the past, or a reactivation of buried emotions. If you are in a relationship, this card suggests a phase of gentle harmony, of simple, almost childlike complicity: a moment to reconnect with what is essential, with the joy of loving without calculation. It may also indicate a need to heal an emotional memory, to bring gentleness where there has been injury. For singles, the Six of Cups may represent an encounter marked by a feeling of ‘déjà vu’, a karmic soul mate, or an attraction reminiscent of innocent love. It invites you to experience love with simplicity, to listen to your heart without fear or overprotection.
Professional / Work reading
with the card Six of Cups
In the professional sphere, the Six of Cups can signal a return to an old vocation, a trade from the past or an activity that reminds you of a happy period. You could find an old colleague, a job in a former sector, or relaunch a project that had been put on hold. This card can also represent a caring work environment, where relationships are sincere, almost family-like. If you’re feeling lost, it will encourage you to return to what used to thrill you, to reconnect with your initial enthusiasm. It can also represent a profession concerned with childhood, transmission, memory, education or protection. The Six of Cups reminds you that your past holds precious keys, not to be locked away in it, but to nourish the present with depth.
Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card Six of Cups
Financially, the Six of Cups indicates a form of gentle stability, often linked to family, gifts, inheritances or benevolent support. It is not a card of great wealth, but rather of fair and emotional exchanges: you receive and give from the heart. It may herald a helping hand from someone close to you, an old repayment, or a form of mutual generosity. It also speaks of a way of managing money that comes from the past or from values instilled in us as children. You are invited to reflect on your emotional relationship with money, and to make peace with family conditioning if it limits you. Sometimes this card also suggests showing gratitude for what you already have, because simplicity can be a form of wealth.
Family reading
with the card Six of Cups
In the family domain, the Six of Cups is a profoundly sweet and emotional card. It can represent childhood memories, nostalgia for a past bond, a family reunion, or the loving presence of a parent or sibling. It can also signal the healing of an old family wound, or a gentle and natural reconciliation. This card evokes a climate of welcome, sharing and unconditional love. It can also refer to the children – your own children or those of someone close to you – who occupy a central place in this period. The message of the Six of Cups here is clear: return to the essentials, to the simplicity of the family bond, where the heart can express itself freely, without a mask. This is an excellent card for rebuilding, getting closer, or transmitting important values within the home.
Spiritual reading
with the card Six of Cups
On a spiritual level, the Six of Cups represents a soul memory, a connection with the past, or an ancient spiritual heritage. It can indicate that you are in the process of rediscovering forgotten practices, beliefs or teachings, sometimes from another life or from your childhood. This is a card for a return to spiritual innocence, to a simple, spontaneous and luminous faith. It invites you not to intellectualise your quest, but to approach it from the heart, with joy, like a child discovering the world. It can also herald a reconnection with a guide, an old mentor or a spiritual figure from the past. If you feel like you’re on a quest, she advises you to look back in order to move forward: what you’ve already experienced contains spiritual treasures that are still active today.
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
5-Card spread
Six of Cups and its positions in a 5-card draw.
Want to better understand how to interpret the card Six of Cups according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card Six of Cups in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.
