Six of Swords · Minor Arcana
Six of Swords
Transition, moving on, leaving behind, calmer waters.
Upright
The Six of Swords is the crossing. It speaks of transition, moving on, leaving something difficult behind and heading toward calmer water. It is not a joyful card — the passengers are quiet, and they carry their swords with them — but it is a hopeful one. The worst is behind. Keep going.
Reversed
Reversed, the boat will not move. It marks resistance to change, unfinished business, a return to trouble, or baggage too heavy to carry across. Something is holding the boat to the shore. Find it and let it go.
On the card
A ferryman poles a boat carrying a huddled woman and a child across calm water, six swords standing upright in the bow. The water ahead is smooth; behind them, it is choppy.
In love
Moving on from a hard chapter, together or alone. Healing is a journey, not an event.
Stuck in the past, or bringing old hurts into new water.
At work
A transition — new job, new city, a calmer role. Take what you learned.
Refusing to leave a bad situation, or unfinished work that follows you.
As advice
Go. The calm is on the other side, not on this one.
Set down what is keeping the boat at the shore.
Questions people ask about Six of Swords
Is the Six of Swords a yes or no card?
Yes. By leaving. Calmer water is ahead once you move on.
For a yes-or-no question, draw a single card: the one-card spread.
What kind of person is the Six of Swords?
Someone in transit: leaving a difficult place for a quieter one, tired, steady, moving on without much fuss.
How does the Six of Swords feel about you?
They are moving on, calmly. The feeling is relief more than passion; they want calmer water and are heading for it.
What does the Six of Swords say about timing?
A transition, already under way. Gradual rather than sudden, a passage, and you arrive somewhere better.
Often read beside it
Read it in a spread
7 cards
Two pathsSeven cards for a choice between two options.Want this card read for your own question? A reading, written by hand: $15, as a PDF within 48 hours.
