MINOR ARCANA · 6
Six of Cups
Within nostalgic memories lies a kindness that can heal you now.
- Memories, purity, kindness, sense of safety, the heart's point of origin
- Reunion, pure affection, thoughtfulness, emotional healing, gifts from the past
- Attachment to the past, idealizing memories, lingering feelings, graduating from the past, renewal toward the future
SYMBOL & STORY
What Six of Cups represents
The Six of Cups is a card that represents memories of the past, nostalgia, pure affection, and the sense of safety that remains deep within the heart. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, one child offers another a cup filled with white flowers. Other cups around them are also filled with flowers, and the entire scene has a gentle, protected atmosphere. What matters in this card is not simply "going back to the past." Its theme is receiving from past experiences and memories the kindness and sincerity that you need now. The children can be seen as symbolizing kindness without calculation or ulterior motives, relationships in which you can open your heart safely, and the pure feelings you had before becoming aware of complicated circumstances. Arthur Waite associated this card with meanings connected to the past, memories, childhood, happiness, and pleasure. From there, later tarot interpretations widely expanded its associations to include childhood friends, former lovers, reunions, hometowns, family, and emotional healing. In psychological interpretations, the children in the card may also be seen as symbolizing "the younger self that still lives within you" or something you once genuinely longed for. The Six of Cups is not a card that asks you to idealize the past and shut yourself inside it. By looking back and asking, "What did I value then?" or, "What kind of relationship did I really want?", you can recover something that your present self may have forgotten. If the Cups are read as a continuous story, the Five of Cups strongly emphasizes grief over what has been lost. In the Six of Cups that follows, you begin to notice the warm memories and emotional supports that still remain even within that grief. Then, in the Seven of Cups, your awareness expands once again toward many different wishes and possibilities. In this sense, the Six of Cups can also be understood as a card of touching the origin of your heart not in order to return to the past, but in order to move toward the future.
UPRIGHT & REVERSED
Upright and reversed Six of Cups
Compare the keywords and detailed meanings to see how the symbol changes with orientation.
UPRIGHT
Upright meaning
Within nostalgic memories lies a kindness that can heal you now.
- Reunion, pure affection, thoughtfulness, emotional healing, gifts from the past
When the Six of Cups appears upright, it represents past experiences or nostalgic connections supporting who you are now. An old friend, someone you once knew, a childhood dream, or a forgotten hobby may remind you of something important. On an emotional level, this is a flow in which you recover sincerity and kindness. If you have been overcomplicating things, returning to your starting point and asking, "What did I truly want?" can help organize your feelings. You may also naturally feel the desire to be kind to someone or to return to a place where you feel safe. In practical circumstances, this card is often connected with reunions, long-standing ties, family, children, hometowns, and nostalgic places. Someone you used to know may contact you, or experience from the past may unexpectedly become useful now. Even without a major event, the card can also represent moments when a small kindness or gesture of care from someone helps your heart relax. In terms of action, rather than chasing only what is new, it may be good to look back at what you have valued until now. Reconnecting with something you once loved, a person who makes you feel safe, or a place where you can be yourself may restore the strength you need to move forward. In common readings, this can appear as "reuniting with someone from the past," "starting again something you used to do," or "finding a clue to a current problem in a past experience." When you are uncertain, the answer may sometimes lie in thinking less complicatedly and returning to your original intentions.
REVERSED
Reversed meaning
Cherish the past while moving into a new chapter of time.
- Attachment to the past, idealizing memories, lingering feelings, graduating from the past, renewal toward the future
When the Six of Cups appears reversed, your relationship with the past becomes a major theme. In modern tarot, it is often read as being trapped in old memories, idealizing the past, or being unable to move on from a former relationship. At the same time, the reversed position can also be interpreted as "leaving the past behind," "releasing old values," or "beginning to move toward the future." Arthur Waite himself associated the reversed Six of Cups with the future, renewal, and things yet to come. For that reason, while distinguishing this from the now-common interpretation of "attachment to the past," the card can also be understood as "a turning point where you reorganize your relationship with the past and begin moving into a new period." On an emotional level, thoughts such as, "Things were better back then," may become stronger and make it harder to feel satisfied with your present life. On the other hand, the card may indicate a time when you are finally able to sort through memories or lingering feelings you have carried for a long time. To see which applies, it helps to look at whether the person is trying to return to the past or is accepting it while beginning to move forward. In practical circumstances, old issues may resurface, or events may occur that make you reconsider a relationship with someone from your past. You may also enter a stage of releasing long-standing habits, values inherited from family, or beliefs that have stayed with you since childhood. In terms of action, there is no need to deny the past. However, it is worth checking whether you are using former successes or failures too strongly as the standard for your current life. Instead of asking, "How was it back then?", ask, "What would I choose now?" That shift in perspective is an important clue from this card. In common readings, this may appear as, "I cannot forget a former lover," "I keep comparing the present with a previous workplace or relationship," or, "I am still bound by values I learned from my family." On the other hand, it can also represent positive changes such as, "bringing closure to a past relationship," "forgiving who you used to be," or, "letting go of habits you no longer need."
LOVE
Six of Cups in love
Upright love
When the Six of Cups appears upright in a love reading, it represents pure affection and a relationship that carries a sense of comfort and safety. Rather than intense excitement or emotional games, the focus is more on feelings such as, "I feel at ease with this person," "I can talk naturally with them," or, "For some reason, it feels as though I've known them for a long time." With unrequited love, your feelings toward the other person are likely to be sincere and gentle. Rather than trying to close the distance quickly, small acts of kindness and natural conversation in everyday life can nurture the relationship. When this appears as the other person's feelings, they may also feel familiarity, comfort, and affection toward you. However, that feeling is not necessarily romantic love; it may appear as warm affection similar to friendship or family. If you are already in a relationship, the memories the two of you have built together can support the connection. Talking about when you first met or revisiting places you once went together may help you rediscover feelings you had forgotten. If you have recently felt some distance, rather than overcomplicating the issue, remembering the times when you could naturally laugh together may help soften the relationship. For reconciliation, the card suggests that a former partner or past relationship may come back into your awareness. This can sometimes lead to renewed contact or a reunion, but remembering someone and actually wanting to be with them again are not the same thing. It is important to consider, "What about that relationship mattered to me?" and, "Could we build something new without repeating the same problems?" For new encounters, connections may arise through childhood friends, old acquaintances, your hometown, reunions, or places you used to visit. It can also indicate meeting someone around whom you do not need to put on an act and with whom you can simply be yourself.
Reversed love
When the Six of Cups appears reversed in a love reading, it represents a time to reconsider your relationship with past love and memories. Lingering feelings may still remain, or, in the opposite direction, you may be gradually beginning to move away from emotions you have carried for a long time. With unrequited love, there is a possibility that you are seeing the person in front of you through the lens of your ideals or past romantic experiences. Hidden feelings may include, "They remind me of someone I used to like," or, "I want to feel the same sense of safety I once had." Making an effort to see the person as they actually are can help you think about the relationship more realistically. If you are already in a relationship, thoughts such as, "Things used to be more fun," or, "I wish we could go back to how it was at the beginning," may have become stronger. Instead of comparing only with the past, it is important to think about the kind of relationship the two of you can build now. On the other hand, the card can also appear at a time when you are overcoming old problems together and moving into a relationship different from what you had before. For reconciliation, this card can indicate lingering attachment or idealization of the past. Just because nostalgic feelings are strong does not necessarily mean that being together again would lead to happiness. You need to distinguish between, "I want to go back because I feel lonely," and, "I want to build a new relationship with who this person is now." In the opposite reading, where the card represents moving on from the past, your attachment to reconciliation may be weakening as you begin turning toward your own future. With new encounters, it is important not to compare a new person with a former partner or an old ideal. The fact that someone is different from the people in your past may be exactly what allows a new relationship to grow.
FEELINGS
Six of Cups in their feelings
Upright their feelings
When the Six of Cups appears upright as the other person's feelings, they may feel warmth, familiarity, and a sense of emotional safety with you. Being with you may feel easy, natural, or somehow familiar even if the relationship itself is not old. If you have known each other for a long time, they may be remembering good moments you shared or kindness you once showed them. Even after some distance, they may occasionally wonder how you are doing. With unrequited feelings, this card can show that affection and trust are growing before a clearly romantic feeling has fully formed. Even if they feel comfortable with you, whether that comfort is friendly affection or romantic interest should be read together with the surrounding cards and real circumstances. For reconciliation or someone from the past, memories may still have a strong place in their heart. However, remembering the past fondly is not the same thing as wanting to recreate the same relationship. It is important to distinguish between cherishing the memory and wanting a future together. These feelings are gentle and sincere. Rather than through strategy or dramatic gestures, the emotional distance between you is more likely to close through familiar conversation and small acts of kindness.
Reversed their feelings
When the Six of Cups appears reversed as the other person's feelings, they may still feel familiarity or nostalgia toward you while being unsure what to do with those feelings now. The past may matter to them, but they may not know whether the same kind of relationship still fits the present. They may be strongly pulled toward old memories. Sometimes this creates a desire to reconnect, while in other cases old hurt or disappointment makes it difficult to open up naturally. With unrequited feelings, comfort may exist because they already know you, but they may be uncertain whether they can begin seeing you in a new, more romantic way. The role you have held in their life up to now can make that shift take time. For reconciliation, memories or lingering attachment may remain. Still, returning simply because “the past was good” can recreate the same problems. The important question is whether they are idealizing what was, or actually learning from it and becoming capable of building something new. Reversed, the card can also show someone trying to move on from the past. If their recent behavior is clearly turning toward a new phase of life, memories may remain while the relationship itself is being emotionally processed and released.
WORK
Six of Cups in work
Upright work
When the Six of Cups appears upright in a work reading, it represents past experience or earlier relationships helping you in your current work. Knowledge you learned long ago, tasks you handled before, or people you once worked with may prove useful in an unexpected way. For a job change, rather than looking only at completely new fields, it may be worthwhile to reconsider work you have done before or areas that interested you in the past. Something you once liked but gave up, or something you were able to continue naturally, may connect with your future direction. In the workplace environment, this card represents gentle mutual support and considerate relationships. An experienced person may teach a newcomer, or someone may quietly step in to help you. You may also find yourself in the role of guiding or supporting someone else. For achieving a goal, returning to your original intention becomes important. If you are stuck, remembering "why did I begin this work?" or "what did I value at the beginning?" may help simplify a problem that has become overly complicated. Regarding evaluation, the card tends to emphasize the recognition of long-term sincerity and character rather than flashy results. Effort that you have continued quietly over time may eventually lead to appreciation.
Reversed work
When the Six of Cups appears reversed in a work reading, you may need to reconsider your relationship with old methods and previous experiences of success. A way of doing things that once worked well may no longer fit the current situation. In your present job, you may be comparing now with a previous workplace or earlier evaluations too much. If you find yourself thinking, "My old workplace was better," or, "I used to be appreciated more," it may be helpful to look within those feelings for clues about how your current environment could be improved. On the other hand, if the card is appearing as a sign of graduating from old methods, this may be the right time to change the way you work. Reviewing habits you have continued for a long time or introducing new technology may help you move out of stagnation. For a job change, you may feel, "I want to go back to the kind of work I used to do." That choice is not necessarily wrong, but check whether you are looking only at the good memories. Conversely, the card may also indicate a period when you release attachment to your past job history or title and choose a completely new way of working. In workplace relationships, problems may arise from depending too much on others, taking care of others too much, or carrying old hierarchies into the present. It is useful to separate helping someone from taking responsibility for things that are actually theirs to handle.
MONEY
Six of Cups in money
Upright money
When the Six of Cups appears upright in a financial reading, the themes of "giving" and "receiving" money become especially important. Like the figure in the card offering a cup, it can relate to gifts, support, repayment, and financial help exchanged among family or people close to you. In terms of income, work you did before or long-standing connections may lead to money. You may make use of skills you learned in the past again, or receive a job referral from a former client or acquaintance. With spending, possibilities include gifts for family, expenses related to children, or money spent on things you have cherished for a long time. The motivation may be less about the amount itself and more about feelings such as, "I want to make someone happy," or, "I want to preserve this memory." With saving, rather than focusing on dramatically increasing the amount, it may suit you better to value small habits you have maintained over time. Reviewing old belongings or making better use of what you already own may also help reduce new spending. For investments or major purchases, do not decide based only on nostalgia or past success. It is important to check the current situation as well. A good balance comes from valuing both ways of using money that warm your heart and practical judgment grounded in the present.
Reversed money
When the Six of Cups appears reversed in a financial reading, it may be time to review old spending habits or financial relationships with family. You may spend too much because nostalgia or emotion is pulling you along, or continue expenses that no longer fit your current income simply because, "This is what I used to spend." With spending, be careful of impulse purchases related to things you loved in the past, nostalgic items, or old hobbies. Buying them is not necessarily a problem, but asking, "Do I truly want this now, or am I trying to recover a feeling from the past?" can make the decision easier. Within family or close relationships, you may spend too much out of affection or find that providing financial help has become something everyone assumes you will do. The desire to support someone is important, but you do not need to carry so much that your own life becomes difficult. On the other hand, the card can also appear as a sign of releasing outdated financial habits. Stopping wasteful spending that has continued for years, changing how you manage your household budget, or clearing out things you no longer need can help improve your financial flow. For investments or large purchases, do not decide based only on previous success or old information. Check the current situation and gather up-to-date information before making your choice.
RELATIONSHIPS
Six of Cups in relationships
Upright relationships
When the Six of Cups appears upright in a relationship reading, it represents gentle trust and connections that have continued over time. Relationships with friends, family, childhood companions, or former coworkers may provide emotional support. In friendship, there is a positive flow around reconnecting after a long time apart. Even if you have not seen someone for years, you may find that once you meet, you can talk as naturally as before. However, rather than returning to exactly the same relationship you once had, it is important to build a new connection between the two people you are now. Within the family, shared memories and past experiences may bring your hearts closer together. Instead of looking only at old problems, remembering the kindness that still remains within the relationship may soften the atmosphere. At work, this card can represent a caring or helpful person. You may be the one supporting someone else, or you may need to receive help from someone without hesitation. In terms of distance, it is better not to push too far into the other person's space, but to interact in a way that helps them feel safe. Small acts of consideration and everyday kindness can build trust more effectively than dramatic words.
Reversed relationships
When the Six of Cups appears reversed in a relationship reading, long-standing relationships or events from the past may be influencing the distance you have with someone now. You may still be seeing the person through an old impression or find yourself unable to move beyond a role you have held for many years. In friendship, you may notice that you and someone who used to be very close now have different values. Rather than forcing the relationship back into exactly what it was before, it is important to create a distance that suits who both of you are now. The relationship itself does not necessarily need to end; changing its form may allow it to continue for a long time. Within the family, roles or assumptions that have existed since childhood may become important themes. Perhaps you have always been "the one who endures" or "the one who looks after everyone." It may now be time to reshape that relationship into something that better fits the person you are today. At work, you may feel discomfort with old-fashioned hierarchies or long-standing customs. You may also become too involved in someone else's matters because you believe you are being helpful, or rely too heavily on another person. Relationships become easier to balance when both people keep responsibility for their own part while still helping one another. This card can also represent a flow of releasing old misunderstandings or resentment. Rather than pretending the past never happened, you can accept, "That was how things were then," and begin rebuilding the relationship based on who both of you are now.
YES OR NO
Yes or No for Six of Cups
Upright judgment
- Judgment
- Yes
- Reason
- The Six of Cups represents goodwill, familiarity, trust, and a warm connection that continues from the past. It is not a card of forceful progress, but it provides a reassuring foundation, so it generally leans toward Yes.
- What could change the answer
- The Yes becomes stronger when positive past experiences are used to support the relationship as it exists now. If the focus shifts only to recreating the past while ignoring the present, the reading may move toward It depends.
Reversed judgment
- Judgment
- It depends
- Reason
- The Six of Cups reversed can point either to attachment to the past or to growing beyond it. Nostalgia alone is not enough to tell whether moving forward is right, so the answer depends on whether the present is actually being seen clearly.
- What could change the answer
- The reading shifts toward Yes when the past is understood without being idealized and a choice can be made that fits the present. If the only goal is to restore things exactly as they were, it is more likely to move toward No.
MESSAGE FROM THE CARD
Advice from Six of Cups
Upright
The things that can support you now are not limited to what is new. Within the time you have already lived through, there are forgotten forms of kindness and memories that can remind you who you are. If you are feeling a little tired, try returning to something you once loved, someone around whom you feel safe, or a place where you can be yourself. You may rediscover feelings such as, "This is the kind of time I really liked," or, "This is how I wanted to connect with people." The past is not only a place to return to. It can also support you as you move forward. Receive again, in a form that suits who you are now, what once mattered to you, and let it become part of today's next step.
Reversed
Your feelings about the past are an important part of what has shaped who you are now. You do not need to force yourself to forget or discard them. But if you repeatedly find yourself thinking, "If only I could go back to those days," try looking beneath that feeling at the wish it contains. Do you want to feel safe? Were you longing to be loved? Do you wish you could start over? Once you understand the true wish beneath the nostalgia, you may find ways to fulfill it within your life now without literally returning to the past. Conversely, if you feel ready to create some distance from memories you have carried for a long time, that is also a natural change. Something can remain precious to you while you still leave it where it belongs and move into the next chapter of your life. The past is part of you, but it does not decide your future. Receive only what you still need from your memories, and begin walking little by little in the direction the person you are now wants to choose.
READ IT YOUR WAY
Let Six of Cups lead to a reading in your own words.
Use these meanings as a guide or develop language of your own. With a custom deck, you can shape every description and image to fit your practice.