Six of Swords (6 of Swords) tarot card from the 1909 deck by Pamela Colman Smith

Six of Swords tarot card meaning

The Six of Swords upright points to a move away from trouble toward calmer waters, a quiet transition that brings relief even if it carries some sadness.

transition
moving on
calmer waters
leaving behind
recovery

Draw a card Ask yes or no

Arcana	Minor, suit of Swords
Number	6 of Swords
Element	Air
Yes or no	Yes upright, maybe reversed

Written by Orbitarot · Sources: our own meanings; card art by Pamela Colman Smith, 1909; A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1910 · Updated October 7, 2026

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What the card shows

A ferryman stands at the back of a small boat and pushes it across the water with a long pole. In front of him sit a hooded woman and a child, huddled together, with six swords standing upright in the boat beside them. The water is rippled on one side of the boat and smooth ahead, and the far shore has trees on it. The crossing is read as leaving a hard time behind, the swords as worries carried along, and the calm water ahead as relief on the way.

Six of Swords upright

The Six of Swords is a card of quiet passage. You are leaving something difficult behind, whether a stressful situation, a hard chapter or a place that no longer suits you, and heading somewhere steadier. The mood is not joyful. The figures in the boat are hunched and silent. But they are moving, and that matters.

Upright, the card often appears when the worst is over and recovery has begun. It can describe a literal move, such as a new home, a new city or a change of school or job, or an inner shift away from old thought patterns. The swords still ride along in the boat, which suggests you may carry some worries with you for a while. That is normal. Let someone help steer if you can; you do not have to pole the boat alone. Keep your eyes on the far shore. The water ahead looks calmer than what you are leaving.

Six of Swords reversed

stuck in place
unfinished business
resistance to change
a delayed move
carrying old baggage

Reversed, the Six of Swords can show a transition that keeps getting delayed. You may know it is time to move on but feel unable to push off from shore, held back by fear, obligation or unfinished business.

It can also mean you have moved on outwardly while still carrying the old baggage inside. New surroundings do not settle everything if the same worries come along. Look at what is keeping you anchored. Sometimes one honest conversation or one small practical step is enough to get the boat moving again. You do not need to cross all at once.

Six of Swords in love

Upright: Single, you may be leaving a past relationship behind and feeling calmer for it. In a relationship, the card can point to moving past a rough patch together, or a shared move or change.

Reversed, old hurts or unresolved issues may keep you from moving forward. Talk about what is still unsettled.

Six of Swords for career and work

Upright: At work or school, a change of role, team or place may bring relief after a stressful stretch. The transition may be quiet, but it is a step toward steadier ground.

Reversed, a move or change may be delayed, or you feel stuck where you are. Deal with loose ends so you can move on.

Six of Swords as feelings

They feel calmer around you, perhaps as if you help them move away from something hard in their past.

Six of Swords as advice

Leave what is weighing on you behind and head toward steadier ground, one stroke at a time.

Six of Swords in a tarot reading

The same card reads differently depending on where it lands. These are the readings our spreads use when Six of Swords appears in each position. Try it in a three card reading, Celtic cross.

Upright

As the past	A move away from trouble brought you here. You left something difficult behind, and the journey since has been quieter, if a little sad.
As the present	You are in transition, moving toward calmer waters. Some sadness may come along for the ride, but the direction is toward relief.
As the future or outcome	Calmer ground lies in the direction you are heading. A change of place, plans or mindset is likely, and it tends to bring steady improvement.
As the obstacle	Carrying too much from the past is what weighs on you. Everything you bring into the boat can slow the crossing.
As advice	Keep moving toward steadier ground. Pack only what you need, accept help with the crossing and try not to look back for too long.

Reversed

As the past	A transition you started never quite finished. Unfinished business or old baggage kept pulling you back toward familiar shores.
As the present	Caught between where you were and where you want to be, you feel stuck. The boat is ready, but something keeps holding you on the dock.
As the future or outcome	A move may be delayed for a while. Plans tend to stay stuck until you settle what you are still holding on to from before.
As the obstacle	Resistance to change is the block. Clinging to the familiar, even when it no longer works, keeps you from reaching calmer water.
As advice	Name what you are not ready to leave. Deal with the unfinished business, then take one small step toward the change you need.

What A. E. Waite wrote about Six of Swords in 1910

Waite designed this deck with Pamela Colman Smith and published its meanings in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910, public domain). His words, as printed:

Divinatory meaning:

journey by water, route, way, envoy, commissionary, expedient.

Reversed:

Declaration, confession, publicity; one account says that it is a proposal of love.

Both readings involve a move, but Waite meant it literally: a journey by water, a route, an envoy. Modern readers stress an emotional transition toward calmer times, and his reversal, declaration, confession or a proposal of love, is unrelated to a stalled move.

Is Six of Swords a yes or no card?

Upright: Yes The boat moves from rough water toward a calm shore, which signals relief and progress, so upright it leans yes, though gently.

Reversed: Maybe Reversed, the crossing stalls or old baggage slows it down, so the answer drops to maybe.

Ask your own question with the yes or no tarot. No cards at hand? The yes or no oracle answers with a pendulum.

Learn more: how to read reversed cards, how to read this card with others, what the number 6 means across the suits.

Questions

What does Six of Swords mean in tarot?

The Six of Swords upright points to a move away from trouble toward calmer waters, a quiet transition that brings relief even if it carries some sadness. Reversed, the Six of Swords suggests a transition that has stalled, or a move you keep postponing because you are not ready to leave something behind. Yes or no: Yes upright, maybe reversed.

What does Six of Swords reversed mean?

Reversed, the Six of Swords suggests a transition that has stalled, or a move you keep postponing because you are not ready to leave something behind.

Is Six of Swords a yes or no card?

Yes when upright. The boat moves from rough water toward a calm shore, which signals relief and progress, so upright it leans yes, though gently. When reversed, it leans maybe. Reversed, the crossing stalls or old baggage slows it down, so the answer drops to maybe.

What does Six of Swords mean as feelings?

They feel calmer around you, perhaps as if you help them move away from something hard in their past.