One of the Minor Arcana of a traditional tarot deck, the Six of Swords communicates a somber, yet meaningful message of loss, longing, and new beginnings. Although its general tone is somewhat sad, the Six of Swords also brings faith and hope in a time of loss and change. The Six of Swords' equivalent in playing-card tarot is the Six of Spades.
In the Rider-Waite illustration of the card, the Six of Swords depicts a man paddling a boat across an ocean, toward two hilly, green islands. A cloaked woman and a small boy sit in a hunched position as passengers, and six swords stand on-end in the boat. The ocean is calm on one side of the boat, and wavy on the other. The three characters in the card face the islands, away from the viewer.
The characters in the Six of Swords look uncomfortable and somber, from the hunched woman in a heavy cloak to her young child, who is nestled closely beside her. The story told by the card implies a journey made unexpectedly and with sadness; there is nothing celebratory about this tarot card. The Six of Swords communicates a feeling of loss caused by unexpected changes-- a dream that fell apart, a relationship that ended abruptly, and possibly even a death.
While unpleasant, there are positive attributes to the Six of Swords. Although the ocean is turbulent on one side of the boat, it is clear and comfortable on the majority of the card. The islands in the future are green and fertile. While the journey or change may seem sad, it will ultimately end in a future of hope and joy. The changes symbolized by the Six of Swords are rites of passage-- adjustments that must be endured to reach the next step in personal development.
When it appears in a tarot reading, the Six of Swords card generally indicates that the tarot querent should recognize the positive aspects of the change he enduring. While abandoning the past may seem upsetting, the journey is being made in favor of a brighter and more satisfying future. Pain and discomfort must be faced in order to reach the next destination.
Drawn in reverse, the Six of Swords reads as a "stop sign". Instead of indicating a journey or a change, it tells the querent that he will stay in his current position. There is no need to move forward and he should instead accept happiness in his circumstances. Change will come when it is appropriate.
