Six of Swords
- Minor Arcana
- Suit of Swords
- Element: Air
- Astrology: Mercury in Aquarius
A ferryman poles a boat carrying a cloaked woman and a child across calm water, six swords standing upright in the bow, a far shore in the distance.
Number: 6: transition, passage, moving on
Acknowledge the transition you are in and give yourself permission to go slowly.
Upright
- transition
- moving on
- passage
- recovery
- calmer waters
The Six of Swords is the quiet crossing from a hard place to a calmer one. It invites you to let yourself be carried for a while, to grieve what you are leaving while trusting the far shore. The journey may be subdued, but it is forward.
Reversed
- resistance to change
- unfinished business
- stuck in transit
- returning
- emotional baggage
Reversed, this card may show a transition that has stalled, or baggage that keeps pulling you back to what you were leaving. It can also point to unfinished business that needs addressing before you can fully move on. Name what still holds you.
In your life
- Love
- A relationship may be shifting into a quieter phase; move through it with patience and honesty.
- Work
- A change in direction is underway; focus on steady progress rather than a dramatic leap.
- Growth
- Transitions are tender; treat yourself as you would a friend in the middle of a move.
A question to sit with
What am I in the process of leaving behind, and what do I need to bring with me?
Affirmation
I move toward calmer waters with trust.