Six of Swords
Tarot Card Meaning – Upright & Reversed
About the Six of Swords
A boatman ferries a woman and child across calm waters. Six swords stand upright in the prow of the boat. Behind them the water is choppy; ahead, it is smooth. The figures look down — they are grieving what they are leaving behind. But they are moving. The passage is happening. Forward motion, however quiet, is still forward motion.
Upright Meaning
Upright, the Six of Swords confirms that you are moving through a necessary transition, leaving behind a difficult period and moving toward calmer waters. The healing has not yet fully come — you are still in the boat, still carrying the swords — but the turbulence is behind you. Trust the direction of travel.
Reversed Meaning
Reversed, the Six of Swords indicates resistance to a necessary transition or feeling stranded between where you were and where you need to be. Unresolved grief or unfinished business is holding you on the troubled shore. Alternatively, emotional currents that were suppressed are now rising to the surface, demanding to be felt before they can be left behind.