Minor Arcana · Cups
Six of Cups
Nostalgia, sweet memories, childhood innocence and the warmth of reconnecting with the past.
Symbolism
In the Rider-Waite-Smith image, a young boy hands a cup brimming with white flowers to a smaller girl who looks up at him with trust and affection, an act of kindness, generosity and the passing on of tradition. Six cups, each filled with white five-petalled flowers, stand around them in a peaceful courtyard. The setting evokes home, comfort, safety and security, while an older guardian figure walking away in the background suggests freedom from adult worries and the carefree innocence of childhood.
Meaning by area
Upright
- nostalgia
- childhood memories
- innocence
- joy
- reunion
- kindness
- General
- The Six of Cups invites you to reconnect with happy memories and the innocence of the past, whether by revisiting your childhood home, reuniting with old friends, or simply enjoying simple, heartfelt pleasures. It is a card of warmth, nostalgia, kindness and giving without expecting anything in return.
- Love
- In love, this card brings harmony, tenderness and a fresh, more positive start, often hinting at an old flame resurfacing or rekindled feelings. Both partners are ready to give and receive freely, healing past wounds and extending grace to one another.
- Work
- At work the card suggests drawing on lessons and connections from your professional past, perhaps reconnecting with former colleagues or reviving a meaningful project. Approaching your tasks with childlike curiosity and playfulness opens you to fulfilling, collaborative opportunities.
- Finance
- Financially this often points to support from family or shared resources, such as a gift, an inheritance or returning home to save money. It is a favourable, secure time to give and receive help freely among loved ones.
Reversed
- living in the past
- clinging to memories
- stagnation
- moving forward
- independence
- forgiveness
- General
- Reversed, the Six of Cups warns against clinging to 'how things used to be' and living so much in the past that you miss the present. It calls you to learn from your memories, forgive yourself and others, and let life keep moving forward.
- Love
- In love it suggests being unable to let go of a former relationship, romanticising the past and unfairly comparing a current partner to an old one. The card also encourages forgiveness and finally releasing what no longer serves you so new love can enter.
- Work
- At work it points to a job that has grown stale, boring and repetitive, or to repeating the same old mistakes and patterns in a new role. Alternatively, it signals readiness to leave a comfortable but stagnant position and step into greater independence.
- Finance
- Financially the reversed card marks a move toward independence, managing your own money and stepping out from under family support, for example leaving the parental home. It nudges you to stand on your own feet rather than relying on past arrangements.