Tarot card meaning · Cups Six of Cups tarot card meaning

The Six of Cups is the card of the past coming back. Upright it means nostalgia, sweetness and someone or something returning. Reversed it means living in a memory that is no longer true. In a yes or no reading it is a yes: something from the past returns, so ask if it should.

the past
nostalgia
return

Yes or no: Yes
Reversed: No

Arcana: Minor, Cups
Number: 6
Element: Water
Astrology: Sun in Scorpio

Six of Cups tarot card, Rider-Waite-Smith deck — Rider-Waite-Smith, 1909

Upright

Six of Cups upright meaning

In an old courtyard, a boy in a hood hands a small girl a cup filled with white flowers. Five more cups stand around them, each full of the same flowers. Behind them a guard walks away, and old houses with steps and walls surround the yard.

It is a gentle, sweet picture. Upright, the Six of Cups means the past comes back into the present: an old love, an old friend, a memory that feels warm. It is the card of the message from someone you used to know, or of returning to a place that still feels like yours.

The card is soft and it is real. It just also asks a question. The past looks sweeter from far away than it did up close.

Reversed

Six of Cups reversed meaning

Reversed, the flowers are wilted. Most often it means someone is living in a memory: holding on to the person they used to be with, not the person they are now. Comparing every new relationship to an old one.

It can also mean a return that disappoints. They come back and they are not who you remember. Neither are you.

The answer reversed is no. The past you are reaching for does not exist any more, and trying to live inside it keeps you from what is here.

Love and relationships

Six of Cups in love.

If you are single

Someone from your past may resurface, or someone new will feel strangely familiar. Enjoy the sweetness, but check whether you are reacting to them or to who they remind you of.

In a relationship

A warm, tender phase. Remembering why you fell for each other, doing the things you used to do. If things have been hard, going back to what you loved early on helps.

About an ex

About an ex, the Six of Cups is one of the strongest return cards. Upright, they are thinking of the good times and may reach out. Reversed, the return is a memory, not a real chance.

How they feel

Six of Cups as feelings

As feelings, the Six of Cups means they feel fond and nostalgic about you. They remember the good parts, and those memories are tender. It is affection rooted in what you had together.

What to do

Six of Cups as advice

Visit the past, do not move into it. If someone comes back, meet them as they are now. Ask yourself one honest question: if you met them today for the first time, would you choose them?

The question everyone asks

Does the Six of Cups mean my ex is thinking about me, or that he will come back?

Upright, yes, it often means they are thinking about you fondly and a return is likely. The card is about the past coming back. Reversed, it means they are a memory more than a future, and coming back would not bring back what you had. Ask whether you want them, or the time you had together.

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Yes or no

Is Six of Cups a yes or a no?

Yes Something from the past comes back. Ask yourself if it should.

↺ No Reversed: You are living in a memory. They are not the person from then, and nor are you.

A single card answers a single question, and only if the question is narrow. If yours is about a person, I can read the whole thing for you.

Sable at her altar — Sable
Reads tarot and casts candle work by hand

In my readings

When Six of Cups comes up for me.

The Six of Cups comes up all the time in readings about exes, and I always ask the client the same question: what are you missing, them or the time? The answer changes the whole reading. Sometimes it is clearly them. Sometimes it is a version of life they had back then.

When it really is about them, and the card is upright, that is the ground I work on when I bring an ex back. The fond memory on their side is already there. The work is about turning that memory into a reason to reach out, not just a feeling they have at night.

If this card is about someone

One card shows a corner. I read the room.

When a card keeps coming up about the same person, the question under it is bigger than its meaning. These are the two ways I can help with it today.

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Questions

What people ask about Six of Cups

Is the Six of Cups a yes or no card?

Yes. Upright it is a yes: something from the past comes back, though you should ask if it should. Reversed it is a no, because you are living in a memory and neither of you is the person from then.

What does the Six of Cups mean in love?

Nostalgia, sweetness and the past returning. An old love may come back, or a relationship reconnects with its early tenderness.

Does the Six of Cups mean an ex is coming back?

It is one of the strongest cards for a return. Upright, an ex is thinking of you fondly and may reach out. Reversed, the return is more memory than real chance.