Learn Tarot: Six of Swords Meaning
Learn Tarot with That Oracle Guy Patrick. Together we'll dive into the meanings, symbolism, and history behind each card, with affirmations, journaling prompts, and theme songs to help ground the lessons into your daily life. The wisdom of tarot is yours to claim — and if you're ready to go deeper, Tarot Academy was built for you.
6 of Swords, Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck
Introducing the Six of Swords:
The 6 of Swords is a card of quiet passage — the moment when you decide to leave turbulent waters behind and move toward something calmer.
It’s the choice to heal, to step forward, and to trust the journey…no matter how heavy the baggage you carry with you.
This card isn’t about the sudden transformation of the Tower or the renewal of Death — it’s about slow, steady movement into peace.
Keywords for Six of Swords:
Transition
Moving on
Recovery
Change
Release
Healing journey
Passage
New perspective
Associations:
The Element: Air (thought, logic, communication, intellect)
Numerology: 6 (balance, harmony, integration after conflict)
Card Symbolism:
The Boat – Represents carrying you from one stage of life to another.
The Water – Turbulent near the shore, calmer ahead, symbolizing the journey from struggle to peace.
The Six Swords in the Boat – The weight of thoughts, memories, or lessons carried forward — burdens that travel with you but may also provide wisdom.
The Seated Figure – Cloaked in sorrow, representing grief, healing, or quiet acceptance of necessary change.
The Ferryman – The guide, suggesting help or support during a difficult passage — a reminder that you don’t always move forward alone.
The Child Passenger – Innocence and vulnerability, highlighting both what we protect and what we hope to heal in ourselves.
The Distant Shore – The promise of new beginnings, healing, or a safer environment ahead.
The Calm Horizon – The spiritual assurance that peace exists beyond current struggles, even if unseen.
Upright Meaning:
Upright, the 6 of Swords represents a journey of recovery, transition, or escape.
It often appears when you are moving away from conflict, chaos, or pain and seeking peace.
The card acknowledges that healing takes time and that the voyage itself may feel heavy, but calmer waters are within reach. Sometimes we have to choose calmness and peace, and doing so means leaving behind the “rocky, destabilizing waters” of a person, place, or belief system.
The peace you will find has ripple effects — when you lead by example and choose your peace, you ferry others along with you, and remind your loved ones that there is an easier way.
Reversed Meaning:
Reversed, the 6 of Swords suggests resistance to change or difficulty moving on.
It may point to being emotionally or mentally stuck in old patterns — unable or unwilling to release the past. Who, after all, are you if not caught up in the storm of drama and destabilization?
Sometimes it signals a return to troubling situations or the illusion of progress, when in reality your healing hasn’t begun.
So ask yourself: what burdens are you still carrying that prevent you from stepping into calmer waters? It’s your responsibility to figure that out.
Journal Prompts for Six of Swords:
What situation in your life feels like it’s calling you to move on or let go?
What “swords” — lessons, memories, or burdens — do you carry that both weigh you down and shape who you are?
How can you make space for calmness and clarity in the midst of transition?
Affirmation:
“I release what no longer serves me; I allow myself to move forward.”
“Every step I take brings me closer to peace and healing.”
“I trust the journey.”
Theme Song:
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, 1975
About The Author
Patrick is a professional tarot reader, author, and educator offering online tarot readings and structured tarot education. His work approaches tarot as a mirror for self-reflection, and as lived experience. The wisdom of tarot is the wisdom of our lives.
Patrick helps students and clients develop a grounded, thoughtful relationship with the cards; one that strengthens intuition and self-trust.
Based in Brooklyn, he works with clients and students around the world, and considers this work his purpose.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I learn to read tarot myself? Absolutely. It's a skill like anything else: it just takes study, practice, and determination. Tarot Academy was built exactly for this.
Is tarot right for me? Tarot reading is the practice of interpreting symbols and archetypes to better understand life situations, emotional patterns, and decision points. It is less about prediction and more about intuitive clarity and perspective.
Is tarot about predicting the future? Not at all. Tarot highlights current energies, influences, and themes unfolding now — and helps you navigate them consciously. Your future is always shaped by your choices.
Do I need to be spiritual to get a tarot reading? No. All you need is an open mind and good intention. I'll handle the rest.
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