Six of Swords Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed & Advice

Six of Swords is a Minor Arcana card from the Suit of Swords. In a reading, it speaks to themes of transition and moving on — and, reversed, to emotional baggage. Here is the full tarot card meaning of Six of Swords, upright and reversed.

Six of Swords Upright Meaning

Keywords: Transition, Moving on, Leaving behind, A rite of passage, Finding peace

The Six of Swords depicts figures in a boat being ferried from turbulent waters toward a calmer shore, six swords standing upright in the vessel. This is the card of necessary transition—the journey from difficulty toward peace, from what was toward what will be. The passage is not joyful; there is grief in leaving behind, even when what you leave behind was painful. Yet the boat moves steadily forward, guided by a ferryman, carrying you toward smoother waters. Sometimes we must leave to survive; sometimes the kindest thing we can do for ourselves is go. In love, this can indicate leaving a troubled relationship, physically or emotionally moving away from pain, or the transition period after a breakup where healing slowly begins. In career, a change of job, location, or direction takes you away from stressful circumstances toward better opportunities. The Six of Swords reminds us that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can choose to leave what harms us. The swords in the boat represent lessons learned, memories carried—you do not leave unchanged, but you do leave. Calmer waters await.

Advice: Trust the journey. Leaving is not giving up—it is choosing peace.

Six of Swords Reversed Meaning

Keywords: Emotional baggage, Unfinished business, Resistance to change, Feeling stuck, Returning to trouble

The reversed Six of Swords indicates a transition blocked, delayed, or reversed. The boat cannot leave the troubled waters—whether because you refuse to board, the weather is too dangerous, or invisible chains hold you to the shore. You may be carrying so much emotional baggage that the boat would sink, clinging to what you need to leave behind, or returning to a situation you had escaped. In love, you may be unable to move on from a past relationship, drawn back to an ex, or trapped in patterns you recognize as harmful but cannot seem to break. The transition you need feels impossible. In career, attempts to leave a bad situation keep failing; you feel stuck despite knowing you need change. This card can also indicate returning to troubled waters after a period of peace—falling back into old patterns, revisiting old pain, or choosing the familiar devil over the unknown angel. Ask yourself: what keeps you from boarding the boat? What would you have to release to make the crossing? Sometimes we must let go of heavy swords to keep the vessel afloat.

Advice: What are you clinging to? Sometimes you must drop the weight to board the boat.

Get a Personalized Tarot Reading

Want a personalized reading? Draw your own cards and see what Six of Swords means for your question with a free AI tarot reading on DestinyPal.