Six of Cups
The Six of Cups represents nostalgia, emotional innocence, and the joy of revisiting the past with love and compassion. As card number six in the suit of Cups, it often symbolizes childhood memories, past relationships, or a return to simpler times. It encourages you to reconnect with your inner child, explore emotional roots, or find healing through remembering where you came from. This card can also signify reunions, acts of kindness, or heartfelt exchanges rooted in genuine care. The Six of Cups gently reminds you that looking back isn't always about clinging—sometimes it's about retrieving forgotten joy or wisdom. Whether you're healing an old wound or simply cherishing fond memories, this card invites emotional tenderness and reconnection.
Upright Meaning
Upright, the Six of Cups is a symbol of sweet nostalgia, emotional renewal, and heartfelt connection. It may indicate reconnecting with someone from your past or reflecting on a time when you felt more emotionally secure. This card invites you to embrace joy in simplicity, to cherish memories, and to heal any wounds that began long ago. In some readings, it suggests acts of kindness, gift-giving, or gestures of emotional support. It also highlights the power of innocence and emotional purity—encouraging you to engage with life from the heart. The Six of Cups is a gentle reminder to create space for play, love, and meaningful emotional connection in your present.
Love and Relationships (Upright)
In matters of love, the Six of Cups often signifies reunions, soulmates from the past, or emotionally sincere connections. If you’re single, it might indicate a reconnection with a past lover or someone who feels deeply familiar. For those in relationships, it can signal a return to emotional closeness, reliving fond memories, or resolving past misunderstandings. This card encourages expressing love in simple, heartfelt ways—through shared experiences, kindness, and emotional generosity. It also highlights the importance of emotional safety and childhood patterns that may be affecting your current relationships. Let love be tender and joyful—just like it felt in the beginning.
Money, Career and Finances (Upright)
The Six of Cups in a career or financial reading may indicate returning to a former job, reconnecting with a past mentor, or finding fulfillment through work that feels emotionally meaningful. It could also signify a desire to align your professional life with childhood dreams or passions. Financially, this card can suggest generosity—either giving or receiving support—or investments rooted in personal or family history. It encourages you to reflect on what truly brings emotional satisfaction in your career and to consider whether joy and purpose are part of your work life. Sometimes, returning to what once made you happy is the key to progress.
Spiritual Insight (Upright)
Spiritually, the Six of Cups invites you to revisit the innocence and trust of your inner child. It may encourage you to reflect on past experiences that shaped your spiritual identity and to reclaim practices that once brought you peace. This card can signify ancestral healing, karmic connection, or soul memory resurfacing to be acknowledged and integrated. You're being asked to bring love and forgiveness to past wounds and see them through the lens of compassion. Engage in rituals that honor your emotional past, such as journaling or prayer, and let your inner child guide you toward spiritual renewal. There is deep wisdom in revisiting the emotional stories of your soul.
Reversed Meaning
When reversed, the Six of Cups can point to being stuck in the past or struggling to move forward emotionally. You may be idealizing a time that no longer serves your growth or resisting necessary changes. This card may also suggest clinging to old emotional patterns, relationships, or memories that limit your present. Reversed, it encourages you to lovingly release outdated attachments and embrace the life unfolding now. It’s a reminder that the past, while valuable, should not become a prison. Let go, forgive, and make space for new emotional experiences that better serve your current self.
Love and Relationships (Reversed)
In love, the reversed Six of Cups may indicate an emotional block stemming from past relationships, childhood wounds, or idealized memories. You might be holding onto an ex, comparing your current relationship to a nostalgic standard, or repeating emotional cycles from your youth. This card asks you to bring awareness to how the past may be influencing your present connections. Letting go of outdated expectations, forgiving former partners, or healing childhood emotional wounds can open the path to healthier love. Don’t let yesterday keep you from experiencing love today. Emotional growth means honoring the past, but choosing the present.
Money, Career and Finances (Reversed)
Reversed, the Six of Cups may signal career dissatisfaction due to clinging to outdated dreams or fear of taking new risks. You may feel stuck in a role that once brought joy but now feels limiting, or you may be struggling to move forward after a past setback. Financially, this card warns against relying too heavily on past patterns—like spending habits, investments, or inherited beliefs about money. It’s time to update your goals and make emotionally mature decisions. Let go of romanticized visions that no longer apply and ground yourself in what supports your growth today.
Spiritual Insight (Reversed)
The reversed Six of Cups may reflect a spiritual longing for innocence that’s turned into escapism or emotional avoidance. You may be retreating into fantasy, avoiding present truths, or struggling to reconcile your past with your current path. Spiritually, it asks you to lovingly confront the emotional imprints that still influence your soul’s journey. This is a time for inner child healing, clearing ancestral patterns, and releasing outdated spiritual beliefs. Ground yourself through practices that support both emotional and spiritual maturity. The present holds as much sacredness as the past—if not more. Be here now.
Astrological Sign Interpretation
The Six of Cups is aligned with **Scorpio**, a water sign known for its emotional depth, loyalty, and transformation. While Scorpio is often associated with intensity, this card reflects its softer side—the loyalty to emotional memory, the power of reconciliation, and the healing that can come from revisiting emotional roots. Scorpio’s influence suggests that emotional healing is available, especially when old wounds are brought to the surface with compassion. It also speaks to karmic bonds and the possibility of deep, soul-level connections returning. Emotional depth and loyalty define this card’s energy.
Vedic Astrology and Yoga Connection
In Vedic astrology, the Six of Cups resonates with **Ketu**, the South Node of the Moon, which governs the past, karma, and spiritual release. Ketu helps us dissolve ego and revisit past life themes that require resolution. In a yogic context, this card aligns with **Anahata (heart) chakra** and the process of Bhakti Yoga—opening the heart through devotion and love. Inner child work, karmic cleansing, and emotional reconnection are emphasized. Ketu’s influence reminds you that emotional memories are not meant to bind you, but to awaken spiritual insight and help you evolve with grace.
Elemental Correspondence
The Six of Cups belongs to the element of **Water**, symbolizing emotional flow, memory, healing, and intuition. Water teaches us to feel fully and to honor the tides of our emotional life. This card specifically highlights the gentle side of Water—compassion, sentimentality, and emotional remembrance. Just as water can reflect the sky, your emotions reflect your inner truth. Let the waters of memory guide, not drown you. When channeled with love and clarity, water becomes a healing force that helps you reconcile the past and move gently forward with an open heart.