What Does the 6 of Cups Tarot Card Mean?

Out of all the different tarot cards in the Minor Arcana deck, what does it mean when the 6 of Cups card comes up in a spread? The 6 of Cups embodies themes of joy, love, childhood memories, and innocence—thus, it’s typically a positive, uplifting card to see in a tarot spread. Keep reading for a complete breakdown of the 6 of Cups tarot card, its Upright and Reversed meanings, and what it says about your love life, career, health, spirituality, and more.

Things You Should Know

The Upright 6 of Cups represents childhood memories, familiarity, healing, comfort, protection, goodwill, happiness, youth, and past influences.
The Reversed 6 of Cups signifies maturity, living in the past, moving forward, leaving home, independence, stagnation, and a lack of playfulness.
The 6 of Cups tarot card depicts children passing a cup filled with flowers with 5 other cups of flowers in the foreground, symbolizing their childlike innocence and joy.

Section 1 of 8:

The 6 of Cups Tarot Card Upright & Reversed Meanings

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The Upright 6 of Cups signifies joy, innocence, and childhood memories. Deep down, you’re longing to return to a happier time in your life—often a memory from your childhood, teenage, or young adult years. You may also be returning to a familiar place (your childhood home or your old school, for example). This card represents playfulness, goodwill, and protection; you may have children or be taking care of them at the moment. The 6 of Cups encourages you to reconnect to your past and cherish happy memories without living in them entirely.^{[1]
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- Common keywords: Nostalgia, memories, familiarity, healing, comfort, protection, family, playfulness, goodwill, innocence, joy, reunions, and past influences.
- Sometimes, the Upright 6 of Cups card alternatively signifies when you’re being childish or immature about something.
- If you live abroad, this card may signify homesickness and yearning for your family.
- If you’re going through a difficult time in your life, the Upright 6 of Cups in a tarot spread encourages you to ask for help and seek support from family and friends.
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The Reversed 6 of Cups represents maturity and stagnation. If you see the Reversed 6 of Cups, you may be clinging too hard to the past. It’s comforting to relive happy memories and enjoy the security of your childhood home, but this card also cautions that it’s time to follow your own path in life. Use your past as a guide, but learn to recognize when you’re living in the past and refocus on the present. Alternatively, this card may signify that you’re disconnected from your childhood self (and the dreams you had as a child).^{[2]
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- Common keywords: Stuck in the past, moving forward, leaving home, independence, maturity, forgiveness, lack of playfulness, boredom, and stagnation.
- You may feel like you failed to achieve your childhood goals, but the 6 of Cups reminds you that they may have been unrealistic. Growing up allows you to make more realistic goals and take action (rather than simply daydreaming).
- The Reversed 6 of Cups may indicate that you’re maturing. If you live at your childhood home, it means you’re ready to leave and go your own way.
- If you’re doing therapy, the 6 of Cups can be a very positive omen, indicating that you’re working through issues and are ready for a new beginning.
- In some cases, the 6 of Cups may represent overcoming abuse, but this often depends on the other supporting cards that appear in the tarot spread.

Section 2 of 8:

The 6 of Cups in Love

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Upright The Upright 6 of Cups signifies that the past is having a profound effect on your love life. It may be an omen that an ex is about to reappear in your life, or it may represent finding comfort and healing from past wounds in a relationship. This card encourages you to reflect on the past lessons you’ve learned about love and use them to decide what kind of relationships you want in your life going forward.^{[3]
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- If you’re single: A past lover or childhood sweetheart is about to re-enter your life in a big way. This card also indicates that you may find love with a childhood friend or meet someone new in your childhood hometown.
- If you’re in a relationship: You may find yourself really appreciating the familiarity your partner provides. You may be childhood sweethearts or ready to have children.
  - If you’ve been going through a rough patch, this card encourages you to reflect on the happy memories you’ve made with your partner to reaffirm your bond.
  - Alternatively, if you’ve been having problems lately, this card suggests immaturity from one or both of you may be the cause. You may even be yearning for a past partner, thus causing strain on your current relationship.
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Reversed In a love tarot spread, the Reversed 6 of Cups is a warning that you may be preoccupied with a past relationship, and it’s preventing you from opening yourself up to love with someone new. You may even feel like you’ll never love anyone else the same way. The 6 of Cups encourages you to reject this line of thinking; it’s unfair to yourself and future partners, and you may only be remembering the happy memories and not the turbulent ones. So, try to let go of this old relationship and explore the future ahead of you!^{[4]
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- If you’re single: You’re still looking at an old relationship through rose-tinted glasses, so remind yourself that the relationship ended for a reason. You’re almost ready to put the past behind you and move on, so focus on doing just that.
- If you’re in a relationship: You may feel like your relationship has stagnated or that there’s no passion left. The relationship feels secure, but a little boring as well.
  - However, it’s possible to rekindle the spark between you and your partner. Let them know that you’d like to shake things up and make an effort to do more spontaneous, exciting things together.

Section 3 of 8:

The 6 of Cups in Career

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Upright In a career tarot spread, the Upright 6 of Cups represents memories and healing. It may be time to reflect on your career path thus far and look for lessons that can help you as you continue working toward a better future. What decisions brought you success? What mistakes did you make—and how can you avoid repeating them? Alternatively, you may be considering a new career path or thinking about reclaiming a position you previously left.^{[5]
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- Tip: Since the Upright 6 of Cups also signifies sharing and creativity, it encourages you to engage in team projects or work on creative projects that you’ve been wanting to do. Now is the time for teamwork and unity.
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Reversed The Reversed 6 of Cups suggests that you feel your career has stagnated. You may feel bored by your work or frustrated at how stifling your job has become. You may not feel excited about coming to work anymore, whereas before you did—which is causing you to consider a more exciting career path. On the other hand, you might be actively choosing to stay in an unsatisfying job because searching for a new one feels too risky.^{[6]
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- Tip: Before switching jobs (or careers) entirely, reflect on your work experience thus far. Are there any negative patterns that might be causing you to feel bored or frustrated? If those patterns aren’t addressed, the feeling may persist even if you change jobs.

Section 4 of 8:

The 6 of Cups in Finance

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Upright When it comes to finances, the Upright 6 of Cups is generally a positive sign. It may signify that you have enough money to donate to a good cause or share with someone who needs your resources. It may also signify receiving an inheritance soon or indicate that a family member will share (or give) money to you. Alternatively, you may be about to return to your childhood home—allowing you to save more money while taking comfort from being surrounded by family.^{[7]
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- Tip: If you are considering returning to your childhood home temporarily, remember that there’s no shame in doing so when you need to recover financially from a setback and get back on your feet.
- Focus on building your savings back up gradually, and you’ll have enough money to be self-sufficient again in time.
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Reversed The Reversed 6 of Cups signifies that you’re ready for independence and self-sufficiency, especially if you currently live at your childhood home. You’ve matured greatly, and you’re becoming financially stable. You’ve learned how to save your money (and manage it responsibly), and you have the know-how to become financially independent from your parents or guardians. While this can be scary, it’s also an exciting and freeing change!^{[8]
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- Tip: You’ve learned how to be financially independent, but remember to maintain those practices once you’re on your own. Keep saving and budgeting money to ensure financial stability no matter what life throws at you.

Section 5 of 8:

The 6 of Cups in Health

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Upright The Upright 6 of Cups may gently encourage you to care for someone suffering from health issues (or, at least, be charitable toward them). Alternatively, it may indicate that your hectic life is causing stress that may be taking a toll on your health. If you’re trying to start a family, the 6 of Cups card is a positive sign since it represents children, family, and goodwill.^{[9]
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- Tip: If stress is an issue for you, make an effort to simplify your life as much as possible. Cut out all the stressful obligations that aren’t really serving you right now; focus on taking care of yourself and fulfilling your basic needs.
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Reversed The Reversed 6 of Cups signifies that any health issues you currently have may be a side effect of unresolved childhood trauma. Alternatively, your health issues may have a genetic cause. If you’re trying to start a family and have children, the Reversed 6 of Cups may indicate problems conceiving or fertility issues—though it’s important to consult a doctor specializing in fertility to know for sure if that’s the case.^{[10]
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- Tip: This card encourages you to let go of the past and resolve old, painful memories to feel happier and healthier in the present.

Section 6 of 8:

The 6 of Cups in Spirituality

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Upright The Upright 6 of Cups encourages you to simplify your spiritual practices, especially if you struggle to connect to your spiritual side. It’s easy to over-complicate things when you’re eager to feel a greater connection to something, but the 6 of Cups reminds you that complex rules and rituals aren’t really necessary in the end. The basics are more than enough.
- Tip: You may also be rediscovering rituals from your childhood that you were fond of (or simpler than current rituals). Try integrating those rediscovered rituals into your present spiritual practices.
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Reversed The Reversed 6 of Cups may signify that it’s time to turn over a new leaf spiritually. You may be clinging to old beliefs and traditions from childhood, even though they aren’t really working for you anymore. This card is a reminder that it’s okay to keep whatever does still work, but also explore new spiritual ideas and practices that appeal to you more as you mature.
- Tip: If there’s a particular spiritual belief or practice that seems interesting, learn more about it! Doing some research may help you feel more comfortable with the idea of incorporating new rituals into your spiritual practices.
- On the other hand, if you feel ready to discard old spiritual traditions and try new ones, go for it. You aren’t obligated to uphold old practices simply because they’re considered traditional. Your spiritual beliefs should appeal to you.

Section 7 of 8:

The 6 of Cups Tarot Card Yes/No Meaning

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Typically, the 6 of Cups card signifies feelings of joy, optimism, goodwill, and carefree positivity. It also indicates that you can reflect on your past and draw from the lessons you’ve learned over time, increasing your chances of success (if you’re thinking about doing or trying something new). Since this is generally a positive card, it usually means “Yes” when doing a Yes/No tarot spread.^{[11]
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Section 8 of 8:

The 6 of Cups Tarot Card Appearance & Symbolism

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The 6 of Cups tarot card depicts 6 cups filled with white flowers. There are 2 children in the foreground of the card, passing a single cup filled with flowers from one to the other. The children and their flowers symbolize traditions, harmony, love, happy reunions, and childhood innocence. Furthermore, the children appear to be in a castle, which represents the idea of security and comfort.^{[12]
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- The children hold 1 of the 6 cups, while 4 more stand in the foreground, and a final cup sits on a pedestal behind the children.
- An older man is walking away in the background of the card, symbolic of letting go of adult worries and enjoying the feeling of being young and free once more.