Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning: Nostalgia, Healing & Rekindled Love

If tarot cards share salient insight into our future, then they can also remind us of the importance of our past.  

The card with the closest links to nostalgia and past memories is the Six of Cups. This is a Minor Arcana card in the Suit of Cups. This is a positive card that you would be lucky to choose, especially if you’re hoping to rekindle love with an old flame.  

The Six of Cups keywords are revisiting the past, nostalgia, joy, and the comfort of home.

The aim of this article is to be a tarot guide to the Six of Cups tarot card, unveiling its secrets and giving you key insights to help you better understand not only the card but yourself. 

Six of Cups Keywords

Description of the Six of Cups 

When we look at the image of the Six of Cups tarot card in the Rider-Waite tarot card deck, we see a child or young person in the foreground. He is holding a cup of flowers that he offers to an old woman who is standing in front of him. This signifies intergenerational love and respect, whilst the presence of the young child signifies the importance of childhood memories.  

On a raised plinth behind the figures is another cup filled with flowers, whilst the final four cups are lined at the front of the card and in the foreground of the image. Behind the figures in this scene is a large family home or castle. The castle walls are high and this represents comfort and security in both emotional and financial terms.  

You may also notice a third figure on this card, though he is much smaller than the other figures. Next to the house is an older man walking away from the child in the foreground. This old man is making way for the young man, leaving him free to enjoy both his childhood and his innocence. It is clear that the three figures on this card are family members, sending a message of family harmony, strength and support. The card description here is of nostalgia, childhood memories, and stability.  

Six of Cups Upright Meaning 

The Six of Cups is a positive tarot card that represents childhood nostalgia, innocence, and a walk down memory lane. If this card appears in your tarot reader then you may be missing the innocence of childhood or thinking about someone from your past. Or perhaps it’s time to resolve any childhood trauma that you’re still carrying with you so that you can find peace and personal growth in your adult life.  

The Six of Cups tarot card meaning can reflect an aspect of you that’s vanished. Perhaps you’re looking for the innocence and freedom that you experienced in your younger years, and are ready for a break from the shackles of your adult commitments. Whether your childhood experiences were happy or negative, memories of the past are important but it’s also important that you don’t live in the past. 

The main keywords associated with the Six of Cups tarot card are new beginnings, happiness, generosity, and the joys of childhood. And the Six of Cups card sends a powerful message about finding joy in the simple pleasures of life, just as you did in your childhood.  

In physical terms, it could be time to make a journey back to a familiar place. This could mean returning to your childhood home, attending a school reunion, or returning to any place that has significant and positive memories for you.  

Six of Cups—Love Meaning 

If you’re looking for a love reading of the Six of Cups tarot card then you’re in luck. This is a great card to choose, especially if you’re in a long-term relationship. If you and your partner have been through a rough patch (as all couples do at one time or another) then looking back on your shared memories and happier times will help to reinforce your strong connection and reignite the flames of love.  

If your love life feels stagnant then inject a child-like energy into your relationship. Be playful and spontaneous: arrange an unexpected date, for example, return to the hobbies you enjoyed together at the beginning of your relationship.  

If you’re single, then the Six of Cups tarot card could be telling you to be open to the possibility of relighting an old flame or reuniting with a past lover. Often we look forwards to love, but perhaps looking backwards is the best way to find your soulmate. If you often think about your childhood sweetheart, then maybe now is the time to pick up the phone. Be open to healing past wounds and sharing a spirit of forgiveness so that your second chance with an old love will be a success.  

Finding love can feel difficult, but with the Six of Cups card in your corner, new love has great potential.  

Six of Cups—Career Meaning 

If you’re looking for career advice in your tarot spreads then the appearance of the Six of Cups tarot card is a positive one. It indicates a happy career path filled with imagination and cooperation, so you may find success in a career in the creative fields. The presence of the young child in the foreground of the child could also indicate that you will find fulfillment working with children and young people.  

If you’re experiencing struggles in the workplace then this card encourages you to look to the past for clues to a successful future. Perhaps a former colleague is now an old friend and spending time together could provide valuable career advice.  

Advice from former mentors, returning to a previous career path, or even rekindling friendships with former colleagues could all give you the answers that you’re looking for.  

Six of Cups—Finances Meaning 

The financial meaning of the Six of Cups tarot card in the upright position is one of financial stability. If your current situation is not as secure as you might like then the Six of Cups is indicating that something positive is coming. Perhaps you will come into an inheritance or receive a significant financial gift.  

The large house in the background of the card points clearly to security in both financial and emotional terms. You should use your good fortune to support others. Perhaps close friends going through tough times need financial support that you are able to comfortably provide. Let past influences guide you.  

Goodwill is one of the main keywords of the Six of Cups tarot card, so you’ll reap huge benefits from using your money to help others.  

 If you’re working towards financial security in the present moment, then this is a positive sign that now is a great time to make investments that have sentimental value. Perhaps a childhood product that invokes happy memories or the business of a childhood friend will deliver the financial windfall that you crave. 

Reversed Six of Cups Meaning 

The Six of Cups is a nostalgic and positive card evoking simpler times and childhood meanings. This means that the reversed meaning of the Six of Cups tarot card has largely negative connotations. Instead of enjoying some moments of nostalgia, you’re clinging too closely to the past.  

Perhaps past events and childhood issues are still causing you pain. But it’s time to let go of your childhood trauma, or the pain of past relationships, and focus on emotional healing, creating a life that you love in the present.  

There is nothing inherently wrong with exploring memories, but these explorations cannot dominate your emotional bandwidth. It’s easy to gravitate to the simpler times of childhood innocence when your current life isn’t on track, and things become difficult and overwhelming. But your childhood isn’t the root cause of your happiness or unhappiness: the future is where you’ll grow. So it’s time to look to the future and to the life you want, rather than lingering in the life you had.  

Reversed Six of Cups—Love Meaning 

The Six of Cups tarot card meaning in the reversed position is that going back to a past lover would be a grave mistake. The love tarot reading emphasises that if you’re single then the pain of past experiences means you continue to dwell on previous relationships, but this means that you’re never opening your heart to the new possibilities that a new partner could bring.  

Work on your own emotional needs and you will be in a better position to form an emotional connection with a new love. 

If you’re already in a relationship then the Six of Cups tarot card in the reverse position is sending a clear warning that you need to let former lovers go and focus on your current relationship. Your partner deserves your full attention. It’s time to move on with your own life, embrace new loves, and stop letting past mistakes prevent you from finding true happiness.   

Reversed Six of Cups—Career Meaning 

A career reading of the Six of Cups tarot card in the reverse position will tell you that your career has stalled. If the upright meaning of the card is a happy career injected with creative energy then the reversed meaning is of a career you don’t enjoy and that doesn’t reflect your true self.  

Ask yourself what you wanted to be in your youth? Are you pursuing the dream career path of your inner child? If the answer is no and your current position leaves you feeling bored and stifled then it may be time to make a change. So much of our lives are spent in the workplace, so it’s important that this is a place that leaves you feeling productive and fulfilled.  

Now is a great time to break the cycle of jobs that don’t leave you feeling enriched. If you continue to take similar job roles and move into new spaces that are identical but still fail to excite you then this is your sign to try something new. Perhaps you could retrain and start a new career path? Or maybe you’re in the position to start that business venture you always dreamed of?  

Use your personal information and your unique dreams to ensure that your career leaves you happy and motivated.

Reversed Six of Cups—Finances Meaning 

The Six of Cups tarot card description focuses on nostalgia and embracing the past, but in the reverse position it means a desire for financial independence. If you’re a young adult still living at home then this card could be the sign you need to strike out on your own.  

The Six of Cups in the reverse position indicates financial responsibility and the good times that this extra money can bring to your life.  

If you’re already living independently then it’s time to break away from old-fashioned ways of thinking about money. You may have been through a difficult time financially and now you’re out the other side but don’t let that trap you into a pattern of being conservative with your money. Now is a great time to consider new investment opportunities or new approaches, and to look forward to a financially healthy and secure future.  

Other Cards with the Six of Cups 

The key meanings of the Six of Cups tarot card focus on nostalgia, childhood memories, and security. When the Six of Cups tarot card is drawn alongside other cards these card combinations can give an insight into how your past can influence your future.  

Both Major Arcana cards and Minor Arcana cards can be drawn with the Six of Cups, and these cards can either complement or create friction with each other. We look at some of the most interesting card combinations you could get alongside the Six of Cups tarot card.

The Six of Cups and the Ace of Cups  

When the Six of Cups and the Ace of Cups appear in your tarot reader together this combination brings a positive message. Both the Six of Cups and the Ace of Cups are positive cards. When they appear together you can expect a happy reunion, perhaps rekindling love with an old flame, or finding new possibilities in old friendships.  

The Six of Cups and the High Priestess 

The High Priestess is a card that represents wisdom and intuition. Looking inwardly for answers whilst also embracing the unknown. When this card is drawn with the Six of Cups in your tarot reader and the nostalgia it represents, perhaps it means you are party to a secret plan. Could there be a surprise party or an unexpected proposal in your future?  

The Six of Cups and the Ace of Wands 

The combination of the Six of Cups tarot card with the Ace of Wands tarot card is an interesting one. The Ace of Wands is a magic card that encourages you to step back in order to see the bigger picture. The Six of Cups card asks you to look to the past for clues to the future. Together these cards represent the powers of emotions and memories to drive you forward to success.   

The Six of Cups and its Astrological Sign 

The Six of Cups tarot card meaning has healing powers. With the past healing the wounds of the present. The zodiac sign it’s most associated with is the sun in Scorpio, although unlike other cards in the Suit of Cups, the Six of Cups is not closely associated with just one zodiac sign.  

The reason for its connection with the sun in Scorpio? Because this represents sharing and playing. Similar to the childhood memories and nostalgia associated with the Six of Cups.  

All of the cards in the Suit of Cups are associated with the water signs. These are Scorpio, Pisces, and Cancer. The water signs represent emotions, and forming connections with others. This is why the Six of Cups tarot card has such a strong emotional energy.  

Conclusion 

Now you understand the key meanings of the Six of Cups tarot card and how you can use this in your current position. This is a card of nostalgia, finding clues to the future in the past, and seeking comfort and emotional renewal in childhood memories.  

Reading this tarot guide and learning the meaning of the tarot cards you choose will give you key insights into your inner thoughts and feelings. But you don’t have to be a tarot expert to understand what your cards are telling you.  

Speak to a psychic or claim your free tarot reading now, and let us help you to find the answers you seek.