By Luna Ravenwood · Updated August 3, 2026
Divination and Dreams Guide
Quick Answer
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, Six of Cups is a Suit of Cups card numbered 6 corresponding to Sun in Scorpio. Upright it speaks to nostalgia, happy memories, reunion; reversed it mirrors stuck in the past, unrealistic memories, moving forward. The archetype pairs with Rose Quartz for grounded reflection, not prediction.
Upright Keywords
Reversed Keywords
Six of Cups Upright Meaning
A child hands a cup of flowers to another in a garden, the sweetness of innocence, the warmth of happy memories. The Six of Cups is about nostalgia, reunion, and the parts of your past that still nourish you.
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, this card is read through three reference works. According to Rachel Pollack in Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom (1980), Six of Cups functions as one station in the deck’s unified literary sequence. Arthur Edward Waite in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) describes the original symbolism Pamela Colman Smith painted into the card. Mary K. Greer in Tarot for Your Self (1984) describes the upright meaning as the archetypal opening, the question the card offers, not the verdict it delivers.
Six of Cups Reversed Meaning
Reversed, the nostalgia becomes a trap, living in the past rather than drawing strength from it. The Six of Cups reversed asks: are you remembering the past or hiding in it?
Today’s Guidance
“A happy memory or reunion may touch you today. The Six of Cups invites nostalgia, but don't stay there too long.”
Morning Intention
Set an intention aligned with emotions, relationships, intuition, and the heart. The Six of Cups asks you to be present with this energy today.
Midday Reflection
Notice how the energy of emotions, relationships, intuition, and the heart has shown up for you today. What has this card's message revealed?
Evening Release
Release today's weight. Hold your Rose Quartz and let the day's lessons settle without forcing conclusions.
“I carry the sweetness of my past without living in it. My memories nourish my present.”
Crystal Companion: Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz resonates with the emotions, relationships, intuition, and the heart that the Cups suit embodies.
Rose Quartz
The stone of unconditional love and infinite peace.
Astrological Correspondence
The Suit of Cups corresponds to the element of Water, and the zodiac signs Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
The Cups suit corresponds to the Water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Each numbered card represents a decan of one of these signs. Cups mirror feeling, intuition, dream, and relationship.
Card Details
Number
6
Suit
Suit of Cups
Element
💧 Water
Astrology
Sun in Scorpio
Neighbouring Cards
Six of Cups in Love, Career, Finance
The same archetype mirrors different territory depending on the question. Read how Six of Cups meets specific dimensions of your life.
What’s Next?
Three good directions while Six of Cups is in the room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Six of Cups tarot card mean?
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, the Six of Cups is a Suit of Cups card corresponding to Sun in Scorpio. Upright it speaks to nostalgia, happy memories, reunion; reversed it mirrors stuck in the past, unrealistic memories, moving forward.
What crystal pairs with the Six of Cups?
Rose Quartz is the crystal companion for the Six of Cups. Rose Quartz resonates with the emotions, relationships, intuition, and the heart that the Cups suit embodies.
Is the Six of Cups a yes or no card?
In yes-or-no readings, the Six of Cups answers yes. The Six of Cups brings happy memories, nostalgia, and reunions. The answer is yes, especially for questions about reconnecting with the past or childhood dreams.
What does the Six of Cups mean reversed?
Reversed, the nostalgia becomes a trap, living in the past rather than drawing strength from it. The Six of Cups reversed asks: are you remembering the past or hiding in it?
How to Read a Spread
Luna Ravenwood's free guide: the structure of the deck, three spreads and what each is for, the three schools of reversals, and how to read for yourself without flattering yourself.
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