Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed & Love

Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning

A child offers a cup filled with flowers to another child in a sunlit garden. The scene is innocent, warm, and tinged with the golden glow of memory. When the Six of Cups appears in your reading, the past is calling to you — not with regret, but with tenderness. Something from your history holds a gift for your present.

This is the tarot's card of nostalgia, innocence, and the sweet ache of remembering. It speaks to childhood memories, past relationships that shaped you, and the simple joy of a time when the world felt safe and full of wonder.

Quick Reference

Upright Meaning

The Six of Cups upright invites you to reconnect with the gentler parts of your past. This could manifest literally — a childhood friend reaching out, a trip to a place where you grew up, or an old photograph that unlocks a flood of warm memories. Or it could be more symbolic: rediscovering a hobby you loved as a child, remembering who you were before the world made you hard, or finding healing through revisiting your roots.

This card carries an energy of generosity and kindness without conditions. The child in the image gives the cup freely, expecting nothing in return. The Six of Cups asks you to channel that same spirit. Offer your time, your attention, your compassion — not because you expect something back, but because giving is its own reward.

There is also a strong healing element to this card. If you have been doing inner child work, therapy, or processing childhood experiences, the Six of Cups affirms that this work is valuable and bearing fruit. The past does not have to be a wound. Sometimes it is a wellspring of strength you forgot you had.

Reversed Meaning

The Six of Cups reversed warns against romanticizing the past at the expense of the present. You may be clinging to memories, relationships, or identities that no longer serve you. The "good old days" feel safer than the uncertainty of now, but living in retrospect prevents you from building something new.

This reversal can also indicate childhood issues that remain unresolved — patterns of behavior learned in early life that continue to shape your relationships and self-image in unhealthy ways. The reversed Six of Cups asks you to look honestly at the past rather than through rose-tinted glasses. Not everything was as perfect as memory suggests. Acknowledging this is not a betrayal of your younger self — it is a step toward freedom.

In Love & Relationships

If you are single: The Six of Cups often signals the return of someone from your past. An ex-partner, a childhood sweetheart, or someone you lost touch with may re-enter your life. Whether this is a good thing depends on the context. The card does not promise that old love will work the second time around — only that the opportunity to revisit it will arise. Approach with open eyes and a willing heart, but do not ignore the reasons it ended the first time.

If you are in a relationship: This card brings warmth and tenderness to your partnership. You may find yourselves reminiscing about how you met, looking through old photos, or recreating early dates. The Six of Cups reminds you why you fell in love in the first place. It can also indicate that your relationship has a "meant to be" quality — perhaps you knew each other in childhood or share a deep sense of familiarity that goes beyond this lifetime.

In Career & Finances

In career readings, the Six of Cups can point to returning to a former employer, reconnecting with an old colleague, or drawing on past experience to solve a current challenge. Skills and knowledge you developed earlier in your career may become relevant again in unexpected ways. This card also appears when career nostalgia strikes — longing for a simpler time or a role that once brought you joy.

Financially, the Six of Cups suggests generosity and gifts. You may receive an inheritance, a financial gift from family, or unexpected support from someone who remembers a kindness you once showed. This card also encourages you to be generous with others. Money circulated with good intentions has a way of returning multiplied.

As Advice

Honor your past without being imprisoned by it. The Six of Cups advises you to draw strength, joy, and wisdom from your memories while keeping your feet firmly in the present. Revisit the activities that made you happy as a child — they may reignite a spark you thought was gone. Reach out to someone you have been missing. Practice kindness without agenda. But remember that nostalgia is a visitor, not a home. Take what the past offers, then turn your attention forward. The best of your life is not behind you — it is still being written.

Card Combinations

• Six of Cups + Two of Cups: A past connection becomes a present partnership. A reunion with deep romantic potential.
• Six of Cups + The Tower: A sudden event forces you to confront unresolved childhood patterns. Painful but ultimately liberating.
• Six of Cups + Ten of Cups: Childhood dreams of family and happiness are fulfilled. The life you imagined as a child is becoming reality.

Explore More

Ready to deepen your tarot journey? Check out our complete list of all 78 tarot card meanings or start from the beginning with our tarot for beginners complete guide.