Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love & Yes or No

Upright meaning

Keywords: Nostalgia · Kindness · Old connections · Unexpected opportunity · Good relationships

A child in a hat leans down to hand a smaller child a cup filled with flowers. It's kindness given and received with nothing expected in return. The old house behind them calls to mind the place you grew up and the days that felt familiar. This is a time to draw strength from good memories.

Love

Someone you've known for a long time, or a connection from your past, may catch your eye again. If you're single, you could grow closer to someone who shares your childhood memories. If you're in a relationship, go back to a place you visited when you first met.

Relationships

This is an easy, affectionate bond. Whoever reaches out first, without keeping score, makes it even warmer.

Career & study

Luck is on your side with exams and tests, and good opportunities may come out of nowhere. A former colleague or your years of experience can help you now.

Money

Unexpected money or a good opportunity may come your way. It's a nice time for small, generous gestures, like treating a friend to lunch.

Mind & wellbeing

You're feeling softer and thinking about the past a lot. A favorite song from your childhood can ease a tired heart.

As a person

This is a warm-hearted person who treasures old connections. They remember who you used to be, so you feel at ease around them.

As someone's feelings

When they think of you, they feel comfortable and warm. That said, their heart is more drawn to the good memories you shared than to any spark right now.

What to do

Send a quick message to someone you haven't been in touch with for a while.

Watch out for

If you keep comparing now to the good old days, you'll miss the opportunity in front of you. Let your memories give you strength, and leave it at that.

Reversed meaning

Keywords: Clinging to the past · Lingering attachment · Unrealistic expectations · Immaturity · Renewal

When the cup-giving scene is reversed, those sweet memories start holding you back. The adult in the background walks away from the children, but you still haven't left that garden. The old ways won't solve today's problems. It's time to put your memories in their place and look ahead.

Love

Thoughts of a past relationship or an old flame are getting in the way of something new. If you're single, check whether you're comparing someone new to someone from your past. If you're in a relationship, try saying "you never used to be like this" less often.

Relationships

Expecting things to be exactly the way they used to be will leave you both feeling let down. First, take a fresh look at who this person is now.

Career & study

Sticking with methods that worked before will leave you spinning your wheels. If you can see something new you need to learn, don't put it off. Start now.

Money

Regret over missed chances is making you put off your financial plans. Start by taking a fresh look at what's in your bank account right now.

Mind & wellbeing

You often get lost in the past, and your mood dips easily. Clearing out a few old things can make your head feel much lighter.

As a person

This person often talks about the past and finds change uncomfortable. They have a tender heart, but there's still something childlike about them, and their expectations run ahead of reality.

As someone's feelings

They still can't forget the good times you had together. But their feelings are aimed at who you used to be rather than who you are now, so it's hard for them to reach out.

What to do

Open one drawer and clear out the things you no longer use.

Watch out for

Let go of the hope that going back to how things were will fix everything. If you only remember the good parts of the past, you'll delay the decisions you need to make now.

Symbols in the picture

In the yard of an old house, a child hands a cup of flowers to a smaller child. This is a time when tender memories from the past come back to you, and you draw strength from them.

• The child offering a cup of flowers. A child in a hat leans down and holds out a cup to the smaller child. This is kindness offered first, with no strings attached. It's all the purer because it asks for nothing back. When this card appears, read it as a sign that it's a good time to be the first to reach out warmly.
  Reversed: That kindness, leaning down and reaching out, is going only to people from your past, not to the people beside you now. Read it as a nudge to let go of the hope that being kind again will take you back to how things used to be.
• The small child receiving the cup. The small child looks up at the cup being handed over. This is the heart that simply accepts someone's kindness. Receiving is also part of what keeps a relationship going. Read it as a reminder not to wave off someone's care, and to accept it with thanks.
  Reversed: Looking up at the cup turns into waiting and waiting for someone else to take care of you first. If you've been staying on the receiving end, read it as a sign that it's your turn to make the first move.
• The cups filled with flowers. Instead of water, every cup is filled with star-shaped flowers. Feelings blooming like flowers. Rather than a big, heavy kind of love, this speaks of simple, warm affection. Read it as a sign that a small check-in can mean more than a grand gift.
  Reversed: The cups are full of flowers, yet you're holding that affection close and never letting it out. Read it as a nudge to stop keeping your care inside and send a quick hello to someone close to you now.
• The cups in the foreground. More cups of flowers sit in a row on the ground in front of the children. Good memories you haven't revisited yet are still close by. Read it as a sign that going back to something you used to love may hold the answer you need right now.
  Reversed: You keep looking down at the cups on the ground and can't take a single step forward. Read it as a nudge to spend less time scrolling through old photos and choose one new thing to try.
• The stone pillar with the X pattern. At the bottom left, a cup sits on top of a stone pillar, and the pillar bears a shield marked with an X. This speaks of a time when you were watched over and protected. Some see the X as a family crest, standing for roots and belonging. Read it as a time to look back on where you come from and who kept you safe.
  Reversed: The fence that once protected you has become a post that keeps you tied in place. If thoughts like "that's just how my family does things" are blocking new choices, read it as a sign to break free of them.
• The figure walking away with a spear. In the background, an adult carrying a spear walks away with their back to the children. The grown-up world that keeps watch so the children can play without worry. Some also read it as a past that is already slipping away. Read it as a sign that the safety you felt back then is now something you have to build for yourself.
  Reversed: You still want to hold on to the adult who has already turned and walked away. Read it as a nudge to stop waiting for someone to protect you and start practicing making your own decisions.
• The old house and yard. Behind the children stands an old-looking house and a yard enclosed by a wall. A place where your heart feels at ease, like your childhood home or hometown. Waite called this a card of the past and of memories. Read it as a time when old friends or familiar places fill your heart again.
  Reversed: The walled yard feels so comfortable that you don't want to leave it. If you only seek out familiar people and familiar places, read it as a sign that it's time to step out through the gate.