Minor Arcana · Cups

Six of Cups: Meaning of the Card of Memories

The Six of Cups stands for happy memories, childlike joy and encounters with your own past.

Upright

  • memories
  • childhood
  • nostalgia
  • innocence
  • reunion
  • feeling safe

Reversed

  • clinging to the past
  • rose-tinted memories
  • letting go
  • growing up
  • looking ahead
  • old patterns
Number
6
Element
Water
Astrology
Sun in Scorpio
Yes or no?
Yes

The card image

Our card shows an old wooden windowsill with warm lamplight spilling out behind it into the night. On it stand six golden cups, each planted with small white star-shaped flowers. Beside them lies an open music box in which a tiny golden figure turns its circles.

Below the window, in the garden, a wooden toy boat sits in a puddle that reflects the moon. A rope with a faded swing hangs from an apple tree, and on the garden wall sit two small figures, seen from behind, one of them just handing the other one of the cups.

Meaning

Upright

The Six of Cups is the card of memories. It takes you back to moments when life felt simple and light – to childhood days, favourite places or people who shaped you early on. In a reading, it can suggest that the past is knocking on your door in a friendly way.

Often it is about a reunion, a message from someone you have not heard from in a long time, or a visit to a place full of memories. The card can also stand for innocence and warmth, for gestures given without any ulterior motive.

The Sun in Scorpio gives this gentle card depth: what you find in your past can help you understand yourself better. Perhaps you rediscover an old hobby or remember a dream you had as a child. Your inner child wants to be seen.

Reversed

Reversed, nostalgia turns into clinging. Perhaps you long for the old days so much that you barely notice the present, or you idealise a past that in truth was not only beautiful.

The card invites you to take what was valuable from the past with you and kindly leave the rest behind. It can also be about old patterns from childhood that you now want to change consciously. Here, growing up means lovingly accepting your own story.

Love

Upright

In love, the Six of Cups shows tenderness, familiarity and carefree moments. An old flame may reappear, or the two of you remember how it all began and find new closeness that way.

Reversed

Reversed, the past can weigh on the relationship, for example through comparisons with former partners or old hurts. Live in the here and now.

For singles

For singles, the card can announce a reunion with someone from your past. Check whether it is about a real connection or simply longing for the old days.

Career

Upright

At work, the Six of Cups can mean that old contacts open new doors. Working with children, in education or in a field connected with tradition and craftsmanship is also a good fit.

Reversed

Reversed, do not rest on past successes. New skills are what is needed now.

Money

Upright

Financially, the card can point to a gift, an inheritance or support from your family. Selling old things can be worthwhile too.

Reversed

Reversed, avoid spending money out of nostalgia on things you do not really need.

Wellbeing

For your wellbeing, the Six of Cups invites you to do something you loved as a child: drawing, swinging, climbing trees or listening to your favourite music from back then. Playful joy is soothing for the soul.

Yes or no? Yes

The Six of Cups gives a friendly yes, especially to questions about reunions, family and matters of the heart. Its yes is gentle, not stormy.

Yes/No oracle

As the card of the day

A happy memory may surface today. Call someone you have not heard from in a long time, or treat yourself to something that reminds you of happy childhood days. A small gesture of kindness counts double today.

The card’s advice

Carry the warmth of your memories into the present, but do not stay standing in the old garden. The best of the past is what you make of it today.

Combinations

  • Six of Cups Judgement

    With Judgement, something from the past returns in a meaningful way. A reunion can open a new chapter.

  • Six of Cups Ten of Cups

    Next to the Ten of Cups, family takes centre stage. A harmonious get-together or a celebration may be coming up.

  • Six of Cups Eight of Cups

    With the Eight of Cups, you leave a place of memories in order to move on. Farewell and gratitude go hand in hand.

  • Six of Cups Page of Pentacles

    Together with the Page of Pentacles, an old hobby or an early talent can become a new learning project.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Six of Cups mean in love?

It stands for tenderness, familiarity and sometimes a reunion with an old love.

Is the Six of Cups a positive card?

Yes, it is a warm, friendly card. Only when reversed does it remind you not to cling too tightly to the past.

What does the Six of Cups mean reversed?

Reversed, it points to clinging to old times or rose-tinted memories, and invites you to look ahead.

Does the Six of Cups mean an ex is coming back?

It can suggest that someone from your past is reappearing. Whether that is a former partner is shown by the surrounding cards.

What does the Six of Cups have to do with the inner child?

It invites you to rediscover the playfulness, curiosity and trust you may have felt more strongly as a child.

What is the astrology of the Six of Cups?

It is linked to the Sun in Scorpio, a combination of joy in life and emotional depth.