Six of Swords card

A time to rest.

Supporting / Blocking Tarot Card

support

The card represents a situation where the querent is stuck or blocked. It opens up the opportunity for a break or vacation to refresh and return with renewed strength to the blocked area, but with the calmness brought by the time off. There are cases where this card can indicate a blockage if the querent has forgotten to return from their break, thus leaving the situation unresolved.

Relationships

Career

Finances

Relationships

Career

Finances

The Meaning of The Card

The Six of Swords represents the period of transition between making a decision and taking action. It symbolizes a time of rest after a difficult decision and before the challenging tasks ahead. This card signifies a break or a limited-time vacation. After Orestes decides to kill his mother and before he reaches the palace where she resides, there is a period of respite. He can rest during this time, but once he returns to the challenging situation, the difficulties will still be present. The respite allows for the accumulation of strength, and the victory in this card comes when the person returns from the break and addresses their challenges effectively, rather than forgetting to return from the respite.

Six of Swords card: The Meaning of The Symbols

Card Symbols	Symbol Meaning
Gray Background	The grayness of the card symbolizes a state of uncertainty that is crying out for balance. It represents compromise, contraction, detachment, and protection.
Sword	The swords are placed like a fence protecting the travelers, while the turbulent waters symbolize the person’s emotional turmoil and the desire to reach the calm, represented by the still waters. The sword is represented by the element of air, symbolizing cold logic. The sword’s strike is quick, sharp, cold, and calculated, just like thoughts originating from the intellect. It symbolizes authority, justice, power, strength, and the separation of good from evil.
Boatman	Represents the necessity of leaving, the person does not choose the retreat, it is imposed on them, and they are led there. It symbolizes the ability to move from one place to another, movement, guarding, and protection.
Woman and Child	The woman and child huddled together symbolize the need to release worries to allow the soul to be replenished. The woman represents feminine, intuitive, and nurturing energy, while the child represents naivety, joy of life, constant learning, and the desire for experiences.
Orange Garment	Represents abundance, fertility, and symbolizes love, creativity, and inspiration. Orange also expresses a tendency toward the arts and represents feminine intuition.
Boat	Movement, stability, and security, rescue, limitations.
Oar	Direction, motivation for action, phallic symbol, activity.
Sea	Life force, feminine energy, numerous possibilities, danger, emotional world.
Trees	The trees on the horizon symbolize growth that will occur later in the person’s life after they return from the retreat and face the challenge before them.

Mythology

Orestes received permission from Apollo to kill his mother and is now traveling back to the palace from which he had fled. At this stage, he is between the decision and the execution. The journey represents a period of respite or a break. This card deals with the space between decisions, the gap between events. It signifies a necessary break to find a solution to the current situation. Sometimes it’s crucial to refresh and renew one’s perspective to view the situation from new angles. After a break, while the situation itself might not change, the renewed energy allows for tackling obstacles and finding solutions that were previously overlooked due to the burden. It’s important that the querent takes this break, and the reader should ensure that the querent doesn’t forget to return from the break.

Representation of the Card in a Reading

In a reading, the Five cards represent the response to the delay depicted in the Four cards, but the person’s response was unbalanced. The Six cards address the resolution of the issues faced in the Five cards. They symbolize achievements, success, harmony, and completeness. After achieving success, it is important for the person to continue improving their life and developing further. Breaks, rest, and vacations are part of life’s process; they are periods that allow for renewal and a fresh start, enabling continued progress and advancement in the journey.