Six of Cups — Tarot Card Meaning
Minor Arcana · Suit of Cups (Water)
Keywords: nostalgia, memories, innocence
Upright meaning
Sweet nostalgia and innocent joy. A reunion, a memory, or a return to simpler comfort.
The Six of Cups offers a flower-filled cup in a scene of childlike sweetness — memory, innocence, and the simple kindnesses of the past. Upright, it's nostalgia and tenderness: a reunion, a happy memory resurfacing, or the comfort of returning to something pure and familiar.
Let the warmth of the past nourish you. Reconnect with an old friend, revisit what once made you feel safe, or extend the uncomplicated generosity of a child. There's healing in remembering who you were before the world complicated things.
Reversed meaning
Stuck in the past. Romanticizing what was keeps you from stepping into what's next.
Reversed, the Six of Cups holds you in the past. Nostalgia turns to living backward — idealizing what was, clinging to old comforts, or refusing to grow up and meet the present. The golden memory becomes a place to hide.
The invitation is to bring the past's gifts forward without staying stuck in it. Honor where you came from, then turn and face today. You can't step into what's next while gazing only at what's behind.
Related cards
Common questions about the Six of Cups
What does the Six of Cups tarot card mean?
Sweet nostalgia and innocent joy. A reunion, a memory, or a return to simpler comfort.
What does the Six of Cups mean reversed?
Stuck in the past. Romanticizing what was keeps you from stepping into what's next.
What are the keywords for the Six of Cups?
Key themes for the Six of Cups are: nostalgia, memories, innocence.
Browse all 78 cards · Draw a free reading · Tarot glossary · Book a personal reading