Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning

sharing freely

Welcome to Tarot Alley! Sometimes Tarot Alley uses affiliate links, which means we might receive a commission on the sale of some items. This has NO additional cost to you. Visit the policies page to learn more.

Tarot Alley uses the Rider Waite type of deck for our meanings, symbols, interpretations, etc.

When determining the Six of Cups tarot card meaning, you should consider that it’s a Cups card and a Six. The Suit of Cups represents emotions and relationships. Sixes represent collaboration, cooperation, and interaction.

In this way, we can determine that the Six of Cups represents sharing freely.

Take a look at the Rider-Waite Six of Cups displayed to the left (or above).

What is your first impression?

Why is the figure on the left passing the flowers? Is it a gift or a sale? What will happen with the remaining bouquets?

There’s no right or wrong answer here, just your interpretation.

Now consider how your interpretation reflects your beliefs about giving freely. What does it say about your beliefs if you see this as a sale (transactional) instead of a gift?

Astrology: Sun in Scorpio
Element: Water
Numerology: 6 (collaboration, cooperation, interaction)

Common Symbols

• Giving Something: it’s common to see one figure giving something (often flowers) to another. This represents interactions.
• Flowers in Cups: the cups are commonly filled with flowers to represent a bounty.

Keywords & Concepts

The Six of Cups for Personal Growth

Affirmation: I freely give myself to others, expecting nothing in return.

Giving without expecting anything in return is an important sign of maturity. Practice giving without thinking about what’s in it for you.

Ask Yourself:

• How might expectations of payment/repayment be shaping your situation?
• How can you escape a “poverty mentality?”
• What dictates the value of a gift?
• What gifts do you possess? How freely do you give them?
• How can you practice unconditional giving?
• How would things change if you became a more charitable person?

Interpreting the Six of Cups

Generally, the Six of Cups represents sharing freely. This is a time of good deeds. Go out and donate your time and talent to others; give even when you know repayment will not be possible. You should take satisfaction in knowing that your efforts will help others.

The Reversed Six of Cups

How you read reversals is a personal choice. You can ignore reversals and read them as if the card is upright (this is what I often choose to do) or you can interpret reversals as variations of what they would mean upright. There are 3 common ways to read reversals: as a negative interpretation, as an opposite interpretation, or as a block on the upright interpretation. Check out How to Read Reversals for more information.

Typically, a reversed Six of Cups represents taking from others. Examples include:

• Trying to appear needier than you really are so you can gain more
• Taking undeserved or unmerited charity
• Refusing to share
• Profiting from others distress

Examples of the Six of Cups

Specific Interpretations

Specific situations are the general interpretation (from above) used for a specific situation (love, career, etc). There is no need to memorize these (or even look them up) if you understand the general interpretation. However, here are some basic interpretations for some specific situations:

the Six of Cups Tarot Card Meaning