Yesterday’s Lessons
Though the mind may fail, the past still lingers in the heart. The Six of Cups is a bridge to yesterday, a card that calls forth memories that shaped us, joys that felt pure, and love that felt simple.
It is childhood laughter echoing in the soul, a moment of sweetness amid the weight of time. But the past is no place to live—it is a foundation upon which we must build and then leave behind.
But let me ask you: What do you carry from your past that still nourishes you? Could you be holding on to something that keeps you from growing?
What is the Six of Cups?
The Six of Cups is the card of memory, nostalgia, and generosity.
It appears when the past calls—sometimes as a source of comfort, sometimes as a lesson.
This is a card of simpler times, of childhood, old friends, and long-lost dreams.
Our joy doesn’t have to be complicated, when we are able to love and share freely.
Symbolism
- The Two Figures – The exchange of kindness, the purity of giving without expectation.
- The Blooming Cups – Emotional abundance, joyful memories, and the sweetness of life.
- The Old Buildings – The weight of the past, how history shapes us.
- The Pathway – The choice to either dwell in memory or use it to move forward.
Element: Water
As part of the Water element, the Six of Cups flows with deep emotional currents. Water rules memory, intuition, and the tides of feeling.
This card teaches that the past can nourish us, but like a river, life must keep moving forward.
Associated Astrology: Sun in Scorpio
With the Sun in Scorpio, this card reflects the illuminating power of memory. Scorpio, the sign of depth and transformation, finds light in the hidden corners of the past.
The Sun’s warmth here suggests that reflection can bring healing, that even what is buried can bloom again.
Numerology: 6
In numerology, six is a number of harmony, balance, and emotional resolution. It follows the instability of five, bringing a sense of peace.
In the Cups suit, this number signifies emotional healing, the way love and kindness can restore the soul.
“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.”
– Oscar Wilde
Upright Meanings
The Six of Cups brings nostalgia, kindness, and the return of past joys.
General Meaning
A reconnection with the past. Memories resurface, childhood dreams return, or an old friend appears. A time of sweetness and emotional generosity.
Love
A past relationship may re-enter your life. Alternatively, a current relationship benefits from kindness, playfulness, and emotional openness.
Career
A return to something once loved—a past passion, a career from childhood dreams. Collaboration that feels natural and uplifting.
Finances
A gift, inheritance, or financial help from someone with deep emotional ties to you.
Health
Emotional well-being tied to healing past wounds. Revisiting childhood joys may bring renewal.
Reversed Meanings
When reversed, the Six of Cups suggests clinging to the past, resisting change, or idealizing memory at the cost of the present.
General Meaning
Nostalgia turns into stagnation. Living too much in the past, or struggling to release an old emotional pattern.
Love
Holding onto an old love or comparing the present to a romanticized past. A need to embrace what is instead of what was.
Career
Difficulty moving forward due to outdated expectations or nostalgia for “how things used to be.” Beware of the “graduation goggles” phenomenon, where even a previously difficult situation may feel comforting just when you are about to leave it.
Finances
Money tied to the past, whether through debts, inheritance, or financial patterns rooted in childhood.
Health
Old emotional wounds resurfacing, needing to be healed before true progress can be made.
What Does the Six of Cups Teach Us?
The Six of Cups reminds us that the past is a gift, not a prison. It teaches that while memories may soothe, they should not hold us back from experiencing the present.
This card asks us to take what nourishes us from the past and use it to enrich today.
What memories do you carry that help you grow?
