6 of swords vs 8 of cups

summerbutterfly

I am at a lost to determine which card means moving on from a relationship whether the relationship be love, personal, friendship, business, etc.... I can see that with the 8 of cups but would you say it applies to the 6 of swords too ?

For example as part of a reading if you got:

a) Hanged man with the 8 would you consider it to read as though after having considered the relationship from different angles, the querent decides to leave, move on from the relationship .....

b) Hanged man with the 6 of swords - querent after having considered the relationship would wait until things have calmed down prior to deciding what to do

Thoughts ?
 

rwcarter

I see the 8 Cups as more of the "put a period and move on" form of moving on from a relationship while I see the 6 Swords as more moving on from a troubled relationship. So both cards can mean moving on from a relationship, but I think they point to different kinds of relationships. I wouldn't see the 6S as representing a relationship where the two people have just naturally grown apart without any kind of animosity, while I could see that in the 8C.
 

Sulis

This is how I see these 2 cards in RWS style decks

6 of Swords
Swords relate to the mind, communication and to problems. Sixes are about the choices we make to get back to balance and harmony following the upset of the fives.
In RWS based decks we see a boat containing people and swords moving from rough waters to calmer ones. Since swords are about the mind I see this as showing metaphorically moving away from a problem so that we can see it with more perspective and from a more objective viewpoint - it's easier to see how to handle something difficult if you take yourself out of the situation.
Looking at the image I also see that the swords (representing thoughts and communication) are above the water (representing feelings) so this reinforces the notion of moving away to get better perspective or to be more objective - it's head (swords) over heart (water).. Thinking logically about something rather than emotionally.

8 of Cups
A man walks away from a group of stacked up cups towards some mountains.
The cups are stacked in a way that leaves a gap (for the ninth cup maybe).
So this is a card that's about emotions rather than thoughts. This is about emotionally moving away from something rather than moving away to get a different perspective or a more objective viewpoint. This card is about realising that you've got all that you can, emotionally from a situation and you've realised that if you really want to be fulfilled you have to go in search of that something extra, that ninth cup.
The fact that he's moving towards mountains and it's night-time suggest that the emotional fulfilment he's looking for may not be that easy to find - the road ahead may be rocky for a while.

Both cards to me don't necessarily mean physically leaving a situation at all but they can mean that too (depending on the context).

I hope that helps a bit :).
 

akmstarlight

I'm kind of new to tarot, but here's what I think:

The 6 of Swords is the kind of moving on that is tinged with a very acute sense of nostalgia. Querent would have a difficult time getting "unstuck" from this loop of nostalgia, even though they are physically putting distance between themselves and the relationship.

8 of Cups, on the other hand, seems.....more stern to me, if that makes sense. It is more permanent in the way that it doesn't give into nostalgia or crying or etc that the 6oS does. It's just kind of this cold, calculating statement: "Well, I did my best but it wasn't enough, so oh well. End of story."

So, to simplify a bit....6oS is kind of the weepy, clingy kind of "moving on" while 8oC is more hard-hearted, independent kind of moving on. Also the 8oC seems like a quicker way to "get over" the situation.

As I said, I'm not really good with the cards yet, but that's my 2 cents.
 

lilangel09

I have gotten 6 of Swords as applying to that. However, it had a character on it that looked like it was walking away during the reading. So, it definitely can mean that!
I'm sure if it were a RWS, it could also apply if you felt that the boat was leaving at the time.

Every card can apply to everything, so... nothing is restricted to certain topics.
If you feel it can apply to 6 of Swords, it can apply.
 

bogiesan

a) Hanged man with the 8 would you consider it to read as though after having considered the relationship from different angles, the querent decides to leave, move on from the relationship .....
b) Hanged man with the 6 of swords - querent after having considered the relationship would wait until things have calmed down prior to deciding what to do

Do you see The Hanged Man as a martyr or someone caught up in something they cannot control and from which they cannot escape? Or is your THM someone who is a position to remain serene and contemplative of, perhaps even removed from, the pageant playing out before them?

For me, the image in both the S-6 and C-8 is rarely about leaving something. I prefer to consider the destination is more important in (most of my) spreads where these cards alight. I get "crossing the river (Jordan, Styx, Rhine, Mississippi, Rio Grande, Tiber--pick one)" whenever I draw the six of swords.

There was an earlier thread about the C-8 and C-5 showing up together. After laying those two cards out it looked to me like it's time to leave behind the mess of the three spilled cups, even thought there may be something left of value in the two upright cups, and to get truly serious about climbing that mountain in the eight of cups.
 

starrystarrynight

As far as the 8 of Cups vs. the 6 of Swords pertaining to moving on from a relationship, I'd think that the 8 of Cups would suggest moving on in order to find something better (although what you are leaving behind is okay, you are seeking an even better Holy Grail.) The 6 of Swords would suggest moving away from something that isn't that great (that turbulent water behind the boat in the RWS)...trying to get away from it to find a happier situation.

As clarifiers to the Hanged Man, I'd say that the HM is advising you to make the sacrifice to find that better relationship (with the 8 suggesting finding something better for yourself, and the six suggesting getting away from something that isn't working for you.)
 

PAMUYA

6 of Swords VS 8 of Cups: Both of these cards are about leaving. One leaves with a heavy heart, escaping, although physically leaving not emotionally leaving. The other leaves all emotion behind, all cups are full, nothing wrong, perhaps just is looking for something new. The Hangman is saying they need to view life with a new perspective, the old one no longer works.
 

JadoreHauteCouture

dropping my explanations

i dont see 8 of cups as leaving the relationship (but thats just my reading of the card)... for me 8 of cups is when people are willingly in non-working relationship and they enjoy all the scum and crap in it... Its the relationship that has more bad in it than good but people enjoy it until things get completely destroyed and theres no other option... And after that, they break up and are sad about it... I would relate this card to Devil....

6 of swords is when things are not working in a relationship and person suddenly realizes it.. Its about thinking how to solve the situation to get the best out of it...

regarding hanged man, i see regular hanged man as having to make a lot of unwilling sacrifices to be in a relationship which hurts the querent and he is not happy about it... Reversed Hanged man to me means that the person is willing to make sacrifices and doesnt mind the bad stuff at all... I also get this card when people are having passionate hobbies and they are willing to spend so much time, energy and money on them not minding it...

if i got rx XII + 8 C, i would say the relationship is pretty sick with so much drama going on, but both people are deep inside enjoying it and not willing to break up even though they might say they go crazy and its a bad bad relationship on the outside...

normal XII + 6 S to me means, person sees, she/he has to do many sacrifices and gives too much and starts to think about how to improve this bad situation...
 

summerbutterfly

I see the 8 Cups as more of the "put a period and move on" form of moving on from a relationship while I see the 6 Swords as more moving on from a troubled relationship. So both cards can mean moving on from a relationship, but I think they point to different kinds of relationships. I wouldn't see the 6S as representing a relationship where the two people have just naturally grown apart without any kind of animosity, while I could see that in the 8C.

Could be..... Looking at the cards by themselves, not in a reading, I feel somehow the 8 of cups makes me feel like "I'm done!!!!". The six makes me feel like "I'm getting out of here before it becomes worse....".