Exploring the Six of Cups

6 of cups

This card makes NO sense to me. Especially the children in it, that has really thrown me off! Any helpful insight would be really appreciated.

(fyi, I have the universal waite deck)

6 OF CUPS

This is a card of simple goodness, it encourages us to be kind, generous, and forgiving. This card may predict children in your future or refer to children you already know, or concerned about. This card also focuses on the past, an event has revived memories or triggered issues from the past. This is the card labeled "Nostalgia" which means thinking about our childhood past along with the people who influenced it. A longing to turn back the hands of time. Times which have passed by and vanished. When the cards on either side portray figures who are gesturesing toward the six of cup, walking, riding toward it, or holding a lamp toward it, the "Tarot" may be indicating the answer to your question lies in the past, or someone is returning from the past. In romance, both partners or in sync with each other's feelings and support each other's dreams. Reverse, may tell of a desire to return to an old relationship, or an appearance of an old friend of old love may return.

I thought you may enjoy the information above, it is from the page of James Rioux, ATA-CPTR.

http://www.ata-tarot.com/resource/cards/index.html

ENJOY!!!

I think it can also refer to our inner child - the 'sorting' of those aspects of our inner child which we are happy to integrate into our conscious self, particularly in our interactions with others, and those we would prefer to keep hidden.

6 OF CUPS

I agree, I think the inner child is one aspect of this card we seem to overlook.

I would like to add that, to me, an aspect of this card is a certain innocence, or even naiveté. It brings to mind one's first love as a youngster, "puppy love" if you will. It also makes me think of a child-like way of looking at things... not just naiveté, but a sense of wonder and exploration as well. On the other hand it also brings to mind a longing for that sort of innocence... the innocence of your childhood when times were simpler, your biggest responsibility was doing your homework or a few chores and everything was new and fun.

On the negative side, it brings to mind the person who lives too much in the past. Their feelings of nostalgia keep them from enjoying the here and now.

Hope this has been of some help...

Wonderful card!

Inner child sure…perhaps even an Ashenputen romance…

In my opinion this card is about the dangers of attempting to outdistance memory, and not making peace with it. Folks spend years attempting to bury their own past. Plays mayhem with the inner child…

Yes, this card is about your past...

Thank you all!

I really appreciate all that have posted their interepretations! I look forward to hearing others opinions and ideas on this card.

I can definitely see where it would reflect childhood memories, or current children.

In illustrated minor decks, the 6 of Cups has always been my favourite. In the Marseilles decks, I like it too! You find three cups on the left and three on the right (vertically) and they are separated by a beautiful stem with three flowers - the one in the middle is shaped like a cross. But the stem definitely separates the two pairs of threes and they do not meet, as if they are ignoring each other. So one needs to work on reconciliation so as not to squander the potential that the cups hold. Dialogue is needed, a hand of friendship should be held out, a realisation that differences can be complimentary and need not be enemies.

I realise this has little to do with the children that are being discussed in the above posts. Although children are often battling between a desire to be independent and a desire to remain little - they need to learn to reconcile these two aspects of themselves. And after all, aren't we all children at heart?

ah the six of cups.

one aspect not yet dealt with is the choice to recieve the cup or say no,, you can not diddly dally with as the man or woman will move on to the next card leave you behind.

using other numbers,, 15 16 17 to connect with the number 6.

one can see that the hidden levels of the devil, tower, and star here.

the hidden levle of the devil suggest like they have said nostraglia is holding you back , and it is up to you to move forward and receive the cup from someone new .
the tower says is this choice you made based on a good foundation ? or is it destined to fail? and at this point does it matter when it concerns the matters of the heart?
and finally the star suggest that we in the darkest hour will have the stars to guides us. and here that star is the giving and recieving of love.

for myself i am a nostraglic type so i like to think that the love i gave another has never died and perhaps some day will come back to me.
it has in a way , old time loves come back to talk to me,, to hug for a short time before they moved on to their lives.
i let them go back to their lives as i didn't choose to recieve the cups as they have their own lives now. hmm in retrospects perhaps the devil simply means fear of the choice ?

yup lots of stuff in the six of cups.

This card in the Alchemical Tarot

I like this card in the Alchemical Tarot. In that deck cups are vessels and the image on the card is of a woman using one vessel to fill five others. From one of the vessels a flower grows. To me the woman looks tired and a little worn. The book that comes with the deck, which is written my Rosemary Ellen Guiley, states that love means to nurture and true love to give what is needed. There is an implication to be wary of smothering and that true love requires the ability to distinguish what someone needs. I also read into it a warning not to neglect oneself when nurturing others, and a reminder that the nurturer deserves nurturing as well.
Kind of a different emphasis than most RW interpretation but one I have found valuable.
Woof