Six of Swords
The Six of Swords depicts a crossing from troubled waters to calmer shores, symbolizing necessary transition and the relief of leaving something behind. It highlights a journey that can be burdensome, as evidenced by the swords representing unresolved issues. Upright, it signifies recovery, guidance, and travel, while reversed may indicate delays and lingering attachments to the past. The card emphasizes the importance of who guides you and what you carry along on this metaphorical voyage.
Keywords
Visual Description
A small boat crosses a dark, swirling sea beneath a star-filled, Van Gogh–like night sky. A cloaked figure stands at the stern guiding the vessel with a pole while two passenger figures — one adult and one child — sit facing forward. Six upright swords are planted in the boat, rising like masts between the passengers and the helmsman. Waves ripple around the hull and distant hills or shoreline appear on the horizon. A Roman numeral VI appears at the top and the caption in Cyrillic at the bottom reads ШЕСТЕРКА МЕЧЕЙ.
Meaning
The scene opens with a quiet crossing: a cloaked guide pushes the boat through restless water while two passengers sit facing the uncertain horizon, the six swords standing between them like markers of the journey already made. Salt air and the creak of wood fill the senses as the sky spins above, suggesting motion and the slow settling of a recent storm. In one register this card speaks of passage and movement away from troubled waters toward calmer shores, of necessary transition and the relief that comes with leaving something behind. It also carries a chill reminder that journeys can be burdensome — the swords remain in the boat as evidence of wounds, memories or obligations not yet laid to rest. Upright, this is recovery in motion: guidance, travel, and an exhale after difficulty; reversed, it can suggest delays, being unable to let go, or carrying unresolved baggage that keeps you tethered to the past. Whether you feel the pull toward a brighter horizon or the heaviness of what must still be carried, the image urges attention to who rows and what you bring along. The crossing is both literal and metaphorical, a corridor between states that asks for patience, compassion, and the steady work of navigation.
Visual Description
Under a swirling starry sky reminiscent of Van Gogh, a small boat crosses a choppy sea toward a distant shore. A cloaked figure stands at the stern using a pole to steer while two seated figures, one clearly a child, huddle under a cloak near the bow. Six swords are planted upright in the middle of the boat, forming a vertical row like a small palisade. The water shows waves and ripples, and low triangular landforms are visible on the horizon.
Swirls of Light Tarot
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