Make sure you grab the FREE Invictus Tarot TIY (Trust in Yourself!) Tarot workbook, if you haven't already! As a note, I am using the OG Rider-Waite deck for this series of posts, but you absolutely don't have to! Find the deck or decks that speak to you most, the cards you connect to most will always be better for your readings and sharpening your intuitive skills. This is just an example and reference for you to trust in yourself!
Six of Swords
After the often uncomfortable lessons of conflict and unresolved issues in the Five of Swords, the Six of Swords offers a welcome shift. It's a card of transition, moving away from troubled waters towards a calmer, more peaceful shore.
Keywords: transition, moving on, leaving behind, healing, passage, calm after the storm, escape, difficult journey, finding peace, moving forward
General Meaning: A journey of escape or departure from a difficult or chaotic situation. It signifies leaving behind past troubles, arguments, or mental burdens to seek calmer emotional and intellectual waters. This is a deliberate movement away from a place of distress towards a more serene and promising future. While the journey itself may still feel heavy or quiet, there is a clear sense of progression and a hopeful outlook on the horizon.
Personal Interpretation: Release what no longer serves you, no matter how heavy the mental or emotional baggage may feel. It acknowledges that the journey might not be easy, but it assures you that moving away from past troubles will lead to greater peace and clarity. Embrace the transition, even if it feels bittersweet.
Reversed Meaning: resistance to move on, feeling stuck, inability to leave the past behind, mental or emotional rut, reluctance to seek help
Affirmation: "I release the burdens of the past and gracefully move towards a future of peace, clarity, and renewed hope."
Symbolism: boat, cloaked figure, child, swords, calm waters, ferryman
Imagery Notes: boat - moving forward and leaving the past behind; cloaked figure - staying protective of oneself and mindfully cautious; child - our inner child that yearns for a new beginning; swords - embedded in the boat and upright, not poking all the way through or creating holes or danger for us... our mental burdens and past conflicts that we carry with us, but do not allow to actively harm us any longer; calm waters - transition from turmoil to tranquility; ferryman - guidance and support during this passage
People: those actively seeking healing, refugees and individuals seeking asylum
Places: boats, ferries, bridges, border crossings
Media:
Personal Insights & Other Notes: The Six of Swords isn't always about a dramatic escape; often, it's a quiet, internal shift in perspective. It reminds us that sometimes the bravest thing we can do is to simply pack our mental bags and leave behind thoughts, beliefs, or situations that no longer serve our highest good. While we carry some of the past with us (the swords in the boat), they are no longer actively wielded in conflict. This card encourages us to trust in the process of transition, knowing that a more peaceful destination awaits. It’s a powerful symbol of emotional intelligence and the ability to choose our mental landscape.
What aspects of your past or current situation are you ready to leave behind? What steps can you take, even small ones, to begin your journey towards calmer waters?
