The Six of Cups Reversed

and The Tower

Greetings to all my Tarot Friends around The World,

I had a Request today from a site visitor who asked the following:-

Does anyone have any clue what the meaning is with the 6 of cups reversed with the tower card upright?

Well why don’t we all have a go at this one? I will post the cards and share my thoughts on them. We don’t have a question with the cards or know if there were any more cards available.  I am going to go for straightforward intuitive interpretations based on my understanding of these two cards and what they might mean when drawn together.

Please add to my interpretation and see what we can come up with for this person.

Please Note– The Interpretations below should not be taken as an accurate prediction of what is going on. The person who posted the question did not specify who the Cards were for or whether the two Cards were randomly chosen to determine how to make connections when Reading. Tarot Cards should never be solely relied on to give answers to all life matters. The Two Cards could mean a lot, but then again, they may mean nothing at all and are just two Tarot Cards.

My Thoughts

The following interpretations are a sample of what The Six of Cups Reversed and The Tower might mean in a Reading. They are examples only, and not meant as a definitive interpretation for the Querant. It would be better if we had a focus question to zoom in on for more accuracy. Maybe we will be given more information.  I am basing my examples on the type of Reader I am. Yours may be very different. I could provide several more interpretations than those below but I am interested to see what others might have to say about these two Cards.

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To me, these two Cards are potentially loaded when placed together and can take on several meanings. They can be both positive or negative. I get the feeling that the person who posted this comment possibly knows what their connection is, unless it is so far in the past they are not associating it with their current issues

The Six of Cups Reversed and The Tower Upright

To kick start  I will offer quite a simplistic interpretation. The Six of Cups Reversed and The Tower may be referring to explosive rows and arguments which are probably family related. The battles could be intense and prolonged with much screaming and shouting. Words are meant to hurt and sting. There is no holding back. A lot of pent up aggression is being released.

The Six of Cups Reversed may suggests an issue which is connected to the family, the family home, childhood, the past or memories. The Upright Six is all about stability, harmony and the emotional attachments of home, especially the childhood home. In the Upright, everyone is cared for, loved and protected. There is a feeling of safety and security in the Upright, and for those who were blessed with happy childhoods, the sentiment that is attached to the family homestead and family members. It is where we want to run to when we are ill, unhappy or hurt. It is here we are understood, will recover and nothing is expected of us. We are loved and cherished for who we are and no on puts demands on us. However, as we get older, we normally can only handle this in small doses for it tends to be a closeted and cosseted world. Nice for a while but can become boring or tedious.

With the Six appearing Reversed, I get the feeling that something has happened. There is a lack of security and stability. This may be what is desired, as in someone wants to shake up their world, or it is possibly an external force. The Tower standing beside The Reversed Six marks this as quite a serious issue. It certainly has been building for some time whether those involved are aware of this or not. The Tower brings a shocking revelation or event, that has, or will turn everything one has known up till now on its head. There may be a feeling of not being able to trust the past anymore or memories, or even being forced out of the past one desperately clings on to. Something from the past may have come back to haunt you and there is no keeping it locked away anymore. There could be a family secret, something that was covered up long, long ago, but is now being forced out into the open. The effect The Tower has on the poor Six of Cups could be quite profound. There is bound to be intense upset and emotional trauma. One may not know where to turn as one’s internal compass begins to go haywire. One’s very foundations could be shook to the core. You could lose a sense of who you are, where you came from or where you fit in anymore.

Life is certainly going to change and may never be the same again. This may be a good or bad thing depending on the circumstances and those involved. There is a good chance that you are going to learn something about your past that will make you question everything. Indeed you may know already. It may be you who is going to reveal all. Whatever it is can no longer be contained and news could travel rapidly. You may have to prepare for an emotional storm and will likely feel that it is more than you can bear.

Another way of looking at these two Cards is that the Six of Cups Reversed represents someone who is going to do something that is going to fly in the face of tradition and family expectations or loyalties. There is a sense of bringing trouble down upon the family and causing drama and chaos as a result of actions, decisions or behaviour. Could this person be throwing caution to the wind, choosing a path or course of action that could very well get them thrown out of home or ostracised. They may be carrying a secret that will cause an explosion when it is revealed.

The Tower is destructive but it is also releasing. The Six of Cups Reversed can suggest a sense of claustrophobia and restriction. In the Reversed Six, these feelings begin to get overwhelming. Any methods of controlling or ignoring them, methods that may have worked  in the past, can no longer conceal them. An internal head of steam could be building. There may be a feeling of not being able to breathe, that you are bursting at the seams. There could be a growing craving for freedom or escape from what has turned into a cell like existence. This could be related to any area of life. It could be a relationship that has become restricting or controlling, a job that you feel trapped in, duties and obligations that severely restrict you. There is a sense of growing boredom and that you will explode if you do not escape. Any actions that you take as a result of this will have repercussions that are bound to scare you. You must decide whether you are prepared to suffer such consequences. Is this bid for freedom worth it? Do you really want it? Is it your idea or is someone putting pressure on you?

There is likely to be no going back should you decide to act on your feelings or plans, but this may not be a bad thing as The Six of Cups Reversed tells me that this is not a situation that has come about overnight. You have been putting up and making do for a long time, but now it has become unbearable and you feel that it is time to think of what is good for you and not what is good for all around you. People may feel angry with you and manifest a sense of disbelief that you could be so cruel as to hurt them in such a way, especially after all they did for you. Emotional Blackmail may be used as a weapon against you, but as much as you might feel terribly responsible for bringing upset to everyone’s door step, you must do what is right for you. If you want to clear the slate, tear everything down around you so that you can discover who you are and what it is you want to do, then everyone will have to accept it. They will probably make your life miserable and attempt to turn others against you so that you are not welcome anywhere, but in time it will settle down. Big sweeping changes are certainly coming, be they of your own making or of others. Many people hate radical change and will fight hard against it. The Tower can be hard and cruel but is often essential if we don’t take the necessary actions ourselves.

Another aspect that crossed my mind is the scenario of ‘The empty nest syndrome’. The Six of Cups loves keeping everything as it is, harmonious, happy, predictable and safe. Any changes to the setup are viewed as threats and  either deliberately ignored or manipulated so that they conform. Mothers or fathers who use emotional blackmail to keep their children at home are quite common. They actively work to stop them from growing up, continuing to treat them like babies and throw little wobblies when their offspring mention going out or going away. There eventually comes a time when they can no longer hold on, and one by one their children decide to fly the nest in search of a life of their own. The happy, harmonious Six of Cups then Reverses. They feel they have been dumped and are unappreciated. They make caustic and underhand remarks and become critical of any partners their children may bring home when visiting. Home becomes a place their adult children begin to actively avoid as it is filled with stress and uncomfortable scenes. The cossetting mother or father does not realise that they are the cause of driving their children away, even though they will blame everyone else. The root of the problem lies at home and nowhere else.

Staying on this theme, these two Cards, can highlight the terrible trauma that accompanies the death of a close family member. Mother, father, sister, brother, someone you have grown up with, a huge part of your life and shared memories. This type of loss is covered in The Tower as it depicts that horrendous experience of loss and suffering. The wrenching apart of all that you know.  It can be hard to accept that life has changed and that a loved one is gone. It can be shattering. Maybe a house has to be cleared and the emotional upheaval could be distressing as your are surrounded by memories which once brought joy but now only sorrow.  The very ground you now stand on is strange and alien. You may feel that this loss will destroy you. That you can’t live without them but The Tower can be endured and survived if you face up to it. These two Cards could also tell of receiving bad news about a health issue relating to family or a genetic condition that has been exposed through tests and screening.

Deep disturbing issues you are facing at present could have their roots in the past, possibly from childhood. It would be wise to do some soul-searching to see if you can make any connections. You may also be finally emerging from the pains of the past, coming out of a period of intense therapy where you had to peel the layers back to the painful bones so that you could put yourself back together again. The whole experience may have exhausted you. You might need some TLC but feel that you have no one to lean on. You may not have much family around you, are estranged from those you have or feel they would not understand. You may also not want to burden them with your troubles. You might be mourning the loss of someone close who you used to turn to during times of trouble. You possibly feel very alone and vulnerable.

These two Cards also depict a family being split up through separation or divorce. It also highlights  children being taken into social care or having to seek refuge or sanctuary away from a dysfunctional home. Being homeless could also be a possibility.

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So there you are. Now it is your turn. My interpretations are rather dramatic but The Tower in my experience is very powerful on either a negative or positive level depending on how you perceive the situation it accompanies.

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Copyright © Vivien Ni Dhuinn