The Sixes Intro

The Four Sixes – Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles

The Four Sixes in the Tarot represent stability and security or the potential or opportunity to find it. A halt or ceasefire has been called on their individual battles or difficulties. Now that the storm has passed each Suit will seek comfort, harmony, peace and equilibrium in the only way they know which is governed by their influencing Element. Most of the Suits will be showing signs of exhaustion and weariness after the Five and some may just want to crawl into the nearest hole and stay there until their breathing and heart beat returns to normal. They may all need help and support from those around them and so fittingly, the Sixes in the Tarot are also connected with Charity, Patronage and Support. Some, more than others, may have found that the demands of the Five have left them drained and low. They must now look to those around them, family, friends or the wider community to assist them on their continued journey. All have a role and duty to play at this stage and the act of Giving and Receving comes into strong focus in the Six.

Individually the Suits are halfway through their journey in The Minor Arcana and have reached a kind of crossroad. I am sure when they started out, all had certain formed attitudes of how their life would run and no doubt, like the rest of us, expected it to work out as planned. There is a saying that goes “and so go the best laid plans”. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a curve ball comes flying at you out of the blue and can radically alter your Master Plan. They must now figure out how to progress from here.

The Swords had already experienced upset and crisis, in the Two, Three and Four, so of all the Suits, the appearance of the Five in their life was the last thing they needed. It remains to be seen how well they will use their time in the Six to recover. The Cups experienced their first setback in the Four when the little bubble they had built around them began to deflate. Hot on the heels of that came their Five, blowing them off their feet and cracking their heart right open. With arms wide open they will welcome their Six when it arrives, wrapping themselves in it’s comforting embrace and inhale its wonderful soothing energy.

Of course the Pentacles were probably the most shocked by the arrival of their Five for they thought they had put a contingency plan in place for everything. They also believed that hard work alone was enough to guarantee success. Yes, they had their few struggles in the Two when they had to juggle finances and life in order to get ahead. The Five took everything they had and to add insult to injury, flung them out on the street with just the clothes they had on their back. Surely they must have thought they had died and gone to hell, not to mention the shame of it all and the massive dent it made to their pride. When their Six knocks on the door it won’t be a moment too soon for they desperately need to get away from the Five to start all over again, that is, if they have enough strength and self-belief left to do so.

So, that leaves us with the Wands and what they might be looking for in their Six. Looking back, they really haven’t had to deal with much stress or hassle at all, unless we count their time in the Two with its restrictions, boredom and decisions to be made as particularly worrying. The rest of their time up to the Five was pretty much doing whatever they wanted to do and blazing a trail for themselves in life. Much of it was exciting and energetic and most of the time they appeared to be having great fun. The arrival of their Five wasn’t as upsetting for them as it was for the other Suits. Indeed, they looked upon it as a personal challenge even though they may have felt frustrated, impatient and irritated at times. There is nothing like a good fight to fire the blood and test your metal so The Wands may have looked upon their Five more so as a competition rather than an unpleasant upheaval. So what will they be looking for in their Six? Well, for a start, a competition must end with a result so they will be looking to see who is declared the winner of all the madness we saw in their Five. They also will be tired after expending so much energy and a bit like they did in the Four will want the frenetic level to relax a little so that they can enjoy their success and bask in the glory of their superiority. Tiredness is a sign of weakness to the Wands so don’t expect them to openly declare it. They do need some rest to recharge the batteries regardless of how invincible they think they might be. However, I don’t think we will see them sitting around or lying in beds trying to recuperate. Life is a game to the Wands and they are always ready to play.

So we shall see how the Suits react to their Six when we explore their individual Cards. Their key requirements on reaching the Six will be for The Wands to find energetic stability after a goal has been achieved, the Cups to find emotional stability and security after the losses of the Five, the Swords to find mental stability after conflict and the Pentacles to find the financial stability denied them in the Five. We shall see who will be there to help them.

On the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, the Four Sixes reside in the 6^th Sephira – Tipareth (Beauty/Balance/Son of God). Astologically, Tipareth corresponds with The Sun. It lies half-way between The Divine Source in Kether and the physical or purely world focus of Malkuth (Kingdom/Physical World). Tipareth’s role is that of the converter and harmoniser. Tipareth on The Tree of Life is unique in the fact that it is connected to all the other Sephiroth except Malkuth (Kingdom/Physical World). Tipareth acts to balance and integrate all of the other Sephiroth’s energies in order to create harmony. Tipareth (Beauty/Balance/Son of God) bridges the divide between The Divine God and the Physical world.

The Four Knights of the Court Cards in The Minor Arcana also reside here and it is where their masculine energy meets.

In The Major Arcana, The Four Sixes correspond with Card Six (VI), The Lovers and The Devil, Card 15 (XV) 1+5=6. In relation to the Sixes, these Major Arcana Cards carry the Lesson of Balance, Acceptance and Integration. The Lovers deal with integration of the self; finding balance and harmony by accepting and acknowledging the feminine and masculine within. It also deals with striking the right balance in relationships and making decisions from a balanced perspective; to know thyself and thy other half, whether internally or externally, to love each part/side/aspect equally and to respect any differences without prejudice. The Lovers also support and seek comfort from each other.

The Devil brings the Lesson of Balance, Acceptance and Integration by embracing and accepting our Dark Side. To become truly balanced and at peace with our self, we must not hide or feel ashamed of our Shadow-Self for it is part of us and who we are. We only demonise it when we fear and deny it. We normally work hard to keep this side of us hidden from public scrutiny for people may think differently about us or dislike us should it be exposed or revealed. As a result, we act out of falseness, are untrue to ourselves and not fully happy. Striking the right balance between the Normal and Shadow-Self can be more difficult for some than others. The suppression of it usually has its origins in childhood depending on upbringing, conditioning and culture. When the Shadow-Self gets driven underground, it becomes fragmented and isolated. It then can become destructive and vindictive to the Normal Self. Healthy balance is then lost.

*The appearance of a Six in a Reading generally is a good omen and much welcomed. Two Sixes in a Reading could show that someone is being very kind to you and supportive. Someone may have done you a good deed or acted charitably on your behalf. Three or more Sixes in a spread would suggest that the Querant is entering a period of stability, harmony, peace and security. There is little to worry about as life becomes less demanding and ticks over quite nicely without much effort. Some may feel bored under the influence of several Sixes but it is wise to enjoy this time as it won’t last forever. Several Sixes in a Reading brings the focus of attention to the family and feeling close and secure within its bosom. Much contact with friends and family members through visits and social occasions suggests a happy and joyful time when strong bonds and connections are felt or formed. With many Sixes appearing, you now have the time to see and appreciate the beauty around you and the many blessings in your life.

Several Reversed Sixes would suggest the opposite. Balance is lost or not yet attained. It would be an indication that the stress and conflict of the Fives still surround and it is not yet possible to find the stability that is so desired. Several Reversed Sixes suggest many areas of your life where conflict and stress still reign supreme. It is a sign that you seek peace and quiet in your life but those around you may be very demanding. However, you may be making little effort to deal with stress in your life and hope that things will eventually settle down of their own accord. You may be on you last legs at present and badly need some rest and peace.

Depending on which area/s the Reversed Six/s relate to, they may suggest stagnation and inertia. Life in these areas may have become too stable, to predictable and too boring. The Reversed Sixes can point to restriction and lack of freedom. Reversed Sixes can highlight fickleness and empty promises, charity can come with strings attached or may be withdrawn. Loss of balance in your life can become extreme as each unbalanced area has a knock-on effect on the rest. Inequality and situations of Domination and Submission may be evident.

One Reversed Six suggests an area of your life that has either become too stable or out of control. Generally, with a bit of effort on your part it can be sorted and stabilised.

An Absence of Sixes in a Reading does not necessarily suggest a lack of stability but rather that nothing is terribly out of balance at present.

Now Click onto The Six (VI) of Wands, The Six (VI) of Cups, The Six (VI) of Swords and The Six (VI) of Pentacles or in the Sub Menu where you will find their Descriptions, Meanings both Upright and Reversed along with all their relevant Keywords. Alternatively click on the Images above.