The six of swords invites us to let go, move on, escape and start again. There is a comfort in this card, a guardian assisting you with the assurance that all will be well. Calm your thoughts. Let go of the burden of old beliefs. Know that you have gained wisdom from your experiences, but don’t let them drag you down. Keep it light, go with the flow and move forward.
All these swords cards represent the element of air - thought, intellect, decisions, yet they all depict water which represents emotions. In the Bonfire Tarot by Gabi Angus-West, we see a small figure rowing a delicate leaf boat, complete with a light feathery sail. There is a lightness in the movement as the figure rows away, leaving the heavy swords behind. There are balloons and wings on the swords, appearing to lift them out of thee way of the sailor, yet it all seems very precarious, the swords could pierce the balloons or the leaf vessel at any moment. The best thing to do is to sail away from the heavy burdens of the swords. Learn from these past experiences, take the wisdom with you, but go with the flow and move towards your freedom, without being dragged down.
The Clarity Tarot by Debra Zachau and illustrated by Kait Matthews depicts a similar scene of a boat on calm waters. This card however, shows the swords in the boat onboard with the family. But there is someone else steering the boat, a guardian leading the way, taking the burden. They invite you to take a day off from your worries, to sit tight, for all will be well. You just need to let go and keep moving forward. There is a beautiful calmness to this image. There is nothing else for the figures on the boat to do except take a break, a breather, while they are in transit.
There are no figures pictured in Ari Wisner’s Transient Light Tarot, but a butterfly in the skies above a bridge. The six swords balance atop the bridge, water meandering calmly underneath. This card invites you to move on, or even run away, to escape and start again. Whatever your burdens are, leave them behind, see this card as a rite of passage as you pass under the bridge to a new beginning. One of calm, clarity, freedom and lightness.
In the suit of swords, the six stands out as a calming breather amongst the other more turbulent swords. It’s an opportunity to let go of the burdens of past experiences, to take the wisdom with you and seek your freedom. There’s a guardian with you. They’ve got this. All will be well.
