6 of Swords symbolism

[evasagittarius]

What do you think about the swords stuck on the deck of the boat? Ive understood it as a positive card, about leaving troubles and moving on to better things, but somehow I'm worried that the swords would pierce through the wood creating holes on the boat, and it might sink. What do you think?

 

Maybe its just my personal view... I've always been somehow afraid of deep water, so being on boats scares me. I cannot look at this card without fearing that it'll sink. But wouldn't the swords create holes on it? Also this card reminds me of having seen news about refugees fleeing war, looking for a better life and then dying in the sea... do you associate this kind of danger with the card?

Edited April 13, 2021 by evasagittarius
Wrong card in title

[HOLMES]

Ah welcome @evasagittarius, you may want to edit your post title ss you are clearly talking about the six of swords brb. To edit so you can see it.

 

Well what i am about to say to you is a modern take on the card. 

Like i haven't studied in a while like from racheal pollack book 78 degrees for example. 

With swords being airy for me or mental element if you will. 

It could be they are not really there.  

The boat could be deeper down wise so the swords are on the first layer of wood. Notice how they form a barrierin front of the person like if someone fired the 8 of wands at them . 

Also i wrote for myself long ago that it could be a warrior hiding underneath that robe and when they get ambushed/attacked they  will rip off their robe and reveal their powers as they grab a sword.  Even the guy using the pole could be using a quarterstaff and will pull it out to help in the counter attack.

The interesting part of the card for me is the more active emotions on the right side. 

For me right side is masculine and left side is recieving, femine . 

So their emotional state is relatively calm except what they are emotionally prepared to do.

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by HOLMES

[katrinka]

If you look at "That Other Famous GD-based Deck", it's about science, being able to think clearly and rationally:
https://www.corax.com/tarot/cards/swords-6.html
The RWS has narrowed the lens. So you get the woman who's (probably) hired a ferryman to get her and her child out of a (probably) abusive situation, whether they're refugees as you say, or she's leaving a psycho husband. None of that is the Big Clue here - the big clue is the water. It's rough and choppy on one side, but most of the water we see is calm. That's the mind settling after all the stress. Much-needed clarity after an upset - that's your core meaning.

 

We really don't see what the swords are stuck into. They seem to be secured to the sides of the boat somehow. They look protective. I wouldn't worry about them on the basis of this card. If things are going to go badly, that would be indicated by neighboring cards.

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by katrinka

[evasagittarius]

@katrinka I like what you said about the water, thanks! For me the visual aspects of the card are important, like what meanings the different elements depicted in the card carry. Sometimes it gets confusing though when I associate certain symbols or elements with something that seems to conflict with the generally accepted meaning of the card, cause I think intuition and the vibes you receive should be an important aspect in interpreting the cards... but maybe the worries I got when seeing this card came form somewhere else, maybe the swords are not the root of it.

 

@HOLMES that's true, the boat bottom is probably deeper! That reassured me 😅 thanks. But yeah the protective barrier works too, I can see that as well. 

[evasagittarius]

Hmm.. I see they can either be a protective barrier or ready to be wilded... But I'm thinking, whatever these figures are leaving behind, they are taking the swords with them. So as suit of swords represent the realm of though, they could be the thoughts, past worries, world view of the cloaked figure. Wherever she goes she is guided (or haunted) by the wisdom gained from past experiences? 

[Lucyblue]

Hi there. I see this card as a safe card or at least travelling to safety, (mentally or physically) so I don’t see any danger in it at all really, other than that in which has been left behind.
The swords are representing some form of protection or barrier against anything which could be of harm.

I also see the division between the choppy waters and the calm waters suggesting moving into a period of emotional peace and a chance for rest and recovery.

I also don’t think that the water is actually that deep, as the man at the back has a punt (if that’s what the long stick is called) which I think would only be useful in shallow waters. Maybe he could be representing someone who is being of assistance to you when you think the situation is worse that what it actually is - I.e you think that you are in deep water, but it is actually only a shallow pool. 
I’m only really familiar with Rider Waite symbolism so don’t know other decks 

[LogicalHue]

I've always thought of the ambiguity as an important part of this card. To me its not "you've been in a bad situation but you're safe now", its more of a "you've been in a bad situation so you'll take any way out, maybe you're safe now, hopefully its better, but you don't know for sure, you just know you had to get out of where you were".

 

BUT now I'm taking another look at it and for the first time seeing that the swords are indeed along the sides rather than stuck in in front of the passengers, which does kind of change the vibe a bit potentially.

 

Regardless of how the swords are positioned, this isn't a card that shows an outcome. It doesn't show a sinking boat, it doesn't show a destination. Its a purely transitional card. Something is changing or something needs to.

Edited April 14, 2021 by LogicalHue

[evasagittarius]

Thank you all! It was helpful to have others views on this

[TheLoracular]

On 4/13/2021 at 10:46 AM, evasagittarius said:

What do you think about the swords stuck on the deck of the boat? Ive understood it as a positive card, about leaving troubles and moving on to better things, but somehow I'm worried that the swords would pierce through the wood creating holes on the boat, and it might sink. What do you think?

 

I really liked @katrinka's response but as I was thinking about your post itself and the image it puts into my head?  I think there is an important life lesson in this: you DO have to be careful with the metaphorical swords you carry in your metaphorical boat.  You can't just slam them in haphazardly because of panic or rage.  They are the legacy you are bringing from your past into your future and mishandling them will be hazardous to the present, there in the water.   🙂

[evasagittarius]

@TheLoracular

"They are the legacy you are bringing from your past into your future and mishandling them will be hazardous to the present, there in the water." 

 

I like the way you put it! that's kinda how I see it too. Like the swords are shown in each card to represent something, your thoughts, mindset etc. And they're always double edged, can be used in different ways... And they way they're positioned, whether up in the air like in the Ace, stuck on down something or pointing some way like in the nine... 

thanks for your input!

[Strength8]

Hello, If this card is transitional card (upright), then would it be read as resistance to that transition if reversed in a reading? How important is it to read/have reversals in readings? Can a reading be accurate if a reader goes for only upright cards? Thanks for any input!

[katrinka]

Crowley never used reversals and he did fine.
There's other things - attendance, elemental dignities...reversals aren't necessary.

[Strength8]

5 minutes ago, katrinka said:

Crowley never used reversals and he did fine.
There's other things - attendance, elemental dignities...reversals aren't necessary.

Thank you katrinka! 

I am very novice to Tarot and reading a lot online to get a grasp on basics. 

My another question is about the importance of using certain positions or spreads to do a reading Versus just asking a question and pulling 3 to 5 cards and read them like a story? Is second way as valid as using the spreads? Thanks

[DanielJUK]

hi @Strength8 you are asking a lot all at once 🙂 It might be worth starting a thread for each part and do it slowly. If you want to discuss RWS specific cards there is the RWS section and also people discuss cards generally in the Individual Card Studies area. If you want to discuss techniques, post or have a look through the tarot technique area. It's worth posting some of your queries as a thread and getting a discussion. People have different ideas about cards and some people use reversals, some people don't. This is a long discussion on reversals here for you to read through

[Strength8]

13 minutes ago, DanielJUK said:

hi @Strength8 you are asking a lot all at once 🙂 It might be worth starting a thread for each part and do it slowly. If you want to discuss RWS specific cards there is the RWS section and also people discuss cards generally in the Individual Card Studies area. If you want to discuss techniques, post or have a look through the tarot technique area. It's worth posting some of your queries as a thread and getting a discussion. People have different ideas about cards and some people use reversals, some people don't. This is a long discussion on reversals here for you to read through

Thank you DanielJUK!! You are right, I am just filled with so much curiosity to learn and questions keep popping up in my head 🙂

I will follow your advice and ask questions in separate threads. Appreciate it!

[katrinka]

37 minutes ago, Strength8 said:

My another question is about the importance of using certain positions or spreads to do a reading Versus just asking a question and pulling 3 to 5 cards and read them like a story?

 

I actually prefer lines, boxes (like the 3x3), pyramids and tableaus. And I certainly think everyone should practice them, even if they mainly intend to use spreads with named positions. The reason is that they make you consider card interaction. Andy has stated many times that the Celtic Cross should be a ten card reading, not ten one card readings. But a lot of people just read each card like a little island unto itself, because they never learned anything else. I used to do that, none of the books available to me then explained how to read combinations. I had to learn Lenormand to learn how to do that.

 

But when you combine cards, you're not "reading Tarot like Lenormand." It's an old and respected cartomantic technique that applies equally to Tarot, playing cards, Kippers, etc. It's just that the Lenormand tradition did a better job of preserving it than the Tarot books did.

 

37 minutes ago, Strength8 said:

Is second way as valid as using the spreads?

 

Ding ding ding, round 3... 🤣

 

You haven't done anything wrong. It's just that this has been debated in a couple of other threads. Spreads without named positions are still spreads. The cards are spread on the table, there's an array or spread there. Like when you call food on the table a spread. The spreads have names: Line of 3, 5, 7 or 9, 3x3 or Square of 9, Petit Tableau, Grand Tableau, etc.

It's only recently that I've seen people saying that spreads without named positions are not spreads. I have no way of knowing how it started, but I suspect it comes from someone trying to sell books of spreads. Their sales would depend on convincing people that they "need to learn spreads" (often lots of specific, non-versatile spreads for different situations) and those lines and boxes are "not spreads."

Yes, spreads without named positions are at least as vaild as spreads with named positions! 😉

Edited September 3, 2021 by katrinka

[Strength8]

Thank you very much for your time Katrinka!! 

This is really helpful for me 😃 and leads me to look up for more stuff on Tarot and once I get "basics" of RWS down I will look into Lenormand😄

[katrinka]

Yes, don't rush. This stuff takes years - baby steps!

[GeoLund]

I just had a crazy experience with the 6 of Swords and I'm hoping this is an ok place to share. If not, please move my post! (EDIT: I DO have permission from the querent to share this story because it is so remarkable.)

 

So a week or so ago, I did a 5 card Tarot spread for a former tenant of mine. She described some issues with her new landlord and living situation but was emphatic that she Did NOT Want to Move!!! We asked the cards about her new living situation and, for future outcome, we got the 6 of Swords which I read as the Get Up and GO, leave now, escape a bad situation Card. Yikes. She was blown away - but still didn't plan to move. The next morning she told her son's wife what was going on with the landlord (sexual harassment) and told her NOT to tell her son. Wife told her Hubby (my tenant's son) who absolutely FLIPPED out, drove over to where his mom was staying, grabbed all her stuff and threw it in a car to take her away from the bad situation! I think of him as the Ferryman, often seen in the 6 of swords, who helps the woman in the boat escape from a bad situation. Wow. So not only did the reading come true - in less than 24 hours - but it wasn't because of anything I said or did or anything my tenant did.

Edited October 9, 2021 by GeoLund
Removed a few details of the reading & Added that I have permission to share the story.

[stephanelli]

3 hours ago, GeoLund said:

I just had a crazy experience with the 6 of Swords and I'm hoping this is an ok place to share.

Hi Geo,

 

Firstly welcome to the forum.

This is an interesting experience you've had but I wanted to let you know that it's generally seen as bad practise to share such precise details of a reading you did for someone else on this forum.

 

You can say more generally that "I've seen this card come up with a get up and go message that turned out to be for <insert reason here>" but posting the whole reading isn't considered good ethics.

 

We don't know that your querent gave you permission to post it and they may not want this experience shared for a larger group of people to see!

 

I haven't edited your post, but you are able to do so if you wish and you are welcome to contact myself or another moderator if you would like it removed or wish for clarification on what I've said.

 

Again, welcome to the forum!

Stephanelli

[GeoLund]

39 minutes ago, stephanelli said:

Hi Geo,

 

Firstly welcome to the forum.

This is an interesting experience you've had but I wanted to let you know that it's generally seen as bad practise to share such precise details of a reading you did for someone else on this forum.

 

You can say more generally that "I've seen this card come up with a get up and go message that turned out to be for <insert reason here>" but posting the whole reading isn't considered good ethics.

 

We don't know that your querent gave you permission to post it and they may not want this experience shared for a larger group of people to see!

 

I haven't edited your post, but you are able to do so if you wish and you are welcome to contact myself or another moderator if you would like it removed or wish for clarification on what I've said.

 

Again, welcome to the forum!

Stephanelli

I appreciate your guidance for acceptable behavior as I am very new to the forum! In this case, I DID get permission from the querent to share the story because it was so remarkable. I should have mentioned that in the post.

I can delete some of the details of the other cards in the reading to make it more vague.

[katrinka]

37 minutes ago, GeoLund said:

I appreciate your guidance for acceptable behavior as I am very new to the forum! In this case, I DID get permission from the querent to share the story because it was so remarkable. I should have mentioned that in the post.

I can delete some of the details of the other cards in the reading to make it more vague.

 

Um, not just the cards. This is peoples' personal business:
 

2 hours ago, GeoLund said:

The next morning she told her son's wife what was going on with the landlord (sexual harassment) and told her NOT to tell her son. Wife told her Hubby (my tenant's son) who absolutely FLIPPED out, drove over to where his mom was staying, grabbed all her stuff and threw it in a car to take her away from the bad situation!

 

I'm not a mod or admin, but as a reader it would require her and her family coming here and talking about this themselves for me to be OK with it being here. And not just because of forum rules. Or even just because of reading ethics. Card reading ethics are the same as regular ethics, AFAIC. And you don't put peoples' private business on blast.
I really, really hope this was an unpaid practice reading even though you claim it was accurate. (Leaving a situation where someone who holds power over you is sexually harassing you is a no-brainer anyway, though. Cards are not required.) It's some extremely unprofessional conduct.
But even if it was a free reading, it's still horrible conduct.

Edited October 9, 2021 by katrinka

[GeoLund]

5 minutes ago, katrinka said:

 

Um, not just the cards. This is peoples' personal business:
 

 

I'm not a mod or admin, but as a reader it would require her and her family coming here and talking about this themselves for me to be OK with it being here.
And I really, really hope this was an unpaid practice reading even though you claim it was accurate. (Leaving a situation where someone who holds power over you is sexually harassing you is a no-brainer anyway, though. Cards are not required.) It's some extremely unprofessional conduct.

Yes, it was an unpaid, practice reading. I am a total beginner in the last few months. I'm not bragging about my skills in any way. We just thought it was freaky accurate that her life happened to unfold exactly as the card predicted and I have her permission to share her story. Confidentiality is preserved because there is absolutely no identifying information given out whatsoever. (If she and her family were to speak on the forum then THAT would completely violate her privacy.)

 

I'm terribly sorry that you find my first post so offensive. I've only been here a few hours. Maybe I'm not welcome....

[katrinka]

2 minutes ago, GeoLund said:

Yes, it was an unpaid, practice reading. I am a total beginner in the last few months. I'm not bragging about my skills in any way. We just thought it was freaky accurate that her life happened to unfold exactly as the card predicted and I have her permission to share her story. Confidentiality is preserved because there is absolutely no identifying information given out whatsoever.

 

No, confidentiality is NOT preserved.
Suppose someone who knew her enough to know that her son moved her out in a hurry, but not the particulars, was a member here? You've given enough information for them to put two and two together. And you've already stated in another thread that you're in the Denver area.
 

2 minutes ago, GeoLund said:

(If she and her family were to speak on the forum then THAT would completely violate her privacy.)

 

From that statement, I don't think you understand what a violation of privacy is.
That, or you're just digging your heels in trying to defend the indefensible.
 

2 minutes ago, GeoLund said:

I'm terribly sorry that you find my first post so offensive. I've only been here a few hours. Maybe I'm not welcome....

 

No group is a monolith and I'm sure there are some who would be sorry to see you leave.
But speaking strictly for myself, I find this kind of toxic behavior very deleterious.

[Raggydoll]

Everyone, please get back on topic! 

 

 @katrinka I understand you feel very strongly about this, but there is no need to discuss it further since staff has already explained our forum policy in regards to this. Our rules are also clear  (see under rule 10 ). So it’s not something we need to create a debate around. 
 

You are welcome here @GeoLund! I’m sorry you felt otherwise. The topic of confidentiality tends to evoke strong feelings here and that’s what happened. It’s not personal.