Six of Wands

Quick answer

The core meaning of Six of Wands is Harmony in the realm of Action. Upright, it usually points to The card has been so designed that it can cover several significations; on the s; reversed, it may suggest Apprehension, fear, as of a victorious enemy at the gate; treachery, disloyalty,.

Card imagery

A laurelled horseman bears one staff adorned with a laurel crown; footmen with staves are at his side.

Upright meaning

Upright keywords: Action: Harmony. Waite gives the upright divinatory meaning as: The card has been so designed that it can cover several significations; on the surface, it is a victor triumphing, but it is also great news, such as might be carried in state by the King's courier; it is expectation crowned with its own desire, the crown of hope, and so forth.

Reversed meaning

Reversed keywords: Action: Harmony (blocked). Waite gives the reversed divinatory meaning as: Apprehension, fear, as of a victorious enemy at the gate; treachery, disloyalty, as of gates being opened to the enemy; also indefinite delay.

Love, Career, Money and Growth

Love

In love, Six of Wands tends to show up as who moves first, plans you make together, and the pace each of you keeps. Upright it usually means victory, recognition, and progress made public; reversed it tends to suggest recognition missing, vanity bruised, or a win that will not hold.

Career

In your career, Six of Wands tends to show up as pushing projects forward, willingness to lead, and follow-through. Test "victory, recognition, and progress made public" against the real state of your project, your responsibilities and what has actually been said.

Money

On money, Six of Wands is a reminder about putting resources behind a goal, taking on risk, or opening up an opportunity. It stands for victory, recognition, and progress made public, but it is no substitute for a budget, a contract and a risk assessment.

Personal growth

For self-enquiry, Six of Wands points at telling apart what you genuinely want to commit to from what you are being rushed into. Be specific about the help you need and what you can carry yourself.

Yes or No

Upright

Yes

Reversed

No

This is our own quick read, based on which way the card’s meaning leans. Traditions disagree about individual cards, and an "Undecided" needs to be weighed against the position in the spread and your actual situation rather than taken as a one-word answer.

Waite’s Original Text (1911)

Additional Meaning

Servants may lose the confidence of their masters; a young lady may be betrayed by a friend. Reversed: Fulfilment of deferred hope.

Quoted from A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911), illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. The text is in the public domain.