six of cups – ApotheCarrie Tarot

TW: Non-specific references to childhood trauma.

In tarot, sixes always have the potential to invite harmony in our lives where there may have been dissonance. They bring a gentle return to hope and can bring a sense of warmth and gratitude. The Six of Cups is a bit tricky as it is associated with our past, and experiences of nostalgia. For those of us with trauma attached to our past, even the sweetest memories can be barbed.

In our healing work, if it feels safe, we can try separating our beloved memories from the ones that upset us when we return to them. An example that came up from my own life is one of my sister and I lying on our backs looking up at the falling snow and imagining the snowflakes were stars which made us feel like we were shooting through space. I remember the pure joy and giddiness that I felt while doing this. For many years, this, or any thoughts of my youth were accompanied by a wash of adrenaline and nervous system responses. I am slowly getting to a place where I can hold both realities at once. It sounds something like this: “This is such a beautiful memory, and it is okay to acknowledge that this was not the entirety of my experience. I am still holding my inner little one close and making sure she knows that I’ve got her now, and these memories can be explored securely. Even my favourite stories might bring up painful thoughts but I am safe now.” Find wording that feels good to you and little you.

Six of Cups can inspire work with our inner little ones to see if we can invite in some joy from a small part of our past and allow ourselves to expand into this place while gently holding the idea that this is a process. It can be done in our own time. We can explore the difference between the gentle sting of nostalgia and the unpleasant body sensations with traumatic recollections. It is also one of the most powerful ways to release the hold that our abusers have on us. In this way, we can slowly rewrite our story so that we get to decide which parts we return to rather than being hijacked by upsetting memories.

You are so incredibly special and valuable,

Love,
Carrie

From The Crow Tarot by @crowtarotmjcullinane

The energy of the Six of Cups Reversed may find us feeling a bit nostalgic or looking at times in the past when we were truly happy and felt engaged with our family and/or community.

This full moon is a time of grounding and finding our stability. Often as we evolve and grow into the person we are meant to be, we lose relationships with people we care about. This is not always something to grieve, but a natural process. Think of all of us as trees–we may start out on the same trunk but as we grow and twist, our branches may diverge and that is okay! This lunar cycle brings us home to the things that help us to be aware of our foundations and what makes us truly happy.

This card often features happy children playing. As adults, we spend so much time making sure our needs (and often the needs of loved ones) are being met that we forget to tend to what makes us blissful!

🥰I invite you to take some time to engage in play. If you have children, they will likely be more than happy to join you, but if not, play on anyways. What did you love doing as a child? Could you try it again? Is there something you have always wanted to try but were afraid to? Think of the fearlessness of children! They are constantly trying new things. Return to joy!

If looking at the past is painful for you, it may be helpful to do a small ritual of letting go during this full moon (remembering that the energy of this full moon will be around for 3 days after tonight. This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. It can be as simple as writing something that you wish to release and (safely) setting fire to it, or simply setting an intention to let go of that which is no longer serving you.

If you would like to have a personal reading with me, you may do so here.
And as always, if you have any questions or would like to know more about my reading style, please feel free to drop me a line.

Until our paths cross again…

Tag: six of cups

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