As Robin has mentioned in her book, the "Six of Swords" has a distinctive fairy-tale look and feel, complete with a swan-boat and a young, prince-like man as passenger. Robin wrote that she drew the card in this fashion because the Six of Swords deals with RIGHTS OF PASSAGE, as do the old fairy tales, which "...deal with children, or people barely out of childhood, who come face to face with the hard lessons of life; death, cruelty, viciousness, betrayal; and yet learn, through their own actions, that if you remain true to the goodness and generosity within yourself you will win in the end..."
The six, unsheathed swords which are stuck into the swan (Ouch! Sorry, a swan, boat or not, is a swan with feelings in my eyes...) represent for me knowledge (swords being an air card) that has already been absorbed and understood by the man. Since the edges of the swords appear sharp, the lessons learned have not always been easy ones. Robin pointed out that each of the swords have a different "hilt" because the challenges the young man faced in order to learn such knowledge were all different. If this card comes up in a reading, perhaps the querent or someone inquired about has learned quite a lot, but has more lessons to be mastered...more miles to travel. He/she has got an ethereal helper. Often I see this being as an inner guide. But also it could be seen as a helper from otherly realms. If an inner guide comes to mind, I remind the querent to trust his/her intuition and the common sense that was acquired in the past. If the helper represents the spirit of someone else, I'm comforted that we're not alone on our journeys, be these journeys easy or difficult.
I appreciated how Robin, in her book, explained that the hill in the distance (above the cave) has a stone gate or table. Robin wrote, "These were seen as the doors to the Faery realms..." I have to admit, from just looking at the card I would have had a hard time noticing the gate, let alone guessing the meaning regarding it. It certainly continues the fairy tale theme of the entire card, making one contemplate the mysteries and magick of such an ancient hill (a tor...I have been to such places in England myself...there's something indescribable about such hills) and what may lay ahead for the young man once he reaches it.
Of course the man could also consider going forth directly into the mouth of the cave. The darkness of the cave represents for me the ultimate unknown and would require a brave soul to venture in. Thankfully, a twinkling, friendly light comes from within the cave so that the prospect might not seem so scary. And then there's that inner guide we carry within each of us who'll surely not fail us. If the cave seems very important in a reading, perhaps there's some unknown or at least unfamiliar situation that needs to be considered for further growth. The star-like light might be seen as reassurance that any fears are unfounded.
