Symbolism in the RWS 6 of Cups

robyn

greetings,
i too have enjoyed this thread. It has caused me to look deeper into the card and notice things i had not noticed before ......such as the comparison in color. The cup that is being given, or received, has yellow or golden foliage about the star flower, which may last forever; where as the other cups have green foliage which may whither and die. I have not come up with my own true interpretation to this detail just passing thoughts, but I have just noticed it while I was reading this thread and examining the card.

I also see the female as wearing a mitten not a glove. But I don’t know if there is any type of relevance there, as both a mitten and glove are used for protection. Also, perhaps it is just the printing of the card but the mitten is not the same white hue as the females hair, or the star flowers. Both her hair and the flowers have a more pure whiteness and stand out far more to me than the mitten. The mitten is the same hue as her coat. Does anyone else see this in their card? I do not know if there is any significance to this detail but I will put more thought into finding my own interpretation of this card.

may blessings,
humbly yours,
robyn.
 

jmd

For the sake of making future cross-references to discussions on the same card easier, I just here add a note to the thread What's with the mitt????.

As to the colouring mentioned by Robyn, I wonder which version of the RWCS deck is being used, for the mitten is quite white on mine, whereas the hair is not.

I make further comments, regarding the mitten, on the linked thread.
 

silvie

About mitts
i think this is a card about consciousness-unconciousness. We send to the unconciouss area those memories or events that feel to us uncomfortable with moral laws. So as we feel guilty forget all about them. Only in disguise the come to surface again, very few and with a need to take them with a touch a purity; the mitts prevent us from feeling dirt or sinful.
i think too about the guard, who is curiously giving the back to the scene. The guard here could be our moral censors, like education, religious beliefs, etc.
When i see this card in reverse often think about a psychological process allowing the querent be aware about certain issues in his/her life.
Be happy, Silvie.
 

firestorm

Interesting thread! I don't know WHAT to think now! ;-) The only real question that I still have is the significance of the guard in the background. I'm of the belief that if its in the card it means something, but to me, the happy memories-nostalgia theme doesn't necessarily need the guard, walking away, and without color.

Also, someone brought up the flowers looking like stars. I found this under The Sixes in "The Complete Book of Tarot" a step by step guide to reading the cards by Juliet Sharman Burke.
"The Six is the number of equalibrium, harmony and balance. The six-pointed star is formed out of two triangles, one pointing up toward the spirit or heavens, and the other pointin down toward the body or earth, which symbolizes balance between them."
 

poivre

I use this card as past memories but I have found this also :

"Past infulences favorably affect present life conditions.
Creating new atmosphere;forming new relationships; experiencing new learnings."

Also , the building on the left, what are those 3 wand like sticks, sticking out of the top of the building. Is there a reason for them?
 

poivre

Numerology & The Divine Triangle. by Faith Javane and Dusty Bunker

After reading these post on the 6 of cups I went looking through books to settle my thoughts on this card. I found this from the book mentioned above.

"The six cups are brimming with flowers, showing fruition. The five-pionted-star flower indicates human emotions purified and transmuted into compassionate love. The childish male figure in the Fool's cap recalls key 0, or Uranus, which, exalted in Scorpio, here implies that the highest gift is purified love. The cross, commonly called Saint Andrew's cross, if the cross of humility. The significance is that while we "become as little children" (Matthew 18:3) or believe as little children on the earthly plane, we manifest our progress."
 

firecatpickles

paradoxx said:
Aoife said:
...Perhaps the 6 of cups poses the question: will you protect/nurture or exploit/degrade?
In the 6 of wands are we being asked whether we will lead or follow?
In the 6 of swords are we being asked whether we will go [develop] or stay [stagnate]?
In the 6 of pents are we being asked whether we will give [of ourselves to others] or retain [self-interest]?
...pentacles: giving and recieving. also notice that thw figure on the right is (somewhat) trying to grab the coins or whatever they are (matter of interpreation) on the boot of the one who holds th scales.

wands. the figure on the horse is the leader but he is also being led and protected by the three wand bearers flanking him. those behind are following the parade.

swords. is the figure steering leading or is he just taking orders. are the two his captives (extreme interpretation) or his payers.

cups. is the larger figure of the town hallship represented on the left or not a part of the town at all. only the figure on the right has a foot showing, is *she* stepping foreward to share or to take. and of course teh mitten and dress as oppposed to the shorter dress and bare hands.

all of these cards have very blatent contradicting symbols, and they are all connected in terms of symbolic representation i belive with (confusing) Gemini Duality.

These are all excellent points. The querent can be either the lead-player in the card or the supporting actors!

A note about Gemini, which can in itself be duplicitous: Is the Gemini Castor and Pullox, emblems of brotherly love; or is it Romulus and Remus, quintessence of sibling rivalry; or Damon and Pythias, symbol of friendship that goes much, much further?
 

cdabs

Six (6) Of Cups

I know this is an older thread, but thought I'd throw some more information into it.

Having reviewed this larger image http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/cups06.jpg
did anyone else notice the ARROW between the first two cups on the ground? I never noticed it before. It points towards the steps and the area where the "guard" is walking. Also, the FIRST cup (on the ground) has a flower pointing backwards, so...I think Pamela Colman Smith was trying to get our attention on the guard....or the "going back" thing.

When I see this card I DO think about the past...and innocent, helpful, loving (non-sexual) compassion...the thing we're probably born with before we get distracted in this overly-competitive, commercial world.

I see the two main characters as friends...or perhaps brother and sister....with the older of the two bending at the knee to compassionately allow the younger of the two to smell the flowers. The older child is being kind and considerate to the younger child....helpful and compassionate.

I just took another look and never noticed that both children are wearing the same type of hood. The girl's is harder to discern as having that long "tail," but you can see a gap at the back of her head.

Hmmmm...looking again...I may see at least one other arrow. Does anyone see an arrow just under the left corner of the cup the boy is holding? It's pointing downward. Now, I may just be reading into this too much, but it looks like the word "YODS" is spelled out in the greenery just under that arrow. Does anyone else see it? Or an "RWS" (?) on the ground in-between the 2nd and 3rd cups?

Anyway...just thought I'd add my two cents on this thread.
 

Teheuti

cdabs said:
Having reviewed this larger image http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/cups06.jpg
did anyone else notice the ARROW between the first two cups on the ground?
Hey, there's all kinds of patterns that can be seen in dots, lines and squiggles. Look at the dots on the ground to the right of the girl. Turn the card counterclockwise - the dots form the outline of a dog with his tail curled over his back running up the back of the girl. I never saw that before. Now, what does it mean?

Mary
 

cdabs

Six (6) Of Cups

I went back to my Universal and Radiant decks.... The Radiant RWS does not have any of the peculiar ground markings.

The Universal RWS has SOME of the markings, but they are very faint.

My guess is...the recolored versions might have wanted to use a background (ground) with more contrast to the figures. The Original RWS seems to have the girl's yellow polka-dot top the same color as the ground.

I suppose it pays to START with the Original RWS....because I think Pamela Colman Smith knew what she was doing!