The Six of Swords is the card of victory, a public victory as well as a personal one. This victory sees you acclaimed by your peers. It might be something as simple as a blog post that gains likes or it could be that well-deserved promotion at work.

Gregory Scott Tarot

This deck captures the “acclaim” feeling of this card. The crowd applauds the victor as she lifts a blooming wand in acknowledgment. It reminds me of the scene near the beginning of the movie Thor where he comes through the crowd to his father to be awarded Mjolnir.

The Number 6

The number six represents a return of harmony and equilibrium after the discord and upset of five. Six is the first “perfect” number, which is a number where all of its divisors (minus the number itself), when added together equal the number itself. So, 1+2+3 = 6. Perfect numbers are rare and the Greeks only recognized 4 of them: 6, 28, 496, and 8,128.

I feel a sense of artificiality about some of the Six of Swords. This is an acclamation that is happening after the fact. Notice the shiny armor and lack of wounds. The victor has dressed up for this parade. This indicates to me that the acclamation might come some time after the actual deed or project is completed. So if this comes up in a reading, it could mean that if you haven’t been recognized yet, it will come.

Six of Wands: The Down Side

The Six of Wands is not really a card of action. It is a pause. Right before it, the Five of Wands is the battle, the conflict; after it is the Seven of Wands, another card of conflict and striving. So take a deep breath and don’t rest on your achievements because you might need to defend your position soon.

Another thing to watch out for is false dignity and pride. Going back to the movie Thor, his fall comes fairly quickly after his parade, due to his arrogance and pride. The five, six, and seven of Wands remind us of the Wheel of Fortune; what goes up, must come down! Enjoy your achievement with humility.