According to The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite, the Six of Cups is described as the following:
Children in an old garden, their cups filled with flowers.
Divinatory Meanings: A card of the past and of memories, looking back, as--for example--on childhood; happiness, enjoyment, but coming rather from the past; things that have vanished. Another reading reverses this, giving new relations, new knowledge, new environment, and then the children are disporting in an unfamiliar precinct.
Reversed: The future, renewal, that which will come to pass presently.
The tarot card for today is the Six of Cups. This brings nostalgia and memories of simpler times when you were a child in grade school classes and swinging on jungle gyms. It brings you back feelings of genuine happiness and generosity. The essence of this card is a happy, harmonious home and family.
The Six of Cups is here to remind you of your favorite classes in school when you were younger and what games you used to play in the playground at lunchtime. It's a reminder of how pure everything once was and to embrace that purity in its simplest form. Now's a time to forget about the struggles and hardships of adult life and go back and embrace the innocence of your inner child.
The theme this card sets for today is the nostalgia of your childhood and adolescence.
Memories from your primary and elementary school classes
Think all the way back to the beginning of your school years; kindergarten through 7th grade.
Who was your first friend you made at school? Are you still friends with them?
What was your favorite subject?
What was your first school accomplishment?
The Six of Cups wants you to ask yourself these questions and let the sweet memories flow through.
Middle school classes and the transition into adolescence
Remember when you took your first step towards adulthood and entered middle school. Puberty has just begun, and you're still a little clueless. Yet you're ready to take everything on, not knowing what's about to come.
What was your embarrassing (but now funny) middle school experience?
What classes did you excel in?
Who was your inspiration?
The Six of Cups invites you to remember how headstrong and ready you were for adulthood. A time when your determination was at one of its peaks.
Your first classes in high school up until graduation
High school nostalgia is brought by the Six of Cups. It may bring back some of your best or worst (hopefully not) memories that have a lasting impact on your life. The final stage of transition into full-blown adulthood and what often defines who you have become today.
Ask yourself and remember:
Who was your favorite teacher?
What was the craziest thing that happened?
What career path did you choose?
Who was your most significant influence?
As the saying goes, your high school days are supposed to be some of the best days of your life. Take the time to reminisce and remember the good times and valuable life lessons you learned during those times.
Trigger these memories and deepen your nostalgia
If you're having trouble remembering the past, here are some things you can do that may help get your memories flowing.
Look through old photo books and yearbooks.
Got any old photo books or perhaps yearbooks tucked away? Taking a look at those can be a great way to reminisce about your childhood. If not, ask a parent, sibling, or relative if they might have any that you can take a look through.
If all else fails, go to the local library where you grew up or even the schools you attended. They sometimes have old yearbooks kept from throughout the years.
Get in touch with your high school alumni.
Try getting in touch with your old classmates. Find out if your school has an alumni association and see if there's any talk of a reunion or similar event.
You can get in touch with high school alumni by asking your school's admission representative for contact info. There are also several online sites specifically for getting in contact with the people in your high school classes, such as AlumniClass.com.
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