THE SIX OF SWORDS, LORD OF EARNED SUCCESS

   Your ally is maneuvering a small boat, carrying an adult and child across a body of water. Swords stick up within the boat on both sides of the passengers. On one side, the water is slightly disturbed by the boatman’s efforts to propel the boat forward. On the other side, the water remains still and calm, revealing the boatman’s skill and coordination. Through his training and experience the boatman makes the crossing look easy. Your ally has developed the ability to focus (a quality of Mercury), which can help to maintain and protect the most basic form of connection, such as between a parent and child, or lead to new shores for the individual and humanity in general (a quality of Aquarius). Willful, conscious focus is the key to getting from one point to another. The shore is in view, and the boat continues to flow smoothly across the water. The quietness of the scene also hints at an aspect of Mercury’s role as the messenger of the Gods. The conscious mind sometimes receives unexpected knowledge or insights from deep in the subconscious, where the higher self resides, when the mind is still. The boatman’s pole quietly goes deep into the water to push the boat forward again.

CORRESPONDING COLOR: Rich salmon-pink.

Reversed: unfocused, without purpose; carrying emotional baggage; resisting change