The Six of Wands is the tarot card of victory and recognition. It shows a rider crowned with laurel coming home in triumph while a crowd walks beside him, and it's read as the moment your effort is seen and celebrated. Upright, the Six of Wands is read as success, public praise, and confidence. Reversed, it's read as a win that goes unnoticed, fear of failing in front of others, or pride that gets ahead of the work.
The Six of Wands belongs to the suit of Wands, the suit of fire, drive, and ambition. After the struggle of the Five of Wands, the six is often read as the point where the effort pays off and other people start to notice.
Six of Wands Keywords
The Six of Wands' keywords center on victory and being seen. Here's how they shift when the card is reversed:
| Upright | Reversed |
|---|---|
| Victory | A win that goes unnoticed |
| Recognition | Fear of failure |
| Confidence | Self-doubt |
| Good news | Delay |
| Public praise | Pride before the work is done |
What the Six of Wands Card Shows
The Six of Wands card shows a young rider wearing a laurel wreath on a white horse draped in a green cloth, holding up a staff that carries a second laurel wreath tied with a red ribbon. Five more staves are raised by people walking beside him. The best-known version is the one Pamela Colman Smith painted for the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, first published in London in December 1909.
Arthur Edward Waite described the card in his 1910 book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot: "A laurelled horseman bears one staff adorned with a laurel crown; footmen with staves are at his side." Here's what each part of the picture is read as:
- The laurel wreaths on his head and staff are read as victory and honor. In ancient Greece and Rome, laurel crowns were given to winners and heroes.
- The white horse is read as strength and a clean, well-earned success.
- The rider's raised staff is read as a win carried openly, where everyone can see it.
- The crowd on foot is read as support, recognition, and the people who helped make the win happen.
- The rider's height above the crowd is read as confidence, and also as a reminder that a win is shared with the people who walk beside you.
Six of Wands Upright Meaning
The Six of Wands upright is read as a well-earned success that other people recognize. It often turns up after a stretch of hard work, such as finishing a project, winning a competition, getting good feedback, or reaching a goal, and it's read as permission to accept praise instead of brushing it off.
Waite wrote that the card can cover several meanings: "on the surface, it is a victor triumphing, but it is also great news," and he called it "expectation crowned with its own desire, the crown of hope." That's why the card is still read as both a win and the good news that comes with it.
Six of Wands Upright in Love
In love, the Six of Wands upright is read as a relationship you're proud of, or as feeling confident and admired. For someone single, it's read as attracting attention by being fully yourself. For a couple, it's read as a happy milestone, such as moving in together or celebrating something with family and friends.
Six of Wands Upright in Work and Money
In work, the Six of Wands upright is read as a promotion, a public thank-you, a successful launch, or recognition from a boss or client. With money, it's read as effort that's starting to show results, along with a reminder to enjoy the win without spending it all at once.
Six of Wands Upright in Spirituality
Spiritually, the Six of Wands upright is read as confidence in your practice, such as trusting your readings or sharing your craft with others. It's read as a sign that you've grown more than you give yourself credit for.
Six of Wands Reversed Meaning
The Six of Wands reversed is read as success that feels out of reach or unrecognized. It often points to working hard without anyone noticing, worrying about how others see you, or doubting yourself right before a big moment. It can also be read the other way, as pride or showing off before the work is truly done.
Waite's list for the reversed card included "apprehension, fear, as of a victorious enemy at the gate" and "also indefinite delay," so the reversed Six of Wands has long been tied to fear of losing ground and to wins that take longer than expected.
Six of Wands Reversed in Love
In love, the Six of Wands reversed is read as feeling overlooked or unappreciated by a partner, or as insecurity about how the relationship looks to others. It can also be read as ego getting in the way of closeness.
Six of Wands Reversed in Work and Money
In work, the Six of Wands reversed is read as credit going to someone else, a delayed promotion, or a launch that lands quietly. With money, it's read as a reason to keep going steadily instead of chasing quick recognition.
Six of Wands Reversed in Spirituality
Spiritually, the Six of Wands reversed is read as comparing your path to other people's, or as needing outside approval to feel your practice is valid. It's read as a nudge to measure your progress by your own standard.
Six of Wands as Feelings
As feelings, the Six of Wands upright is read as someone who feels proud of you, admires you, or feels confident and happy about the connection. Reversed, it's read as someone who feels insecure, overlooked, or worried about how things look to others.
Is the Six of Wands a Yes or No Card?
The Six of Wands upright is usually read as a yes, especially for questions about success, results, or whether your effort will pay off. Reversed, it's usually read as "not yet," or a yes that comes with delays.
Six of Wands Correspondences
The Six of Wands takes its correspondences from its suit and its number:
| Six of Wands | |
|---|---|
| Suit | Wands (also called Rods, Staves, or Batons) |
| Element | Fire |
| Number | Six |
| Golden Dawn planet | The Sun |
| Arcana | Minor Arcana |
| Zodiac signs | Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, the fire signs linked with the suit of Wands |
In Aleister Crowley's 1944 Book of Thoth, the suit of wands is associated with the element of fire, and Wikipedia notes that "Wands cards often represent the astrological signs of Fire: Leo, Sagittarius and Aries." In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the number cards of the Minor Arcana are each linked to a planet, and the sixes are linked with the Sun, which fits the bright, public success this card shows.
How to Work With the Six of Wands
The Six of Wands is a good card to work with when you've done something worth celebrating and want to let yourself feel it. Bay leaves come from the laurel tree, the same plant that crowns the rider on the card, so this practice uses one. Here's a simple practice for owning a win.
You'll need:
- The Six of Wands card from your deck, such as the Gold Rider-Waite tarot deck
- A dried bay leaf, such as these whole bay leaves
- A fine-tip marker or pen
- A journal or notebook
- Set the Six of Wands card upright in front of you.
- Think of one recent win, large or small, and write it on the bay leaf in a word or two.
- In your journal, write down three people or things that helped you get there.
- Hold the bay leaf over the card and recite:
Laurel crown and cheering crowd,
I own my win and say it loud. - Tell one person about your win today, out loud or in a message, and thank someone on your list.
- Tuck the bay leaf into your journal or wallet for the next week as a reminder of what you can do.
If you keep a tarot journal, the Six of Wands is a good card to write about when you pull it. A few prompts to try:
- What have I accomplished lately that I haven't celebrated?
- How do I feel when other people praise me?
- Who walks beside me, and how can I share the credit?
Our guide to keeping a tarot journal has a free printable page for it. For the meanings of all 78 cards in one place, see our guide to tarot card meanings. You can also read about the Fool, the card of the first step that every win starts with.
Six of Wands FAQ
What does the Six of Wands mean?
The Six of Wands is the tarot card of victory and recognition. Upright, it's read as success, public praise, and confidence. Reversed, it's read as a win that goes unnoticed, self-doubt, or pride before the work is done.
What does the Six of Wands reversed mean?
The Six of Wands reversed is read as success that feels delayed or unrecognized, or as worry about how other people see you. It can also be read as showing off before the work is truly finished.
Is the Six of Wands a yes or no card?
The Six of Wands upright is usually read as a yes, especially for questions about success or results. Reversed, it's usually read as "not yet," or a yes that comes with delays.
What does the Six of Wands mean in love?
In love, the Six of Wands upright is read as a relationship you're proud of, or feeling confident and admired. Reversed, it's read as feeling overlooked or insecure about how the relationship looks to others.
What does the Six of Wands mean as feelings?
As feelings, the Six of Wands upright is read as someone who feels proud of you or confident about the connection. Reversed, it's read as someone who feels insecure or overlooked.
What does the laurel wreath on the Six of Wands mean?
The laurel wreath is read as victory and honor. In ancient Greece and Rome, laurel crowns were given to winners, and Waite described the rider as "a laurelled horseman."
What planet is the Six of Wands?
In the Golden Dawn system, the sixes of the Minor Arcana are linked with the Sun. The suit of Wands is linked with the element of fire and the fire signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
Is the Six of Wands a good card to get?
In most readings, yes. The Six of Wands upright is one of the most encouraging cards in the deck, read as success and recognition. Reversed, it's read as advice to keep going and to value your own progress.
