Upright Meaning
This card indicates not only how a positive mindset and true belief in ourselves can generate the very triumphs that we dream of, but how this attitude can be inspirational to those around us. In a reading, the Six points to a time when we have the opportunity to be a positive influence on other people in our lives, whether in a personal or work capacity. The card indicates that we are receiving recognition for the challenges we have faced and for the goals we have achieved, perhaps after a long period when this has not been the case. It reminds us, too, that we are allowed to be proud of ourselves and to receive the commendation and praise of others, even if this is something that we may initially find discomfiting.
We may have the opportunity to take the lead at work or, in our personal lives, find that making a change from the heart, and with utter self-belief behind it, will sweep us to seemingly effortless victory. What we want falls into our hands, not through luck but because we have made sure we are seated directly below the bounty and are ready to catch it.
Reversed Meaning
When the Six of Wands jumps out of the deck reversed it most often points towards a sense of false optimism: of attempting to convince ourselves and others of our abilities and worth when we do not truly believe these things in our hearts.
Fire cannot be faked - a facsimile may look authentic but won’t generate real heat, and so it is with the reversed card: giving the appearance of confidence may get us so far but, without a true and deep-seated belief in ourselves, we will never attain all that we’re capable of, and may struggle to bring others along with us in whatever struggle we’re facing or change we’re trying to make.
The Six of Wands, both upright and reversed, counsels that we look within, find the spark of self-esteem, and fan the flames.