Rooted in kindness

Often it is the simplest things that mean the most. Small gestures of love that remind us someone cares. A word, a smile, a gift. There is so much power in kindness, it is a true force.

The Six of Cups celebrates acts of kindness and generosity. It encourages us to bring more of this into our lives and to focus on what really matters. What use is wealth, nice clothes, a big home, if we can’t love each other or share what we have? Meditate on this simple lesson. Look for ways to live a kinder life, encourage others to do the same.

There is a deeper meaning to this card too – about rootedness and belonging. The Six of Cups raises themes of family and ancestry and where we each come from, specifically in relation to how it these things inform your own life now. It asks us to explore what it feels like to be ‘rooted’ – that may be physically in a space, or it may be in a culture, tradition or lineage that we are part of.

In a reading…

When you see this card, look for simple ways to inject a little love and kindness into your situation. Reach out to someone who needs it. Buy yourself some flowers. Send that message of support. Donate.

It’s so easy to take our loved ones for granted, to snap at a partner, ignore a friend’s text. Don’t. Know that these relationships are gifts and require energy to survive. Put that energy in – it needn’t be laborious or require much of you. Remember that the simpler things in life are often what matter more. Don’t forget to say “I love you.”

If you’re overwhelmed with work or obligations, take a time out. Relax a little. Take a walk. Again, come back to what is simple, declutter or de-complicate where appropriate. Be kind to yourself.

This is also about your roots. Try to connect to a simpler time in your life – perhaps your childhood or any time you felt carefree. What mattered to you then? What were your goals? Where did you find joy, companionship, fun? (I’ve seen this card come up to suggest a return to a childhood hobby. Could you get back into karate, writing stories, camping? Maybe it’s time to try! Let yourself be nostalgic and experience that old-fashioned kind of fun.)

By the same token, the Six of Cups often points to a person who has gotten stuck in the past – perhaps acting talking or seeing things as they did a long time ago. If this is the case, the Six of Cups shines a soft light on that behaviour, bringing encouragement to turn around and look to the future – or, more importantly, the present.

The ‘roots’ theme is important. The Six of Cups can often be about connecting backwards, with family, grandparents, or perhaps ancestors. Think about the place from which you came, and your relationship to it now. In what ways to you carry forwards your own roots?

Perhaps you have torn up your roots and looking backwards in this way is painful or not appropriate for you just now. That’s okay. Imagine yourself rooting into something new. Imagine the healthy, happy roots you would like to create for yourself. Know that these roots will be safe.