Six of Swords for Reconciliation — Will They Come Back?
Minor Arcana · Rider–Waite Tarot
Short Answer
The Six of Swords can be a hopeful card for reconciliation, but it is not really a card of rushing back into a relationship.
It is a card of moving away from difficulty.
In the Rider–Waite image, a person sits in a boat with six swords standing in front of them. The water behind the boat is rougher, while the water ahead looks calmer. The journey is already underway.
When you ask about getting back together, this can mean that the painful part of the relationship is slowly being left behind. There may still be feelings, memories or unfinished emotions, but the energy is quieter now.
So yes, reconciliation can be possible with the Six of Swords. But if it happens, it is more likely to come through healing, calmer communication and a willingness to leave old arguments behind. This is not usually a card of dramatic return. It is a card of transition.
Sometimes the journey is toward each other.
Sometimes it is toward peace without each other.
That difference matters.
Likelihood of Reconciliation
The Six of Swords gives reconciliation a cautious yes, especially when the relationship ended during a difficult or emotionally exhausting period.
There is movement here, but it is gradual.
One of you may still be processing what happened. The other may be trying to create some emotional distance simply because the relationship became too heavy. That doesn't necessarily mean the feelings disappeared. Sometimes people need distance before they can look at a relationship without being pulled straight back into the old pain.
The six swords in the boat are important too. The problems have not magically vanished. They are being carried into the next stage.
For reconciliation to work, something has to change about how the two of you deal with those old issues.
If both people can talk without reopening every old wound, the card becomes much more encouraging. If one person wants to return while expecting everything to remain exactly as it was, the Six of Swords becomes less promising.
This card is about moving forward, not going backward.
Their Feelings
The Six of Swords can show feelings that are quieter than they once were.
This does not necessarily mean your ex has stopped caring. It can indicate someone who is trying to make sense of their emotions rather than acting on every feeling they have.
They may think about the relationship, but also think about what the relationship did to them emotionally.
There can be sadness here. There can also be relief.
That combination can be confusing when you're asking about an ex.
Someone can miss you and still believe that distance was necessary. They can care about you and still be afraid of returning to the same arguments. They can remember the good parts while knowing that something about the relationship had become difficult to carry.
The Six of Swords therefore doesn't give a very dramatic picture of romantic longing. It gives a picture of emotional processing.
If there are still feelings, they may be held quietly rather than expressed openly.
Signs Reconciliation Is Likely
If you're hoping for reconciliation and you pull the Six of Swords, look for movement toward calmer ground rather than dramatic romantic gestures.
Some signs can include:
- Your conversations become less defensive and more respectful.
- Old arguments are no longer the first thing discussed.
- One of you reaches out after a period of distance.
- There is an honest attempt to understand what went wrong.
- Both of you seem less interested in proving who was right.
- The relationship begins to feel emotionally lighter.
- Your ex is willing to discuss the past without immediately shutting down.
- There is a genuine interest in doing things differently this time.
The biggest sign is not simply contact.
It is changed behaviour.
A message saying “I miss you” may bring hope, but the Six of Swords asks what happens after that message. Are you both actually moving away from the patterns that caused the breakup?
That is where the real answer lies.
Signs Reconciliation Is Unlikely
The Six of Swords can also show that someone is genuinely trying to move on.
If your ex has created distance and seems emotionally settled with that decision, the card may be describing their journey away from the relationship rather than a journey back to it.
Be careful about turning every sign of movement into a sign of reunion.
If communication stays cold, inconsistent or purely practical, there may not be enough emotional movement toward reconciliation.
It can also be a warning if one person keeps bringing the old relationship problems into every new conversation. The boat is moving forward in the card. Constantly dragging the relationship back into the same arguments works against that energy.
And sometimes the Six of Swords is simply about accepting that peace matters more than returning to something that repeatedly caused pain.
That isn't necessarily a negative outcome.
It can be the healing the card is talking about.
Timing
The Six of Swords is generally slow-moving energy.
It suggests transition rather than an immediate reunion.
If you're asking when your ex might contact you or when reconciliation could happen, think in terms of a gradual shift. Someone may need time to process emotions, calm down or gain perspective before taking another step.
The boat is already moving, but it isn't racing.
This can also mean that contact comes after a period of silence or emotional distance. The important part is the movement itself rather than a particular date.
If reconciliation is going to develop, it may happen in stages:
distance first, then communication, then understanding, and only later a decision about whether the relationship can actually be rebuilt.
Don't force the timeline.
The Six of Swords is much more comfortable with steady progress than emotional pressure.
What Is Standing in the Way?
The biggest obstacle is the past that has not been properly processed.
The six swords in the boat represent what is being carried forward. In a reconciliation reading, that can be memories, resentment, disappointment, unresolved conversations or simply the fear that getting back together will bring all of it back.
There may also be emotional exhaustion.
Sometimes a person doesn't walk away because they don't care. They walk away because they don't know how to keep carrying the same emotional weight.
That is why simply saying “let's try again” may not be enough.
If the same relationship patterns remain untouched, the boat has changed location but the baggage is still inside it.
Another obstacle can be the desire for a clean slate without actually discussing what happened.
The Six of Swords supports moving forward.
It does not ask you to pretend the past never happened.
What Should You Do?
If you want reconciliation, don't chase the boat.
Give the situation enough space for emotions to settle, especially if the breakup was painful or full of arguments.
If communication opens up, keep it calm. You don't have to solve the entire relationship in one conversation.
Listen.
Say what you mean.
And pay attention to whether the other person is also willing to move toward something healthier.
Most importantly, don't confuse movement with reconciliation.
You may receive a message. You may have a pleasant conversation. You may even feel that the old connection is returning.
Let those things develop naturally.
The Six of Swords asks you to leave behind the version of the relationship that was hurting both of you. If you do get another chance, the question isn't simply, “Can we get back together?”
It is:
“Can we go somewhere different this time?”
If the answer is yes from both sides, this card can be a very meaningful sign of healing and a possible second chance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Six of Swords mean my ex will come back?
Not necessarily. The Six of Swords shows movement away from difficulty, so it can describe someone leaving emotional conflict behind and becoming more open to calmer communication. That can eventually create space for reconciliation, but the card does not promise that your ex will return. Look at what happens alongside the card. If communication, understanding and changed behaviour are developing, reconciliation becomes more realistic. If your ex is peacefully moving on, the same card may describe healing without getting back together.
Does the Six of Swords mean my ex still has feelings?
It can indicate that emotions have not simply disappeared, but the card is more about processing feelings than openly expressing them. Your ex may still think about the relationship while also trying to create emotional distance from the difficult parts of it. They could miss you and still believe that space was necessary. So rather than reading the Six of Swords as proof of romantic feelings, look at the wider situation and whether their actions show a willingness to reconnect.
Will my ex contact me if I pull the Six of Swords?
The Six of Swords can support communication after a period of distance, especially when emotions have started to settle. However, it isn't a card that guarantees a message. Its energy is gradual. Contact may happen when one or both people feel calmer and more capable of having a conversation without returning immediately to old arguments. If communication does happen, pay attention to its quality rather than simply seeing the message as proof of reconciliation.
Is the Six of Swords a yes or no for getting back together?
For reconciliation, I would read the Six of Swords as a cautious yes, with conditions. There is movement and the possibility of leaving a difficult period behind, but the card doesn't show an instant romantic reunion. It asks whether both people are genuinely prepared to move forward differently. If the relationship can become calmer and the old problems are addressed, a second chance is possible. If nothing changes, the card may instead describe moving on peacefully.
What should I do if I want reconciliation and get the Six of Swords?
Don't try to force the relationship back into place immediately. Give yourself and the other person room to process what happened. If contact opens up, approach the conversation calmly rather than bringing every old argument back at once. You can acknowledge the past without living inside it. Most importantly, watch for mutual effort. Reconciliation needs two people willing to move forward. You shouldn't have to carry the entire boat by yourself.
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