Does the Six of Cups mean they'll come back?

When the Six of Cups comes up, it's easy for someone to think of an ex first.

I understand why. Once you see the words "past", "memories" and "reunion", a face already comes to mind. Whatever I say next seems to get translated into the same question: so, will they come back?

Hold on a moment. We're not there yet.

I also started September's collective forecast with the Six of Cups. Back then I called it "one last look back before goodbye". What I care about is the small reaction people have when they run into something old again. Some things you couldn't mention before without getting upset; after some time, you find you can talk them through. And some people you thought you'd long forgotten still make your heart move a little when their name comes up.

It moved a little. Then what?

That doesn't necessarily mean you want to be together again. Sometimes it's remembering who you were back then. Sometimes it's regret. And there's another one that's harder to admit: you want to know whether, all these years, the other person ever regretted it.

Stuffing all of that into the words "getting back together" is too quick.

Look at the Rider-Waite Six of Cups and you first see children, cups, flowers, and a place enclosed by walls and buildings. The picture carries a sense of familiarity, of care and acceptance. These details can help us talk about a certain kind of relationship experience, but they haven't written a return date for any particular person.

With the same card, if the question were about work, I might first think of old ways of working together, a familiar environment, or a time when someone was willing to teach you. If it's about creative work, it might bring back something you haven't done in a long time but never stopped thinking about. A reading has to follow the question. You can't summon an ex every time you see the past.

And when love really does come down to whether to start again, I want to ask more slowly.

Is it this person you miss, or the days in that relationship when you didn't have to keep guessing? Has what split you up back then changed? If they really did send you a message, what would you want to reply?

The cards can't answer these questions for the other person. It depends on what they do, and on what you say.

I don't want to make the Six of Cups sound too sad. Looking back has its happy moments too. Remembering someone doesn't mean you have to bring them back into your life; picking up something you love again doesn't have to prove you've finally recovered something.

That day, you just suddenly remembered.

If you want to look at it a little longer, look a little longer. As for whether to get in touch, or try again, we can talk about that separately. Don't rush to let one card close the whole matter.

Further reading: September collective forecast · How to ask tarot about love.