A boy and a girl stand in a potted garden. The boy offers the girl a cup with a white flower. The flower has five points which indicates that it is a five pointed star of the microcosm.

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

Children in an old garden, their cups filled with flowers. Divinatory Meanings: A card of the past and of memories, looking back, as–for example–on childhood; happiness, enjoyment, but coming rather from the past; things that have vanished. Another reading reverses this, giving new relations, new knowledge, new environment, and then the children are disporting in an unfamiliar precinct. Reversed: The future, renewal, that which will come to pass presently.

4 Some Additional Meanings of the Lesser Arcana

Six.–Pleasant memories. Reversed: Inheritance to fall in quickly.

The Recurrence of Cards in Dealing

In the Natural Position: 4 Sixes = abundance; 3 Sixes = success; 2 Sixes = irritability.
Reversed: 4 Sixes = care; 3 Sixes = satisfaction 2 Sixes = downfall.

The Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus; tr. A. P Morton, [1896]

Signification of the Four Series of Minor Arcana in the Divining Tarot

CUPS. Preservation. Love. Instruction.

SIX. The obstacles triumph. Love destroyed in the midst of happiness. Widowhood.

The Tarot by S.L. MacGregor Mathers [1888]

Meanings of the Cards

44. Six of Cups.–The Past, passed by, Faded, Vanished, Disappeared; R. The Future, that which is to come, Shortly, Soon.

Additional Remarks

The following additional remarks may be serviceable to the to the inexperienced Cartomancer. They are chiefly taken from Etteilla.

44. Six of Cups.–Shows either that what precedes it is past, has occurred already; or if R., what is going to happen.

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelius Agrippa

Scorpio II

A man naked, and a woman naked, and a man sitting on the earth, and before him two dogs biting one another; and their operation is for impudence, deceit, and false dealing, and for to lend mischief and strife amongst men;

Picatrix the Goal of the Wise by Ghayat Al-akim

Book "T" The Tarot

XXXI. The Lord of Pleasure:
Six of Chalices

AN Angelic Hand, as before, holds a group of stems of water-lilies or lotuses, from which six flowers bend, one over each cup. From these flowers a white glistening water flows into the cups as from a fountain, but they are not yet full. Above and below are Sun and Scorpio referring to the Decan.

Commencement of steady increase, gain and pleasure; but commencement only. Also affront, detection, knowledge, and in some instances contention and strife arising from unwarranted self-assertion and vanity. Sometimes thankless and presumptuous; sometimes amiable and patient. According to dignity as usual.

Tiphareth of HB:H (Beginning of wish, happiness, success, or enjoyment).

Therein rule HB:NLKAL and HB:YYYAL.

Often the General signification of the Majority of a particular suit and of the particular signification of the either 3 of 4 cards of a sort in a reading:

• A Majority of Cups Pleasure, merriment.
• 4 Sixes Pleasure.
• 3 Sixes Gain, success.