Water 6    Wood 6    Air 6    Fire 6
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Six - Balance, Harmony

When you look at the above images, taken as a group, you can notice that in the case of all save one card, each image presents a very distinct 'above' and 'below.' The number '6,' when considered in metaphysical, numerological terms, is the only number that is always thought of in terms of two other numbers, that is, the two '3's from which it receives all that balance and harmony mentioned above.
Three, as you no doubt know, is said to be, in most numerological traditions, a kind of magic number, hence all the directives from witches and whatnot to chant a given spell three times, or spin about three times. Whatever the catalytic action in question, three is, as they say, the magic number. So what could be better than two threes working together? Magic upon magic. A kind of magic so special that the elements of surprise and suddenness and occasionally chaos that can accompany the creative outcome of magic are peacefully subdued into a beauty surpassing imagination.
When pictured in geometric terms, as all numbers can be, six is presented as what the Hebraic tradition refers to as The Star of David, but it is a symbol which has been around longer than that tradition; it is the image of one triangle (3) pointing upwards, sharing space with another triangle (second 3) pointing down. It is the symbol to be found in the center of traditional depictions of the heart chakra and its reference is to heaven and to earth, to above and below. It is the symbol of the cooperative intertwining of the hearts and minds of men and gods. One of my teachers, the Reverend Doctor Paula Sunray, used to say that the number, six represented the highest that man could achieve.

WATER : So why an iceberg? Are icebergs magic? They kind of are. Especially now, as they disappear from the face of the earth, ironically metaphoric of what is possibly the lowest of which man is capable. From the standpoint of the tarot, water represents feelings and icebergs are water that has solidified on its own, yet holds the potential for returning to its original liquid state given the right conditions...or the wrong ones.
In the language of tarot, the iceberg speaks of the past, so much of its mass invisible beneath the surface of the water. So when she appears, floating in the sea, she represents the emotional occult, a monument to our feeling history, to that which we carry with us at all times, but may not show the world, to that which has made us whomever we are.
When Water 6 pops up in a reading, it is wise to reflect upon the possibilities that such a treasure could bring you, to muse, however briefly, on the ways your past emotional history might be feeding into the current situation.

WOOD: The image of the blossoming tree is the perfect metaphor of the energy of Six in this suit of growth and transformation. Roots, unseen but diving deep into the earth, radiating out, their scope a mirror image of the branching tree above, the countless, delicate blossoms indicative of the reward that a balanced consciousness can bring, a balanced consciousness that is open to the needs, wants and desires of body and soul, to the responsibilities and rewards of both the spiritual and the physical lives.
When Wood Six shows its pretty face, the feeling you get when you see nature in glorious full bloom is the feeling you can expect to see reflected in your life.

AIR : It can be a troublesome suit, Air...but not always. Our minds, left to their own devices, are a bit like really good hunting dogs, they live to do just one thing and they do it very well but in order to be truly useful, they need a bit of training, they need to learn to point or to gently hold and to never, never, never grab on tight...pretty much all the same skills we need to teach ourselves when it come to our minds.
Most of us have been trained to "think things out," especially when it comes to decision making but our minds are actually of little use to us in decision making situations unless those decisions are purely theoretical, scientific or mathematical in nature. In other words, if the decision involves picking the correct answer for what acid would dissolve limestone, our minds, which may be holding the pertinent information, could be useful. But if the decision we have to make involves any aspect of life, of living, then it the mind is useless at best and dangerous at worst. So-called 'facts' are of little use when making up your mind about something like, "Should I go or should I stay?"
So the rainbow in this Six picture represents the introduction of light and water to air bringing clarity and feeling to the suit and allowing it to surrender to a higher source of consciousness and creating balanced beauty that is both ephemeral and grounded. When Air 6 shows up, you have done well with your mind.

FIRE : Fire has always been considered, in the Asian metaphysical tradition to be one of the two most dangerous elements, (Water being the other - and more dangerous - element.). In this image of the aurora borealis we see the fire of the sun - a fire we'll never see the likes of on earth even in a worst case scanario - reflected in our atmosphere as shimmering lights. This is a fire which will not burn, yet will inspire.  This is the fire of the ancient heavens brought to earth to give us a glimpse of what we can never actually see while we are still embodied. This is the incorporation of inspiration.
Fire, its essence un-graspable yet its presence undeniable, is a natural for communicating the concept of something that is both grounded in reality and linked to the spirit. When Fire 6 visits you, trust that your imagination has value, that your flash of insight is valid, that Spirit has paid a call on your psyche.

EARTH : Earth is one half of the 3+3 equation: Earth is the downward pointing triangle. Earth helps to make the conceptual energy of Six what it is and is also the very embodiment of the number. Earth consciousness is as pure as consciousness can be because, as with all planets, stars, plants and animals, the earth, she has no Mind and that helps in being ever-present to Spirit.
I chose the image of a beautifully tended field to represent the balance of Six in Earth because Earth is wild, untamed, profuse, lush, passionately productive yet she allows us to tame her processes for our purposes. Earth, our gigantic mother, the source of all that nourishes us, allows us to use her. Without her, we are not. She, in her generosity, allows us to use her as we will, demonstrating her surrender to Spirit.
In the suit of Earth, Six takes on a tone of responsibility because for this equation to balance there must be a give and take that requires the consciousness both of knowing that give and take must equal each other and that we reap, not only what we sow, but  from what consciousness we have sown.

METAL : If I had my way, this image would be of a crystal jutting out of the earth, displaying the same characteristics of the other Sixes. One day, I am sure, that will be so. For now - and in the spirit of the so-called future - this is my manifesting crystal which, in the right light, at the right angle, is filled with rainbow reflections that the camera cannot hope to capture. Why isn't Metal 6 a piece of metal? Because crystal carries a very similar elemental energy and takes it to the next level of perfection. Metal is created by the extreme pressure of the earth, so is crystal, just more so. And because the energy of Six is a kind of perfection, a reaching beyond the ordinary, crystal seemed like the perfect image for the impeccable will, clear, strong and bright.
Metal represents the best we can make of Mind, raising it to a higher power, just as crystal represents the best and most beautiful of what Earth can produce when she exerts all her force. At our best we are clear and strong and bright.