The Tower Tarot Card

Card Name: Tower, Ruined Steeple, Burnt Temple, Almshouse

Category: Major Arcana, Being

Position: 16

Planet: Mars ♂

Time: Spring solstice

The Tower is probably the most undesirable card in any spread. It shows devastation, an unexpected blow of fate to the sickest. However, every crisis makes room for something new. The same chaos can be used to your advantage. In the opposite view, the Tower will be played as an unwillingness to go further. It’s time to leave Babylon, but a person can’t make up his mind to do that. It is hard to accept the collapse of some area of life. But such attachment can destroy the personality itself. Thus, the card is more likely to imply fatal events. Although in some cases, it also indicates righteous anger.

Symbolism and Key Ideas of the The Tower

In the classic Tarot Waite, the Tower card depicts a catastrophe scene – lightning struck a tall building. The fortress itself stands on sharp rocks. Two men fall from the windows. One of them is dressed in a blue dress and has a diadem on his head. The second character is in a light robe, a red cloak. The roof of the building is on fire, a huge crown-dome flew off it. The action takes place on a black background. Gray clouds are also visible here, resembling clouds of ash or smoke. People fall upside down. However, at the edge of the card, apart from the rocky base, nothing is visible. It seems that the main characters are waiting for a painful death. Another important detail is the small yellow symbols depicted against a dark sky.

Despite the presence of the main characters on the Tower Arcana, a lightning discharge still plays a decisive role. He personifies the forces of nature, which are difficult to resist. The figures of the characters belong to different castes, groups – this is a hint of equality in the face of danger. The element sweeps away everything that was once created by mortals. Ash or smoke symbolizes devastation, decay. The shape of each yellow dot closely resembles the Hebrew letter Yod. It denotes a sound dissecting space, tremendous speed. Yod can also be seen on the Ace of Swords card.

Meaning of the Upright The Tower Card

Chaos, a destructive force that cannot be influenced or controlled.
Anger, aggression, a big scandal and a direct clash of positions.
Major losses, destruction to the very foundation, karma, fate.
Punishment, motivation due to negative events and troubles.

Even in the upright position, the Tower personifies destruction, the loss of something. Despite the fact that the fortress stands on a solid rocky foundation, this fact did not save people from the elements. The trouble did not come from the earth, but from the sky. Therefore, the Arcana denotes unforeseen circumstances, unexpected blows of fate. It’s impossible to calculate everything. A weak link will be present even in a very strong chain. The Almshouse card implies fatal events, major accidents, man-made disasters. But also everything is the same, but in a figurative sense. The past will surely collapse, life will have to start from scratch. Any business will again return to the zero point of reference.

The number 16 can be divided into two digits. One here will mean loneliness, and six – rock, trials. The querent rushes at high speed to his unenviable fate, but nothing can be changed. The Tower shows the intervention of third parties. Therefore, it is often impossible to influence the situation. And in general, the questioning person is not able to predict absolutely everything. The destroyed Tower implies chaos, decay, destruction. The querent seems to fall into a huge centrifuge and be thrown out on the other side of the globe. You will have to quickly adapt to new conditions, otherwise an unenviable result awaits.

Love and Relationships (Upright)

Mutual humiliation, constant squabbles and scandals, negativity.
Outbursts of jealousy or unreasonable aggression towards a partner.
Hidden grievances that affect the loneliness of the querent.
Hatred of the opposite sex: misogyny and misandry.

In the spread for relations, the meaning of the Tower takes on the most negative. The couple just lives on a powder keg. For partners, quarrels and major scandals are not uncommon. People have accumulated a lot of claims to each other, omissions. All this together pushes to show dissatisfaction. However, the family can continue to live under the same roof, slowly destroying itself from the inside. All attempts to reconcile, to build new healthy relationships are in vain. Sooner or later, conflicts will recur. It is worth looking for the true cause of disagreements and working with it.

For lonely people, the Tower predicts problems in communicating with the opposite sex. The fact is that the querent itself repels potential partners. Inside, the personality is full of resentment, trauma inflicted by other people, parents. And all this a person unconsciously broadcasts. Only a “victim” can be attracted to such a request – a psychologically weak partner with low self-esteem. Only such a person will be ready to put up with outbursts of anger and negativity in his address.

Career and Finance (Upright)

Work as an electrician or work in a rescue unit.
Dismissal, conflict with superiors or colleagues and leaving.
Closing a business or failing to make money flow.
Loss of property due to natural disasters, catastrophes.

But in terms of the scope of activity, the Tower will not always denote a negative. Often the card shows energy supply companies, power grids. Also, these are rapid response groups, prevention of crimes or disasters. But in the context of the situation, the Tower will fail as an unexpected punishment from the authorities or even dismissal. The very enterprise where the querent worked may close. In any case, some kind of revolution will follow. We will have to re-adjust the issue of employment.

The financial situation is extremely unfavorable. A sharp blow of fate knocked the ground out from under the feet of the questioner. Now the fortuneteller simply does not know what to do next. The Tower means the loss of property, stable income. Sometimes the card will be played as a disability that prevents you from building a career or even just finding at least some part-time job. In any case, the fortuneteller will feel an acute shortage of funds, will be forced to start everything again from scratch.

Health and Spirit (Upright)

Life-threatening conditions and the need for help.
Injuries from a car accident or accidental fire.
Short temper, obvious aggression or a tendency to violence.
Psychopathic personality portrait or mania.

In terms of health, the Tower symbolizes sudden pressure surges, heart attacks and strokes. These are very difficult conditions. The card also shows injuries resulting from an accident or even a lightning strike. These are extensive burns, deep wounds, bone damage. A person needs emergency medical care, possibly surgery. You can not hesitate for a minute, close your eyes to your condition. Only a quick response to the situation can save the life of the victim.

The mental state is extremely dangerous. The Tower shows the anger that bursts the personality from the inside. It has been accumulating for a long time, and therefore it is now difficult to control. A person is engaged in self-destruction, and also shows violence towards others. This behavior can be the result of psychological trauma. Now the former victim wants to recoup, even if it is against innocent people. The very fact of splashing out aggression is important to her. Nobody cares about the consequences.

Situations and Questions (Upright)

The need to leave the usual place, to say goodbye.
Moments when life makes you change, develop.
A huge incentive to work on yourself or look for something new.
A life lesson is not to hope for anything and not to give up.

Most often, the Tower is played as the destruction of the usual value system. The fortress depicted on the Arcana symbolizes a stable financial position, a beloved family. However, the element interferes with the usual way of life. This role can be played by anyone or anything. The element of surprise plays a key role here. At the same time, the facade will remain, but it will take a lot of effort to completely restore the structure. And also do not forget that a fire or lightning can again destroy the newly restored "building".

The Tower asks questions: “What am I really afraid of?” and “How can I influence the situation?”. Often, many events in life happen unexpectedly. Even the most reliable people can fail, betray. In general, it is better not to count on constancy anywhere. Therefore, the questioner should analyze his own fears from time to time. Such a "revision" will help identify weaknesses. Then you need to lay straws – come up with alternative escape routes. You can not put all eggs in one basket – it can end in a complete collapse. It’s best to always keep backups.

Spirituality and Karma (Upright)

A dangerous buffer zone into which the questioner has fallen.
Crisis time or the need to lose something.
Lack of perspective or working off karma through losses.
The ability to be reborn from the ashes, also to grow anew.

In the context of spirituality, the Tower shows an existential crisis that everyone needs to go through. In order for a person to rise to a new level, he must first fall. The “bottom” will be different for everyone. For some, the starting point will be the loss of a prestigious job or a large sum. Another person will begin to know himself only after parting with the second half. Fate takes away something valuable so that a person understands the finiteness of being itself. After all, in this world you can not be attached to anything at all. The pain of loss can be unbearable.

Karma of the Tower card is very heavy. The Arcana promises constant losses, parting. The querent seems to destroy everything he touches. He will not be able to establish any sphere of life. A broken trough will haunt you until your very last breath. Thus, fate focuses the attention of the fortuneteller only on the current moment. Chaos leads to new order. And most often this situation is a real punishment for sins in past lives.

Meaning of the Reversed The Tower Tarot

Destruction on a smaller scale, small squabbles and disagreements.
Provoking the development of a negative scenario – calling trouble.
Unwillingness to part with the past or accept what is happening.
Fear of dealing with their problems, solving complex problems.

In the reversed position, the Tower slightly reduces the destructive potential. Now the card shows not so intense experiences. Everything is going to hell, but a person still clings to the ashes of the past reality. Therefore, the reversed Burnt Temple card also implies losses, but on a slightly smaller scale. Such losses are easier to recover. The fortress will not be so difficult to restore. The questioner will fail in some area, but then he will be able to recoup. One piece of the overall puzzle here can be replaced by another. However, do not forget that even minor troubles can negatively affect well-being.

Also, the reversed Tower symbolizes problems from the past. The crisis has sunk into oblivion, but the querent is still dealing with its consequences. All the energy of the fortuneteller “merges” into this gap. Also, the position of the Tower Arcana may hint at a provocation. Some people benefit from a negative scenario. During the strongest hurricane, no one will notice a small loss. In various teams there are always gray cardinals with the manners of despots. In some cases, a card in the opposite meaning will mean getting stuck in a certain painful stage. Some people easily go through the war, but hard to adapt to the world.

Love and Relationships (Reversed)

Crises experienced together; opportunity to connect.
The desire to forgive a partner, to start building a new family.
Depression due to rejection of the break with the second half.
An understatement that does not allow you to calm down, let go.

The reversed Tarot Tower also gives a negative connotation to the relationship spread. However, the couple still has a chance to keep the peace in the family. The situation now is not as critical as the upright view of the card showed. Gradually, all squabbles will be forgotten and completely wiped out of memory. If you do not focus on past problems, you can return the former trust. Lovers are able to forgive each other everything if they feel a response. There are no perfect couples, and you need to understand this.

For lonely questioners, the Tower in the opposite sense promises to be stuck in the past. The hurtful words spoken by the former partner are still spinning in my head. A person has not lived through a painful gap to the end; he has something to answer to his opponent’s attacks. But, as you know, after a fight they don’t wave their fists. Psychotherapy will help to put an end to your soul. If you do not turn to specialists, you can plunge into a viscous depressive state for a long time. It definitely won’t do any good.

Career and Finance (Reversed)

Traumatic activity and error in execution.
Concealment of information about the imminent dismissal, closure.
Poverty, need or inability to feed oneself.
Fistedness, which only closes from finance.

In the reversed position, the Tower shows injuries at work or on duty. Also these are: small fines, suspension from work for some time. The reversed Arcana also signals a loss-making enterprise. Now talk about layoffs is perceived as gossip, but soon the problem will come out. Therefore, you can not hope for a positive ending. It is better to start looking for a new job in advance. Sometimes it is simply unprofitable for an employer to notify his employees about the collapse in time.

In terms of finances, the reversed Tower speaks of living paycheck to paycheck. A person barely closes the primary needs. Something more can not be stuttered at all. At the same time, the querent remains in this position only because of the hope for a brighter future. In his heart he is counting on someone’s help. However, such mirages only push into the abyss. It is better to get rid of illusions and deal with your own pressing issues.

Health and Spirit (Reversed)

Higher chances of recovering from heart attack, stroke.
Long rehabilitation period, also left scars.
The process of self-destruction or erasure of one’s personality.
Moral degradation and unwillingness to work on oneself.

The reversed Tower in the health spread slightly softens the main value. Here is, the position of the card hints at a higher chance of getting better. The querent will be able to fully recover, but the scars will still remain. The card itself has powerful energy, and therefore implies only the strongest effects on the body. In the opposite form, it promises a satisfactory outcome. At the same time, echoes of illness or injury will be present even years later.

The mental state is depressed. The anger that the personality had accumulated in itself began to undermine from the inside. The reversed Tower shows various kinds of addictions, suicidal thoughts. A person hates himself and thus slowly kills his body and psyche. Indeed, in fact, alcohol and narcotic substances are poison. However, they act gradually, forcing them to lose their former moral character. The same negative charge remained, it just changed direction.

Situations and Questions (Reversed)

Loss of meaning to live, continue to fight and develop.
The inability to let go of the past and accept fate.
Painful attachment to familiar things, people.
The desire to get off with little blood and level the charge.

If in the upright form the Tower showed complete destruction, behind which a new fate is hiding, then in the reversed form, everything is not so simple. The man has lost something important. But now he does not want to get up to the starting point and start building life anew. The reversed Tower often hints at lowered hands. The world is full of people who live out their lives in poverty or loneliness. Although earlier they could be wealthy, beautiful and successful. However, life cannot give guarantees. It is better to learn to adapt to circumstances, to be flexible.

The reversed Tower asks questions: “What am I afraid to let go of?” and “Why is this happening?”. Some people can’t throw away a broken cup, let alone a terrible relationship or a job they hate. But life is irrevocably passing by. Often a person is influenced by public opinion, which does not allow one or another choice to be made. However, it is worth remembering that only the person himself has power over his own destiny.

Spirituality and Karma (Reversed)

God-fearing, an attempt to belittle oneself out of fear.
Belief that self-flagellation will help in terms of religion.
Attracting negative events with your own phobias.
Reluctance to act decisively or say no.

From the position of spirituality, the reversed Tower is read as excessive suspiciousness. The place that was once struck by lightning, the person will avoid and be afraid. Only out of fear will such a person come to faith. Thus, he wants to achieve protection from the Higher Forces. But sometimes natural disasters have nothing to do with mystical manifestations. This is life, and in it there are both beautiful, pacifying phenomena, as well as terrible and destructive ones. Without chaos, there would be no order. Therefore, it is worth finding a middle ground between these concepts.

In terms of karma, the reversed Tower implies the fear of letting go. The questioner will step on the same rake occasionally. He will leave one abusive relationship and immediately enter another. Or, for example, he quits an unloved job and soon chooses a similar one for himself. And this will happen until the fortuneteller learns to put points. Inside, he must become so brave that he does not look back at the past. And all half-measures will only morally finish off, take the last strength to fight the immortal hydras.

The Tower as a Significator of a Person

The upright Tower shows assertive people who don’t wait for the sky to fall on their heads. They will quickly shake it up for their own purposes. Such individuals are not afraid, but crave crises. Only such an environment helps them to fully reveal their potential, to develop. The card corresponds to Mars – a planet with a fiery character. Maria Skłodowska-Curie became famous for discovering the world a phenomenon called radioactivity. She was not afraid to work with this dangerous topic, thereby revolutionizing physics. And even if later such experiments affected health and life expectancy. However, these are justified sacrifices.

But reversed, the Tower shows those who do not fully understand the danger of their own behavior. At the beginning of the 20th century, cosmetics with the addition of radium were especially popular. Girls dreamed of such creams, lipsticks and blushes. However, as it turned out later, this chemical element in large doses was fatal. Such human sacrifices were clearly not worth it. Therefore, the card in the reversed position often shows walking along the edge where you just need to run headlong.

The Tower: Combination with other Tarot Cards

Advice and Warning of the The Tower Card

If the Tower fell out upright, then the card advises to give free rein to feelings. You need to accept the situation, your attitude towards it and simply exhale. Nothing can be changed – the critical point has been reached. You just need to try to reduce the degree of boiling. Perhaps even someone will have to reprimand, punish. However, these are all reasonable measures. And also the Tower warns of the danger of keeping the negative in oneself. The result is already predetermined, so do not smooth the corners. On the contrary, an attempt to neutralize the charge inherent in the event will lead to dragging problems onto itself. Therefore, it is worth putting everything in its place. Even if you have to give up something.

The reversed Tower advises you to try to understand some disturbing phenomenon. This must be done in order to avoid a repetition of the situation. The "explosion" has a certain reason – it should be found. If you close your eyes to a clear problem, you can attract even more trouble. In the opposite form, the Tower hints at the danger of running away from one’s own adversity. As long as a person cannot face fear, he remains its slave. Ignorance and irresponsibility can lead to the most deplorable events. Therefore, you should muster up the courage and put an end to your problems.

The Tower: Daily Card Meaning

If the card lies upright, then the Tower promises a very difficult emotional day. Today, an extremely unpleasant situation can occur – an accident, dismissal, a major quarrel. In any case, the soul will leave a residue. Experiences will block the sobriety of the mind. Moreover, negative events will happen very quickly and unexpectedly, and therefore it is impossible to prepare for them. The questioner will feel as if the earth is moving out from under his feet. He will have to react as soon as possible, otherwise precious time will be lost. In general, the card shows a kind of adrenaline cocktail that life will treat today.

The reversed Tower shows feelings about the events of the past. The peak itself has passed, but the querent’s mind is still there. Negative memories only stir up the wound, do not allow it to heal. Reflection will not help in any way – it is better not to resurrect some moments in memory at all. Sometimes the Tower in the opposite sense will be played as an attempt to bring back the past. On these days, it may seem to the fortuneteller that there is a chance to fix something. But this is only an illusion. If you believe in it, there is a great risk of getting into a dangerous position, making trouble for yourself. The past cannot be returned, but the present moment can be missed.