The Tower

For The Tower, which is traditionally considered the harshest card of the Major Arcana, oddly enough, one can search for its keyword for a long time. Many cards in the Tarot deck herald 'change.' The Fool, The Wheel of Fortune, Death... And what about the Six of Swords? Don't they all promise change? In short, it's not 'change.' The unexpectedness of these changes? Strangest of all, The Tower may not be unexpected at all! The situation, like an abscess, has been brewing for a long time. This is that 'end of the world' that was awaited. It might even have been very much awaited! So it's not 'unexpectedness.' Liberation? Again, The Tower will not be the exclusive bearer of this meaning. Liberation is carried by Judgment, The Sun, The Star... and a number of other cards.

And it turns out that the keyword is 'crisis.' Or even 'crack.' An explosion or breakdown following preceding escalation. In a certain sense, it is a retribution for what came before. It marks the Expulsion of the Devil (the previous Arcanum). The ancient name of The Tower is The House of God. That's worth thinking about. This is the House of the Devil (as the card was called in medieval Italy), transforming under the blow of a heavenly lightning bolt into a place of God's presence. Through The Tower comes liberation from false, development-hindering striving, through the destruction of what a person believed in and strove for strongly. There is a loss of achieved equilibrium, which rested on false foundations. The Tower is the sanitation officer of evolution; it heals our life from everything that poisons it, destroys stagnant situations that hinder growth. At the same time, the blows of fate may seem as tragic and incomprehensible as they do to a child being dragged to the doctor to have a bad tooth removed. Few perceive these cleansing operations with delight, but they are still necessary.

The Tower shows that the walls behind which we were hiding (or hiding something) are crumbling. One period of life is replaced by another, and this happens very rapidly, and therefore not painlessly. In the simplest sense, the card symbolizes the end of an existing situation under the influence of external forces, and unexpected and very fast at that. This can be either a rapid, reactionary imposition of order akin to a clean-up operation, or a total collapse of the situation existing today (at least in the area of the question asked). The Tower tears a person out of limiting circumstances, disrupts a long-existing state of affairs. Sometimes this fully corresponds to the expectations and even desires of the querent, so The Tower is not always so bad. Next to positive cards, it signifies the disintegration of existing evil, heralding the end of a black streak in life and relief from a heavy burden. It's time to enter the future to the sound of the past's debris crashing down. Another matter if all this does not correspond at all to expectations or desires. Then it's a bolt from the blue, a kind of painful revelation undermining the very foundations on which we stood, a radical breaking of previous views on life. It's important that the 'blow' itself is delivered by forces with which it's not worth even trying to cope. Another significant point: there is no point in trying to restore what was destroyed by The Tower; it's useless.

In different positions of the spread and depending on the situation, The Tower changes its scale and meaning. These can be both external destructions and internal upheavals. For the future, it rather serves as a warning that what we have long considered stable and secure may suddenly falter. Fundamental changes are brewing; there is a smell of thunder in the air. As an indicator of the past, it says that what had become obsolete has collapsed and will not be revived. Sometimes it's about internal things—ossified beliefs or life principles—and sometimes the target is something more tangible, but in any case, with The Tower, it is precisely those structures and conventions that we have already outgrown that fall apart. In fact, the old breaks because it's time, something new is already ripening, something more creative, alive, and vital, and the old has already outlived its usefulness, and resuscitating it is a waste of time and effort. When the shock passes, we find that we have gotten rid of ballast.

With The Tower, we clear away debris, throw out the old and unnecessary, destroy obstacles. Sometimes it speaks of being in an extremely intense process of transformation; something has shaken and shocked us, we have felt a breakthrough to something important, space has been freed within us for something new. We are burning with some idea, feeling, desire, breaking one thing, rushing towards another, experiencing shock and liberation. This is the acquisition of an inner truth that had long languished within us under a bushel. This process is like thunder from a clear sky or a river breaking through a dam. It can be such a powerful and vivid experience that it's almost impossible to 'collect' oneself and turn to daily routine (the notorious 'Tower collapse'). Traditional meanings of The Tower: unexpected disruption and ruination of plans; in the worst case, complete failure, troubles, suffering. Catastrophic changes in the querent's affairs, destruction of home, business, marriage (depending on the question's theme and surrounding cards), sometimes imprisonment. In a purely everyday sense, The Tower often means conflict, even scandal; however, it's a thunderstorm after which the air becomes cleaner. Involvement in actions of an aggressive nature, in difficult and/or dangerous situations is possible.

In rare cases, The Tower foretells triumph, but even then it's more of a 'Pyrrhic victory,' achieved at too high a cost. With The Tower come unforeseen destruction, accidents, breakdowns, mishaps, sometimes attacks. On a global scale, it reflects wars, natural disasters, explosions, terrorist attacks, revolutions, collapse of a regime, destruction of the existing order. Air disasters, shipwrecks. It is believed that The Tower, appearing in a spread, casts other cards in a negative light.

"As if struck by thunder."

Most likely, the person is in shock. They are struck down by some news or event, and everything they planned before and hoped for has suddenly changed. Maybe they are decisively trying to free themselves from something and act as a destroyer, but again, there is some reason for that.

The Tower is a stress test that reveals all our weak points. The fall of erroneous beliefs under the pressure of reality, the overthrow of values that provided us with confidence in the future and a sense of security (in the emotional sphere, professional, financial... spiritual, finally). The image of The Tower can mean structures with which a person tries to fence themselves off from growth, from the world, from the activity and diversity of life. In a certain sense, the XVI Arcanum depicts a prison consisting of rigid, impermeable-to-change, and at the same time highly elevated representations. Within its gloomy walls are locked unused forces, unrevealed emotions, paralyzed energy. They accumulate and press harder and harder. The person becomes cramped within themselves but stubbornly forces themselves to huddle, just to avoid growing out of fear of pain (and life). Essentially, this entire structure is a futile attempt to stop the process of growth, change, transition from one state to another. And so, the reality, conditioned by a limited outlook, is subjected to destruction. The towering-to-the-sky Tower of views (and the area of life where the person considered themselves securely protected) unexpectedly swayed and shattered along with the old picture of the world. This is often perceived as a catastrophe, since it is precisely those structures that formed the very basis of our confidence that are crumbling, but in fact, it is a deserved crisis, the impossibility of remaining in outdated positions. Through The Tower, nothing less than the conditions for further growth are created. This is pain standing on the path to rebirth.

We all go through the experience of The Tower many times. A person is imperfect, and their knowledge of the world is always only partial. We all, to some extent, fence ourselves off from the surroundings to gain stability and peace. Disillusionment in one's illusions, hopes, and rational constructs does not bypass anyone; the question is only how often positions are revised (here, openness and interaction with the external world, in general with forces that surpass one's own 'I,' play the main role). If a person does not do this for a long time (and we lay the bricks of our ideas every day, one way or another), they manage to erect a very high structure and then risk being simply 'buried' under its debris—digging out will take a long time, and this experience will leave its scars. It is a special life wisdom—understanding that the walls of your tower are more your enemies than your friends. And still, the sensation during the fall can be simply awful. Sometimes 'righteous anger' and the fury of destruction and liberation pass through it, but more often, loss of orientation, existential horror, a stunning realization that you are not the person you imagined yourself to be, that you are grasping at air, like the falling figures on the card, is experienced. It is important for a person suffering from acute pain from The Tower to remember that they are not alone. Up there, from on high, Someone is looking at them, sees everything (that's why They struck, because They see...), and will not abandon them under any circumstances. Even obvious losses are valuable gifts from the Universe, and times of crisis and despair often become the most fruitful phases of growth. By looking honestly at oneself, one can truly free oneself and move on. As noted by one modern Western tarot reader: 'By accepting the shock, you will be able to progress on your true path, and sooner or later, the Star of hope will shine for you. The alternative is to trudge through the mud as a passive victim, wondering where you are and how you got there.' The action of The Tower is very clearly seen in Priestley's 'Dangerous Corner,' where the main character discovers that the entire edifice of his life was an illusion and where questions of deception and self-deception are shown brilliantly. And one more thing that must be remembered in 'Tower' times: the most important, most valuable, and essential cannot be destroyed. The Tower does not destroy that at all. It burns the trash (even if at that moment we are ready to pull it out of the fire with our bare hands).

A person of The Tower has an extremely restless character; they are simply a powder keg. They suddenly burst onto the scene like lightning and fall just as suddenly, which also leaves a feeling of a bolt from the blue. They eternally crave change (at least unconsciously), feel cramped within life's given frames, and therefore something is always happening to them; they themselves and the people around them receive regular 'shakes.' They are dynamic, self-confident, excitingly unpredictable, and always ready to take risks. The Tower brings upheaval and turmoil into the lives of those with whom fate brings them together; they are a living fate. At the same time, the person's spirit is unbending, hard to break, and their own life, full of sharp turns, serves them if not as a lesson, then as tempering. A Tower person of any gender is often distinguished by an explosive temperament and an inability to maintain good relationships with others. They are a born duelist who always asks for trouble. At worst, they are a brawler, scandalmonger, rude person, or even a criminal. Historically, The Tower corresponds to tyrants and dictators (who are eventually overthrown if they don't manage to die before that). Mania of grandeur and punishment for pride pass through The Tower. Anyone else's nerves would have given way ten times over, 'but he, rebellious, seeks a storm, as if there is peace in storms.' However, they have the gift of freeing other, less tough and radical people from what oppresses them—one, two, doors kicked in, phones torn out, suitcases packed, and anyway, forget the things, and here you are already hitching a ride in an unknown direction, not even trying to guess how it will all end. With The Tower, the phrase 'see Paris and die' ceases to be a literary turn of phrase.

In a spiritual sense, the Tower symbolizes the consequences of a person being 'tempted by the devil,' having accepted the Devil's offer, even if they try to deny it. The Sixteenth Arcana describes the destruction of the vibrations of the Fifteenth. The Tower is something sent by God (a blow, punishment, revelation, destruction of illusions). Contrary to modern interpretations, in a deeper sense, the Tower does not so much 'blow one's top' as strictly the opposite – 'sets the mind straight.' We receive a reminder from the Universe that we are not omnipotent (even if we have gained power), that human will, however strong it may be, is secondary and limited compared to the Divine Will. The Tower warns – do not imagine yourself as the Lord God, do not fancy that 'man himself is in control.' What you are striving for now does not contribute to evolution and is not part of God's plans. Therefore, you will be set on the right path, the constructions of your limited mind will be overthrown. The Sixteenth Arcana is the mystery of the overthrow of everything false, unviable. Symbolically, it depicts the fall of Lucifer, the Daystar, cast down from heaven 'like lightning' by the host of Archangel Michael. Sometimes it is also associated with the fall of man and his expulsion from paradise, although generally this structure resembles paradise little... Probably closest to the Sixteenth Arcana is the famous myth of the Tower of Babel, a symbol of vanity, which the Lord did not allow proud people to complete. Allegory: something not entirely real falls under the pressure of Divine intervention. Therefore, the Tower addresses a person with a warning: the task you have set cannot but destroy the one who solves it. And does it even have meaning? What you are building at the very least ignores God's laws, and perhaps violates them. It is essentially a fall, so expulsion from paradise will inevitably follow. This construction will not be completed, though much has already been done. A Uranian strike will follow, instantly putting an end to this matter. From this Uranian lightning, the sun of a new truth may rise. Divine revelation at once destroys all delusions, leaving nothing of them.

Astrologically, the influence of Mars (cosmic energy in its crude materialistic form) is palpable in the Tower, as well as planets such as Pluto (globality and massiveness, 'nowhere to hide'), Uranus and Saturn (sudden destruction and renewal). The Tower can mean both blind destruction of forms and the fall of the decayed. Mars is the personal moral principle of a person, dominating over fate, giving physical strength, spiritual impulses, and hope for immortality. But hope for immortality comes to a person only when they 'fall from their Tower of Babel' and they have nothing left but this hope. In a mystical sense, the Tower corresponds to astral battles, magical wars, exorcism.

The Tower also corresponds to the mystery of the Phoenix, resurrecting from the ashes renewed. This is the ability to be reborn, to change cardinally after cleansing crises (moving from the temptations of the Devil to the Star). On the card, it is often depicted how from the breach formed by the strike, a stream of golden radiance or another substance bursts forth, symbolizing the released potential forces. In Masonic tradition, the tower symbolizes the pillar Jachin and the primordial fire, 'with which everything begins, and with which everything ends.' Also, the stones of the Tower symbolize the callousness and rigidity of the human soul, the inertia of consciousness. The images of figures falling from the Tower differ in different decks. Sometimes one is a king, losing his crown in flight, and the other is a poor man in rags. This hints that no one will avoid cleansing crises and revision of views in life. Almighty Fate is completely indifferent to what place a person occupies in the hierarchy of this world. Sometimes it is a man and a woman, then the association with the fall of man and retribution for yielding to the temptations of the previous Arcana is more likely. Sometimes the Tower is associated with the 'flaming sword' at the entrance to Eden. Expulsion is reflected here in the form that the person falls into the lower world and brings upon themselves the illusion of materiality.

The Tower is the axis of the world, which embodies spiritual evolution directed toward divine heights. Esoterically, this Arcana also depicts the mystery of the interaction of thought (representation) and word. The human soul, in order for what is created inside to be manifested outwardly (for the word to be uttered), turns inward. But the uttered word destroys the former inner integrity, and in speaking, the person ceases to understand the meaning of what is said and to touch the essence of things creatively. Hence the seemingly paradoxical phrase 'A thought expressed is a lie.' When a person comprehends the true power of the word, they mostly remain silent (as exemplified by ascetic hermits).

The card may merely warn that the structure is shaky, the forces are not so great, and understanding is not so full as it seems, and as a result of abusing God's gift, misfortune may occur. A typical example: the catastrophe of a person who plays with magical forces beyond their power and understanding, or a psychic exaggerating their abilities and (semi-consciously) profiting from people's misfortunes. The Tower has long been considered a card of admonition for seekers of occult knowledge. It says that by being tempted by the possibility of ruling this world instead of striving for wisdom and spiritual growth, you will lose everything you have managed to acquire. The reason is the incorrect use of power. Not that you manifested it in principle, but where you directed it. Walking the spiritual path, it is not THIS world that a person should try to conquer. At this point of seeking, there is still the temptation to evaluate oneself in terms of this world – by the impression produced on others, by earthly position and status. But if you exchange spiritual growth for obvious material achievements, you will lose everything, and in a hermetic sense, the XVI Arcana is about this. YOU HAVE EITHER APPROPRIATED A POWER YOU DID NOT POSSESS, OR STRIVED FOR A GOAL YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO. It symbolizes the collapse of a presumptuous intellect that attempted to seize Secret Knowledge.

Here, as in everything else, The Tower brings breakdown and liberation. And whether a person feels more 'breakdown' or more 'liberation' is another question. Sometimes conflict passes through The Tower, and sometimes—an irrepressible sexual impulse; sometimes one turns into the other... but in any case, it's an explosion and release of long-accumulated and suppressed feelings. If something was being held back, restrained, endured, kept silent about, waited for, then The Tower is the hour of explosion. Restraints crumble, reins snap, patience runs out; in short, the margin of safety ends, sometimes completely treacherously. The direction of interpreting The Tower can sometimes be guessed precisely by whether this period of 'nuclear containment' preceded it, whether the clock mechanism was ticking. The previous nature of the relationship can also give a clue. If the situation felt like a dead end, and the relationship (or lack thereof) strongly reminded the person of a prison, The Tower is 'the door kicked in and out.' Sometimes it is experienced positively, roughly like a person condemned to life imprisonment experiences the unexpected destruction of the prison in an earthquake—they escape to freedom, feeling no nostalgia for the wreckage. The Tower can mean the collapse of previous relationships that seemed stable and unchanging, or a very severe test of love or friendship, after which the opinion of loved ones changes. The old words 'ruin as a result of wrong judgments and abuse of free will' are absolutely accurate, and one can feel how true this is only by going through all the vicissitudes of The Tower. Another of its meanings is 'cleansing storm.' And another one—'smoldering ruins.' Which of them is closer to the truth in this case remains to be seen. Marriage crisis, divorce. The Tower often involves some sort of 'exposures'—long-hidden truth breaks out, sudden understanding of the true nature of events arises. This can be the realization of one's own dissatisfaction with the marriage, the fact of infidelity, and other unexpected blows ('all was confusion in the Oblonskys' house'). Through The Tower, secrets are revealed and illusions dispelled. Sudden loss of a spouse, knocking the ground from under one's feet. In practice, there was a case where The Tower indicated sudden widowhood, the spouse's death, and the person, in a stunning realization of their vulnerability, was left with a small child in their arms, having to build a completely new life. Partly, the card points to tyranny and oppression (the context of the spread is important); the situation can also be dangerous, threatening, fraught with violence. The Tower carries considerable sexual energy. The lightning sometimes takes the form of the zodiac sign Scorpio, and the tower itself is seen as a phallic symbol. It symbolizes the mighty orgasmic power of emotions that have long been restrained but finally gained freedom. Therefore, sometimes sudden love passes through The Tower, which 'jumped out before us, like a murderer jumping out from under the ground in an alley, and struck us both at once! That's how lightning strikes, that's how a Finnish knife strikes!' The upright card is associated with erection and ejaculation (the reversed, respectively, with problems in this regard; also, there is an opinion that it can point to a secret birth of a child). Through The Tower, spontaneous, very passionate sex is possible, unexpected for the person themselves, and sometimes violent. Sometimes passion passes through it that seriously destroys the lives of the people seized by it. 'Everything happened'—but to open their eyes and look around after this atomic explosion is simply terrifying for them... For a single person living with a sense of complete stagnation and tired of loneliness, The Tower is an almost optimistic card. It says that something will happen! Not necessarily great happiness, but in any case, the boring and calm existence will end, and it will be possible to break out of the dungeon of stupor. It happens that a person is ready to take risks just to overcome inertia, and they are not even very frightened by the prospect of being left with nothing (however, The Tower's energy is such that the other person's trough is also unlikely to remain intact). A modern tarot reader, writing under the pseudonym Almaz, said the following about The Tower: 'The card can represent a period when a person decides to do what they have never done, following the principle: now or never. Those who married an unsuitable person leave; single people fall in love and bind themselves in marriage; women who have never had children use the last chance to conceive a child; and those who have worked for years at a boring job quit and walk to the Himalayas on foot. For the sake of happiness and growth, everything standard must go, so that what has slept so long in the depths of our being may awaken.'