The Tower (XVI Major Arcana of the Tarot): the meaning of the Tarot card

Tarot cards cannot be interpreted unambiguously. Much depends on the question and the layout used. Some arcana carry a negative meaning. The tower in this regard literally translates as “the collapse of everything around.” Many tarot readers are afraid of the appearance of this card in a reading, as it does not bode well. Most often it has the meaning of a destructive beginning.

Keywords:

• Death.
• Destruction.
• War.
• Mars.
• Warrior.
• Linguists.
• Rising from the ashes.
• Building.
• False beliefs.
• Lies.
• The walls are falling.
• Enemies.
• Broken dreams.
• Unrealistic dreams are destroyed.

Main plot

In the classic Tarot deck by Rider-White, a tower is drawn on the lasso. It is tall and perched on the top of a mountain. Lightning strikes its roof and it causes the building to collapse like a house of cards. Two people fall from a building.

Each detail of the map has its own meaning. The tower itself and the people in it symbolize several things:

• people held a high position in society;
• they had high social status;
• they had high self-esteem;
• they appreciated what they were able to get.

The tower itself is not only a symbol of achievement, but also the embodiment of arrogance, pride, social hierarchy, and arrogance. This is the embodiment of all human achievements.

Important:

The destruction of a structure is a symbol of the collapse of everything.

Some sources mention a temple instead of a tower. This is the Jerusalem Temple, which was the last refuge of the Jewish faith. It was destroyed by Emperor Titus.

Lightning itself is a symbol of God's wrath. Some sources interpret it as a catastrophe or destruction.

At the top of the tower is a crown. This is no coincidence, because it is a sign of privilege and power. This is the embodiment of what its wearer strives for. Therefore, the knocked-down crown becomes a symbol of the violent deprivation of privileges. Therefore, in some sources, lightning is interpreted as an action by authorities.

The crown can be interpreted as the wearer's connection with the divine essence. Therefore, the destruction of the tower can be interpreted as a violation of cosmic laws. Perhaps the person has illegally arrogated rights and privileges to himself.

The rock makes the tower inaccessible to other people. The inhabitants living there isolate themselves from most of society. The building is protected from intrusion. It stops unwanted contacts with the outside world. This is an indicator of closedness and isolation.

Arcana Tower: Card of the Day

In Tarot fortune telling using the card of the day, the Tower lasso can symbolize life transformations. Perhaps you went through a period of loss and were forced to give up something. The fortuneteller could have lost something important. Well, you can't change the past, so all that's left to do is learn from the valuable experience and move on. In the future, you may realize that a particular loss turned out to be something useful for you.

If we are talking about an inverted Tower, then you are endowed with certain opportunities and prospects, but they have limitations. Therefore, it is better to immediately set priorities and get rid of those things that provoke stress.

General interpretation

In fact, the Tower is not such a negative lasso. She is rather the embodiment of the crisis. The situation does not come as a surprise, since it has been brewing for a very long time. In a sense, this is punishment for something.

Attention:

The querent must go through the destruction of what he believed in. This is the only way he will get rid of the false.

Previously, the balance was based on false foundations. Therefore, the Tower in a certain sense is the savior of life. It gets rid of all stagnant situations that interfere with life and clears away toxic beliefs. But the querent is unlikely to accept what is happening with joy. The blows of fate can be very sensitive.

Periods of life begin to change rapidly, which causes very noticeable discomfort. Man hid behind impenetrable walls for a long time and now they are crumbling. Such a process is clearly not included in the concept of comfort

The tower can be interpreted:

• stripping;
• camber;
• violation of the existing order.

The card does not always mean a negative stripe. In some scenarios, it foreshadows changes in life for the better. But the questioner does not always perceive what is happening well. In a sense, for him this comes as a bolt from the blue, a complete surprise. He is broken and distorted by the need to change his outlook on life.

The peculiarity of the map is that you cannot try to restore what was destroyed.

Sometimes the lasso only indicates internal changes. In some sources you can find such an interpretation as a warning that everything that is stable in our lives can be destroyed. This is getting rid of rigid beliefs, changing principles.

Classic interpretations of the card are the collapse of plans, frustrations, troubles, suffering, failures. In the everyday sense, conflicts and quarrels. But all these shocks ultimately bring only relief. In some cases, a card can be played as a victory, but it will be obtained at too great a cost.

General meaning of the Tarot Tower

Before talking about the general meaning of the direct arcana of the Tower tarot, we need to mention the main key phrases related to it:

• Epiphany;
• Collapse;
• Shock;
• Death of illusions;
• Changing ideas about life;
• Destruction of frames.

A card in an upright position indicates that the questioner will soon be suddenly overtaken by changes. They can come at the most undesirable moment. There is a risk of losing something without which a person did not see the meaning of life. Attempts to return everything will be unjustified. It is better to live in the present and let go of the past, which can no longer be returned.

However, these changes are unusual, as they can be for the better or for the worse. For example, some kind of criminal story may begin, or a person important to him will leave the fortuneteller’s life, or communication with a girlfriend/boyfriend will end. You need to listen to your mind first and be as careful as possible.

If the fortuneteller now has a feeling that he is out of place or not good enough, then you need to know that this is a temporary phenomenon. Soon the questioner will be able to get back on his feet and begin to move towards success. The Tower tarot card says that you just need to survive this period in life, since all attempts to correct the situation will fail.

In an inverted position, the lasso states that failures could have overtaken the person, but they passed him by. There is still a threat of disaster, but it is much weaker than before. At one moment, it may seem to the questioner that the situation has escalated to the limit, but nothing bad will happen. Troubles will pass him by.

Main key phrases:

• A period of change has begun;
• Limited freedom;
• Inability to change anything;
• We need to start all over again;
• It's time to face what the fortuneteller was afraid of.

The meaning in the Thoth tarot is that what is outdated must be destroyed to make way for the new.

The meaning in the Manara tarot is that a person desires something, but does not dare to cross the prohibitions of society.

Personal sphere

A person is shocked by some news or event. All his plans have collapsed, he no longer hopes for anything. The tower is the embodiment of stress and a person will have to go through it. False beliefs fall under the influence of reality. This transformation allows you to identify all the weak points.

To some extent, the tower itself becomes the embodiment of isolation from the world. But along with this comes a separation from activity and growth. This is a prison that is built from unchangeable and exalted ideas. Her walls hold back energy and emotions. The tower can be perceived as an attempt to slow down the process of growth.

The destroyed Tower becomes a condition for rebirth through pain.

In fact, a person goes through this lasso more than once. Everyone strives to stay in stability and tranquility. Many of us are sometimes disappointed in our beliefs and hopes. It is important to regularly review your position. Without this process, the querent manages to build a very tall tower. If it is destroyed, he will be buried under the rubble.

A person who feels pain about what is happening in the lasso will be helped by the realization that he is not alone in the Universe. Somewhere they are waiting for him, and someone from above will never leave him. Even losses can be beneficial. Crisis and despair are great for stimulating growth processes.

Some tarot readers interpret the lasso as follows: the querent can move along his own path, accepting all the trials and losses, which sooner or later leads to the star of hope. Or he can drag himself through the mud, lamenting why he has all this and be in the role of a passive victim.

Arkan describes a person:

• restless;
• fussy;
• self-confident;
• loving change.

Most often, such individuals have an explosive character and are almost ready to get into a barrel. These are all kinds of rowdies and hooligans. Pride and delusions of grandeur often contribute to the emergence of tyrants. Only their scale may be different.

Astrological correspondence

10th house of the horoscope. Zodiac sign Capricorn . Planets Saturn - on the external level, Uranus - on the internal level.

The map allows us to see in our lives what reality needs from us. The requirement to remove illusions, foam, inflated self-esteem, ridiculous dreams from your life and leave only the objective.

The requirements of the Tower, as a card with the qualities of Capricorn and the figures - Saturn and Uranus, are that a person, having encountered difficulties, sees that everything he thought about himself was an illusion. And further, he would reveal his potential capabilities and forms of activity.

Deep level

Despite the belief that some kind of retribution for sins takes place through the lasso, in a broader sense it is rather a realignment of the brain. The card seems to remind a person that he does not have power in all areas of life and he should not try to classify himself as a mystical being. Everything that the querent is striving for now does not correlate with development.

To some extent, the lasso allows you to be reborn literally from the ashes. After purification by fire and destruction of the walls, the person is resurrected as a Phoenix. It’s not for nothing that the map shows flames escaping from the tower.

In some decks, a beggar falls from a window, in others, an emperor. All this only indicates that no one will be protected from heavenly punishment. Therefore, the map becomes a warning that not everything in the world is stable, any structure can be destroyed. You can lose everything if you exchange spiritual growth for material goals.

A person should give up ambitions and selfish beliefs. There is no need to be sad about a collapsed structure; it’s time to make a solid foundation for it, and for this you need to choose a spiritual basis.

Tarot Tower - meaning in combination

When combined with other cards, the Tower gives interesting meanings.

With the Major Arcana:

• With the Magician - there will be retribution for permissiveness;
• Hierophant - a crisis of spiritual quest;
• Wheel of Fortune - sudden and drastic changes in life;
• By force - appearing surrounded by unfriendly people;
• The sun - receiving insight;
• With the Priest - suppression of each other in marriage.

With the Minor Arcana:

• With the 5 of Pentacles - financial problems, a difficult period in life;
• 6 of Wands – success;
• 9 of Pentacles – a sea of ​​problems.

Work issues

Crises concern not only personal growth. For those working, the Tower can be played in different meanings. A person may suddenly have the idea of ​​changing jobs or quitting. In radical cases, up to changing profession.

Sometimes the Tower means a crisis at work. Dismissal will occur with a scandal, showdowns and other unpleasant events. Moreover, for the querent this will be a very unexpected action. In a less global sense, these are professional failures, company bankruptcy, project closure and loss in competition.

Attention:

The questioner realizes that his plans cannot be realized in real life. Attempts to do this will lead to a monumental failure.

In some cases, there is removal from office, loss of prestige, and a decrease in the level of influence. In this situation, a person feels like all his efforts were in vain, and he loses the meaning of existence. To some extent, the lasso shows that the undertaking is risky, the business is unreliable, and the enterprise is not sustainable.

The tower forcibly expels the querent from the usual boundaries of existence. Thus, a huge scope for activity opens up before him. But despite all the shocks, as soon as a person crawls out from under a destroyed building, he understands: here it is, freedom.

For job seekers, the lasso does not bode well. Rather, he is the embodiment of the fact that everything around is flimsy, ready to collapse. High risk of becoming a victim of inadequate management or team.

Financially, things are also unstable. Possible bankruptcy or crisis. In severe cases, poverty or destitution.

The meaning of the Tarot Tower in work and finance

If the Tower tarot card falls in an upright position, then the person will face troubles at work. Some conflict may occur with your boss or subordinates, so you need to be careful and polite. There may be some miscalculation in the calculations or important papers will be lost.

They may delay your salary, fail to pay bonuses or vacation pay, or you won’t be able to go on vacation at all, or you will be given extra working hours, or even days. The boss will become stricter and will watch every step of the fortuneteller.

It is also worth paying attention to your competitors - they are waiting for any good opportunity. The main thing is not to miss the moment and not allow these troubles to happen. Otherwise, things can get to the point where the person is demoted.

Whether this will be good news in this case is difficult to say, but the person himself will definitely not lose his job.

Failures and bankruptcy are possible in business. A person may realize that he does not have the power that he previously ascribed to himself. It will be very risky to abuse your power - this will lead to quarrels.

If the alignment was made with the aim of determining a suitable area of ​​work, then such areas as sports, psychotherapy, and military service would be suitable for the questioner.

The financial situation can be said to be precarious. Troubles with real estate and relocation are possible. New projects should not be started, otherwise a person may suffer serious losses.

The inverted Tower symbolizes that the fortuneteller may become disappointed in what he previously showed interest in. It is possible that an unjustifiably low salary will be assigned, although there were hopes for more. But you need to wait out this dark streak with patience. Everything will be fine soon.

Love sphere

In short, the Tower in love scenarios brings breaking and liberation. Which of these will manifest itself more clearly depends on the person. In some cases, it is just a normal conflict. But much more often it is a strong impulse that brings release to emotions.

This card is a blast. Everything collapses, patience runs out, silence gets boring. If in previous relationships there was a feeling of impasse, then the card gives you the strength to literally knock out the wall and free yourself from imprisonment. For some, this literally becomes salvation; the person is glad that he has finally been released and does not care about the fate of the bricks.

For an established union, the appearance of lassos means a test or collapse.

Some tarot readers interpret the card as cleansing, others as ashes. This is a crisis that everyone in a stable relationship experiences. To some extent, the truth comes to light. It is not necessarily associated with betrayal. Perhaps the questioner realized that he was dissatisfied with the union, or he realized that he was surrounded by illusions.

In some cases, the card indicates violence and tyranny.

The tower is the embodiment of sexual energy. These are emotions that were held back for a long time, and then were released into the wild and it blows your mind. This is an unexpected crush, sex on the first date, etc. But in some cases, the card plays out like rape or passion, which destroys more than it heals.

But for those looking for love, the Tower is a good sign. More likely, something will happen in a person’s life. It’s not a fact that it will be love until the end of time, but it will be possible to break out of the golden cage. The querent agrees to take any risk, even if it involves various losses, just to break out of the shackles of boredom.

Some tarot readers interpret the card as a case when a person begins to do something that he would never agree to. It’s as if he chooses now, he will do it, or never again. For example, a confirmed bachelor gets married, an old maid gives birth to a child, etc.

Straight position

In its classical meaning, the Major Arcana Tower is seen as a sharp and powerful weapon that destroys all previous life. Destruction can concern both the material side of existence and the spiritual. In the first case, they talk about losses of real estate, funds, rights. In the second - about the collapse of hopes, previous dreams, plans, relationships.

In the upright position, the Tarot Tower carries special meanings:

• a crisis that cuts off ties with your previous life, but offers to start everything from scratch;
• erasing outdated, degraded attitudes that prevent you from rising to the next level;
• strong emotions and suffering, after which comes relief and renewal;
• a meeting with the will of higher powers, which one can only accept, but not resist the consequences;
• chaos, confusion, layering of facts and events.

When the Almshouse appears in a reading, events happen very quickly, almost instantly. Such a denouement may be brewing for a long time, but in a certain sense it is expected and desired. The sixteenth lasso is a continuation of the cycle of the previous card - pride calls upon itself the wrath of God, which cleanses the soul of dirt and directs it to the path of truth.

Arcana Tower of the Black Cats Tarot deck

Learn more about the Tarot of Black Cats.

Reversed position

The reverse position of the card reduces the degree of its destructive influence. A catastrophe will not bring such losses, and the structure will not collapse to the foundation. Its evil manifestation decreases. In some sources you can find such an interpretation as postponing the test. It will definitely happen, but later. In some cases, a person hides from trouble at the last moment. But even in an inverted position, the Tower brings pain and suffering.

A person is in circumstances that he cannot change. He is heavily dependent on them and this brings a number of inconveniences. His individuality is oppressed and suppressed, and his opportunities are limited. This is the very case when the querent prefers the beaten track. He doesn’t want to change anything, preferring to follow the usual path. He habitually clings to his status, not seeing the prerequisites for changes in life. Meanwhile, a crisis is brewing.

Subconsciously, the questioner feels the need for change, but keeps putting off their implementation. To some extent, this helps mitigate the destruction. In some cases, the person stubbornly denies any negative manifestations - be it violence or other losses.

The literal advice of the arcana is that you should not give in to conflicts and quarrels, or destroy old alliances. Try to solve all problems peacefully.

In a positive sense, the Tower marks the end of a dark period and the resolution of all scandalous situations. Yes, life after all this will never be the same, but why strive for this? It's time to start all over again.

Tarot Tower - meaning in relationships

If the position is upright, most likely the relationship was very strong, but the card does not bring the most welcome news. It seems to you that the relationship is time-tested and nothing can shake it, but no. Slowly but surely everything is heading towards radical destruction. A little more time and there will be nothing left that can be saved.

There is a possibility that one partner causes any kind of discomfort to the other, but the other endures everything in silence. Soon this person will get tired of enduring everything and there will be a scandal, followed by a crisis in the relationship, because it will no longer be possible to restore it.

If the tower card is reversed, then the relationship is quite fragile and is on the verge of breaking. Most likely, there will be no breakup, but the lovers will get on each other’s nerves. There may be many quarrels and scandals, but then reconciliation will come. The main thing is to express everything that hurts, to pour out your soul.

Health issues

In health readings, the card often means unexpected problems. They usually appear due to an accident. These include various household injuries, wounds and burns.

But in some cases, the lasso manifests itself in a completely unexpected way. It is literally a healing or a quick recovery. The man did not expect to be cured so quickly. Such an event literally shocks him.

The tower promotes cleansing of waste and toxins. This leads to local allergic reactions and gastrointestinal problems. Sometimes it is a symbol of crises of certain ages or panic attacks. It often becomes a mental disorder when a person interferes with others’ lives.

Tower as a description of personality

Represents a person with a strong character, whose life is a series of ups and downs. He has a natural ability to take difficult situations and change them for the better. He is a good and reliable partner in times when everything around is difficult and dark.

In his own and other people’s lives, he can see in advance what is not necessary and true, so he can collapse at any moment. He tests himself and his own existence, checking and reviewing those parts of it that begin to stagnate in order to make the necessary changes to them.

He himself has more than once experienced serious changes that led to a completely new situation, so he is no longer afraid of life and its disasters.

Although he doesn't like it, he understands the cleansing power of disaster and rebirth. And he knows how to accept it.