The Tower is the sixteenth card of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. It is the embodiment of changes that must be made, willing or not.
The Symbolism of the Tower Tarot Card
This card is represented by a tower that has just been hit by lightning and is aflame. Two figures are falling from high atop the tower. This card is generally considered to be an ill omen.
The Tower bears the number “16,” and is the force of cataclysm for the Fool after his encounter with The Devil.
The General Interpretation of the Tower Card
When appearing in a spread, this card implies the breakdown of existing thoughts and forms. How difficult or painful this will be depends on the attitude with which you approach this card, much as with Death.
The Tower is a card of fear for many, for the fall it indicates cannot be avoided. Willing or not, the fall will happen. The only variable involves how you decide to react to the devastation suggested by this card.
The Fool is also faced with this decision. Does he accept what must be, or does he fight against the fates? The Devil showed him that changes had to be made. If he does not make these changes himself, the Tower will make them for him.
The Inner Meaning of the Tower in Tarot
The Tower is the image of the collapse of old forms, including old thoughts and beliefs. Since it is the only man-made structure in the entire Major Arcana, it represents those things that are built by you and only you. This can and usually does include the many social facades that are worn by people in society. It implies that perhaps you are wearing your own mask, hiding from the truth, disguising who and what you truly are. It is the card of false or outgrown values, perhaps suggesting that this disguise isn’t necessary.
Just as the Devil forced an awareness of inner integrity, the Tower may force you to act on this information. To become true and pure to yourself, acknowledging the inner truth you have been trying to deny. This can be a painful process, but the end result is always worth the pain and fear.
The Fool is forever changed by this card. He is more humble and complete, and more true to himself. He has found his authentic self. His life on the outside will change because of this card, just as he has been changed on the inside.
The Fool must encounter the Tower after he meets the Devil. This occurs while on the path to his meeting with the Star.
Sources
- Fenton, Shasha, Tarot. Mars Publishing, 1999.
- Gray, Eden, The Complete Guide to the Tarot. Bantam Books, 1982.
- Greene, Liz, and Juliet Sharman-Burke, The Mythic Tarot. Stoddart Publishing, 1988.
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