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The Tower Tarot Card Meaning
The Tower Tarot card meaning – The Tower is the 16th (XVI) card of the Major Arcana and represents destruction, difficulty, sudden change or upheaval, inspiration, realization, and reevaluation.
While the suffering of The Hanged Man ultimately leads to spiritual initiation and enlightenment, the suffering of The Tower is a different story. The Tower tarot card is one that embodies those forces that bring us to the proverbial rock-bottom of life – its energy is cataclysmic and erratic. Whereas the Death card causes destruction in a natural, often foreseeable fashion, The Tower represents destruction that is sudden, unpredictable, and heart-wrenching.
The image of the tower in The Tower card is symbolic of our ego, sense of self, and the lifestyle we have built for ourselves over time. It represents the things that we find security and stability in – whether it be our home, relationships, values, ambitions, or successes. The lightning bolt striking the tower illustrates that all of these things can be greatly shaken up (or flat-out destroyed) in an instant.
The beauty and wisdom of The Tower tarot card lie in the opportunity it presents you with. The Tower offers you the chance to start anew, fresh and from scratch. Old systems and structures in your life have been destroyed because they were poorly founded, unnecessary, or restricting you in some way. When you are brought to your lowest, you are then able to rebuild your foundations better and stronger than before.
The Tower teaches us that when we build upon faulty foundations, they will eventually crumble. However, like Death and the Wheel of Fortune, The Tower also reminds us that change is an inescapable constant. That which we so earnestly hold on to and desire to remain the same will inevitably become subject to the flow of change and destruction of the universe.
Some questions The Tower invites you to ponder…
- What are the foundations of your life? What form may foundations take for you?
- What aspects of you or your life are created by your ego? How could they be affected by external forces?
- When have you experienced sudden, painful change? What was it like?
- How do you handle change or unpredictability?
In this post, we’ll be going over The Tower tarot card in-depth with upright and reversed meanings, as well as The Tower as a person or significator and The Tower as feelings. Understanding The Tower in these positions will equip you with a deeper intuitive understanding of this Major Arcana card. However, remember, each Tarot reading is unique! These interpretations are general intuitive meanings, so they may or may not apply to you and your reading. Always consult your inner guidance when discerning the interpretations of the cards in your tarot readings! Or, book a reading with a tarot reader or psychic you trust.
Listen, O Lord of the meeting rivers, Things standing shall fall, But the moving shall ever stay.
– Ramanujan
A crisis event often explodes the illsuions that anchor our lives.
– Robert Veninga
The Tower Keywords & Concepts
Upright: | destruction, difficulty, sudden change/upheaval, inspiration, realization, reevaluation |
Reversed: | avoiding change, escaping adversity, stagnancy, rehabilitation, regeneration |
Energy: | Yin |
Element: | Earth |
Planet: | Mars |
Zodiac Sign: | Aries, Scorpio |
Common Symbols
- A ruined tower (downfall of old structures; self-creation destroyed by external forces)
- Lightening bolt (sudden disaster, destruction, or shock)
- Falling crown (another symbol of the fall of ego, self, values & ambitions)
- Fire (creation and destruction)
- Falling people (emotional or physical suffering, harsh tangible consequences)
Don’t have time to read? Check out this helpful video for key meanings of The Tower Tarot card!
The Tower Upright
When you receive The Tower tarot card in a reading, this means that drastic changes are on the way. Inevitable or sudden upheavals, transformations, and destruction may be prompted by external forces now. Because The Tower is decidedly unpredictable, something unseen could be imminent – when it finally reveals itself to you, you may be in for a shock because you never saw it coming!
This card is an indicator that you could be experiencing life-changing events such as an unexpected job loss, divorce, major health issues, natural disaster, or death of a loved one. Many tarot readers refer to these situations as ‘Tower moments‘, because they can completely alter your path forever. A great transformation is brought about by completely breaking down what once was in order to make room for something new. With The Tower comes chaos and destruction, but also deep inner clarity, eye-opening revelations, and revolutions.
Ultimately, these changes are meant for your highest good. Any lies or illusions you’ve been telling yourself will become starkly clear. The truth will come to light. Any unstable or false foundations you’ve built in your life will crumble. Your world may feel as though it is turning upside down and everything may be in complete chaos. The Tower questions you as to what is real or fake in your life and what you can truly rely on and trust. Your core values and belief systems could be challenged and changed entirely now.
No matter how painful or unwelcome these changes may be, The Tower reminds you that you CAN move forward, rebuild, and recover. You are being uprooted so you may be replanted where you can really thrive. With The Tower, the best thing you can do is learn to surrender to the chaos and transformation. Changes at this deep-seated level may be difficult, but the lesson here is that life is happening for you, not to you – meaning can be found in all things. Even from the gravest destruction and darkness, you can evolve and rise to the light again.
‘Tower moments’ in life will forge you into a stronger, wiser version of yourself. Even when these moments bring great anxiety, pain, or stress, they’re also leading you toward fresh perspectives, spiritual awakenings, and profound personal revelations. The Tower wipes the slate clean; it creates resiliency and new growth that you would have not had otherwise old foundations were torn down first.
The Tower Reversed
The Tower Reversed represents avoiding change, escaping adversity, stagnancy, rehabilitation, and regeneration. When The Tower Reversed appears in your Tarot reading, it can indicate that you are currently undergoing immense upheavals within or in your personal life.
Whereas The Tower upright often brings change through external circumstances outside of your control, The Tower Reversed differs in that you may be the one who is initiating change. This reversal can reflect deep inner reflection and personal transformation. You may be taking a personal inventory of what really matters to you and what does not, what you believe in, and what your purpose is. The fundamental core of your personality and sense of self could do a complete 180° now – your old beliefs, ideals, and patterns are being seriously questioned and purged from your life.
At its most extreme, The Tower Reversed can show that you are undergoing a dramatic existential crisis. Intense emotions may be suppressed or buried, ready to erupt at any moment. While this can be a highly uncomfortable time, you are being called on to trust the process – this change is necessary for you to step into the next phase of your life. You are evolving and creating a new path for yourself.
Sometimes, The Tower Reversed can indicate that you have been resisting change, avoiding reality, or living in denial. It’s possible that you could be terrified of changing, even if you know it would be for the best. Although you realize it isn’t healthy, you may be clinging to old belief systems, the past, or what feels familiar to you solely out of comfort. However, The Tower Reversed reminds you that your comfort zone is quickly becoming uncomfortable – if you don’t learn to accept necessary changes now, they will eventually force their way into your life. The transformations and growth of this Major Arcana card are inevitable. As much as you may not like it, this challenging time is essential for your growth as a person. You are being offered valuable lessons, wisdom, and progress. Resisting or avoiding this change will only cause more friction and turmoil.
On a more positive note, a long-standing problematic situation could be coming to an end now. The Tower Reversed can suggest that you are in the process of rebuilding yourself or your life after a major change.
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The Tower as a Person
The Tower tarot card as a person is a visionary. This card represents someone who is full of energy, intrigue, and unpredictability. They may be quite the rebel and like to do things their way. This is an individual who marches to the beat of their own drum. Eccentric and often radical personalities, Tower people aren’t interested in following the norms of society – they enjoy shaking up the status quo and exploring new ways of doing things.
Because The Tower is chaotic energy, someone represented by this card may not be the most stable or reliable; they can be highly impulsive, erratic, and led by their passions of the moment. Although they love to have fun, they are not shallow. They are often brutally honest with a knack for revealing truths and bringing enlightening revelations to others; they can be very influential in their way of thinking or speaking.
The Tower tarot card can also show someone who is going through intense upheaval, transformation, or trauma in their life. Since The Tower is associated with the zodiac signs Aries and Scorpio, it may also come up for a person who has an Aries or Scorpio Sun/Moon/Rising, or someone with a heavy Mars or Fire influence in their astrological birth chart.
The Tower (Reversed) as a Person
The Tower Reversed represents a person who is rather critical, stubborn, and fearful of change. Unlike the transparent and unashamed energy of the upright Tower, The Tower Reversed is someone that may be self-contained and afraid to show who they really are or how they really feel. They may struggle with shame and anxiety and tend to be excessively critical of themselves or others. They can cling to the past and ignore the present. Change can be really hard for them to deal with; they prefer to remain in control at all times.
The Tower in Reverse also symbolizes private awakenings and restoration. It can show someone in the process of rebuilding their life after a major event or change in their life. They could be keeping more to themselves now and doing some serious inner work to heal.
The Tower as Feelings
Regarding feelings, The Tower card is nothing short of intense. The Tower can suggest a strong surge of emotions that seemingly come out of nowhere. This can range from a sudden swell of anger to an electrifying surge of feelings for someone that isn’t even your type.
The key to remember with The Tower and emotions is that, fundamentally, The Tower brings powerful (sometimes explosive) feelings of shock and surprise. There may be some feelings of disbelief, too. The Tower can also indicate great passion and inspiration. Regarding romantic feelings, this card can come up when you find yourself suddenly falling for someone – these feelings may be totally unexpected to others, and even yourself!
The Tower (Reversed) as Feelings
The Tower Reversed means that emotions are being bottled up or repressed. There may be deep-seated feelings of fear, hesitancy, or denial. This card often comes up when someone has been avoiding confronting their true feelings; they keep their emotions hidden and buried within.
The sudden bursts of passionate emotion that the upright Tower brings turn into emotional avoidance and detachment with The Tower Reversed. There can be an internal struggle or intentional refusal to face their feelings. However, this suppression of emotions can lead to a violent outburst that is usually seen with the upright Tower.
If you’ve drawn the Tower Reversed as how someone feels for you, this means that the person in question may be keeping their feelings to themselves right now. They could be highly attracted to you and intrigued by you, however, you challenge them internally because of this. They may not be used to this, and it can make them uncomfortable. The Tower Reversed, in this case, indicates that they feel apprehensive and may not be ready to openly share their feelings yet.
DISCLAIMER:
Sage & Moon is a participant in affiliate programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through these links. Any product we choose is based on personal recommendations that we love and trust you will too. By using these links you are directly supporting us to keep writing + creating. Thank you!