Tower and world tarot card combination. The Tower (XVI Major Arcana of the Tarot): the meaning of the Tarot card

On the Arcana Tarot Tower we see a tower that was struck by lightning. The sky above the tower is clear, does not foretell any troubles. The air is quiet and calm. Around the tower sown field, shows that once the seeds were thrown into the ground, they sprouted - a symbol of prosperity and stability. There is only one small cloud in the sky from which lightning struck.

This one is small cloud indicates circumstances that were not taken into account at the time, false beliefs, blunders and mistakes, which led to the inevitable catastrophe. Lightning- this is a strong blow of fate, pointing out the finger of God, which, at first glance, does not have any reasons for the catastrophe. Tower- this is a symbol of any achievement of a person, it can be housing, career, relationships, a person’s source of pride or the meaning of his actions and way of life. The tower was destroyed by a lightning strike, This means that what a person valued and considered stable was destroyed. Two people fall from the Tower. One person is wearing a crown and expensive clothes, the other is in simple clothes.

This suggests that the onslaught of the elements can turn both great and small, both kings and subjects, into dust. Both a person’s material and spiritual well-being can collapse. Perhaps this Tower belonged to a rich man, it is the fruit of his efforts and efforts, his power and glory. And the higher this Tower was built, the harder it would hit the ground. A man in simple white clothes symbolizes our worldview, our spiritual principles, which can also collapse at any moment. The tower collapses, people die, but around this tragedy there is quite calm, favorable environment clear sky, sown field), this suggests that no one expected the blow, that it happened unexpectedly - “like a bolt from the blue.”

If suddenly the action of the Arcanum Tower touches you, the question will immediately arise: “Why?” Instead of this question, when you lose the most precious thing and suffer from it, you must learn to ask another question: “For what?” To survive the suffering that the action of this Arcana can bring, wisdom and courage are needed. And one must be able to comprehend one’s own experience of suffering and use it as the basis for compassion and empathy for others.

Meaning 16 Arcana Tarot Tower in upright position:

Key meanings of the Arcana Tarot Tower in an upright position: Destruction. The end of the current situation under the influence of external forces, suddenly and very soon. Symbolizes events that we do not expect, but their results can turn our lives around, both for the better and for the worse. With bad neighboring cards it means loss, chaos, misfortune. Next to good cards it shows that the time of the “dark streak” in life is coming to an end.

Arcana Tarot Tower on Relationships in the upright position: outdated relationships collapse forever. A sudden “I don’t love” will be a Tower for a person in love who has already dreamed a lot about developing a relationship, here the Tower relieves you of illusions. With favorable neighboring cards - liberation from limiting and oppressive relationships, an end to suffering.

Arcana Tarot Tower for Work in the upright position: often, dismissal from a previous job. Collapse of the company, downsizing of the enterprise. Loss of stability and calm. The failure of plans that seemed quite reliable.

Arcana Tarot Tower for Health in an upright position: sudden complications, fractures, accidents. Surrounded by only favorable Arcana, unexpected healing occurs.

Arcana Tower advice in upright position: something has changed dramatically in your life, you have lost something dear. Don't try to bring back the past, but learn a lesson from this life situation. Time will pass, and you will understand that today's loss was a deliverance.

Meaning 16 Arcana Tarot Tower in an inverted position:

Key meanings of the Arcana Tarot Tower in an inverted position: internal crisis, dependence on existing circumstances that cannot currently be changed, limited opportunities. There is no opportunity or desire to decide on something. Feels like being in prison. Long-term oppression. Hopeless situations. Unforeseen cases.

Arcana Tarot Tower for Relationships in an inverted position: reluctance to break off a crumbling relationship, to let go of a partner. Perhaps you realize that the relationship does not suit you, but you cannot decide to break it off. Crisis in relationships. You feel backed into a corner.

Arcana Tarot Tower for Work in an inverted position: troubles, stagnation, crisis, obstacles.

Arcana Tarot Tower for Health in an inverted position: depression, nervous disorder, psychosomatic diseases.

Advice from the Arcana Tarot Tower in an inverted position: Your options at this time are limited. Now it’s best to turn to yourself and decide what your soul asks for, so as not to make yourself sick due to nervousness. In such a situation, repeat to yourself many times: I know, I know what I want!

The Tarot Tower, the meaning of which we will consider today, is one of the not most pleasant cards. Along with Death and the Devil, many classify it as a “bad” Arcana, symbolizing some difficult life period and unfavorable changes. But let’s take a closer look and find out whether the Tower always brings something crushing and inevitable, and whether its interpretation can be softened by clearly positive cards.

General description of the card, plot and meaning in the layout

The plot of the Arcana in the Waite deck, as indeed in almost all other decks, looks rather gloomy: a collapsing tower, engulfed in fiery flames, from the windows of which frightened people fly to the ground. Not a very optimistic picture, is it? And if you also take into account that the building caught fire suddenly - from a lightning strike, then the unpleasant impressions of Arkan intensify even more. Thus, we can say that the main meaning of the 16th Arcana of the Tarot is a sudden collapse that came as a complete surprise. Although, some researchers argue that the Tower's situations will not always be unexpected. Lightning never appears just like that; its appearance is preceded by the onset of a thunderstorm. If we observe a thunderstorm, we can expect that it will be accompanied by thunderclaps and lightning flashes. It’s just that it’s not always possible for a person to imagine that lightning will strike him or his house.

Key words and ideas of the card in the layout

Key expressions that can be used to describe the manifestation of the sixteenth Arcana:

• End of the world
• Crash, destruction
• The crisis has broken out
• Loss of balance
• A quick end to the current situation
• Internal turmoil
• The old breaks down to make way for the new
• Intense transformation

Meaning of the card in the upright position

In fact, all the situations that we described with key expressions fully reflect the essence of the direct Tower. In short, a turning point occurs under this Arcanum, which radically changes the usual routine of life. Some kind of energy has been accumulating for a long time - and now, like an explosion, it comes out. The action of the Tower is fast, but you can actually feel that it is already coming. So, for example, you can imagine this Arcanum in the following situation: there is a crisis in family life that has been going on for quite a long time. Partners do not look for a way out of it, do not try to improve relationships, but simply live out of habit, without changing anything. All the omissions, misunderstandings, cooling of feelings towards each other at one fine moment spill out - and then one of the spouses declares a desire for a divorce. And he doesn’t just declare, but does it already standing on the threshold with a packed suitcase of things. This moment will be the Tower for both partners: for one, everything exploded inside and he sees no way back - everything has already burned out, and for the second, the whole familiar world collapses, bringing confusion to the soul, although, in fact, premonitions of tragedy long ago - have been in the air for a long time. This is just one example that reflects the meaning of the Tower Tarot card - in fact, there are a huge number of them in any area of ​​life.

The meaning of the card in an inverted position

The Reverse Tower can be read in different ways. Most tarot readers believe that the inverted card symbolizes incomplete destruction - the building collapsed, but not to the ground, while others interpret it as a misfortune that was miraculously avoided at the last moment, as a situation that “it’s about to happen, but luckily it passed! " There is also an opinion that the reverse 16th Arcana is a strong dependence on circumstances, when something happens in life, but a person has no opportunity to influence what is happening.

Video about the meaning of the Tower card

The meaning of the card in readings for relationships and love

Now let's talk about the meaning of the Tower Tarot card in love relationships, although, in fact, it is already clear without additional explanation.

Straight position

The Straight Tower is an acute crisis that breaks the usual course of things. This is a strong test of strength of feelings. Under this card, a situation can occur when a truth that has been silent for a long time breaks out, or a person’s desperate decision to do something that he has never done before. Sometimes the meaning of the Tarot Tower in a relationship can even be optimistic, for example, when one of the partners felt in a love union as if in prison, and after the collapse it seemed as if he had been freed from dependence and oppression. Sometimes the map also includes situations such as the sudden death of a loved one, or, conversely, a desperate jump into the “last carriage of a departing train,” when, for example, a middle-aged woman decides to give birth to a child, or an avid bachelor suddenly decides to get married . In a word, this is a radical change in the usual course of life.

Inverted position

The meaning of the reversed Tarot Tower in a relationship can be as follows:

• A family crisis, which was miraculously avoided or which did not end in divorce, although everything was heading towards this
• Circumstances that a person cannot influence in any way

The meaning of the card when divining health

Now let’s consider what significance the Tarot Tower card can take on for a person if we diagnose his health.

Straight position

The Straight Tower speaks of illnesses and injuries that fall on a person like thunder from a clear sky. These could be fractures, burns, sudden fever, vomiting, purulent abscesses, heart attacks, strokes, heart attacks, an attack of appendicitis, ruptured cysts and other unpleasant things. Sometimes - radiation damage, death or severe injuries in an accident or fire.

Inverted position

Situations of the direct Tower, but in a milder form, for example, a fracture, but not serious (not an arm, but a finger on a hand), an injury that should have been more severe, but the person was “lucky”, for example, he only broke his leg in a fall from a great height or escaped with bruises and contusions during a serious car accident, mild stroke, etc.

The meaning of the card in layouts for personality analysis and psychological state

If in the field of health the interpretation of the 16th Arcana usually does not raise many questions, then with the analysis of a person’s character things are usually more complicated, especially for novice tarot readers. Let's figure it out.

Straight position

Restless character, like a "powder keg". Something always happens to such a person. This is a very complex, explosive personality, always ready to take changes and risks. The Sixteenth Arcanum often describes rude people, rowdies, brawlers, criminals and those who always “get into trouble.” The meaning of the Tower Tarot card by date of birth (for example, in the method of Alicia Chrzanovskaya “Psychological portrait using Tarot cards”) most often speaks of dictators and tyrants. On the psychological plane, severe nervous breakdowns and mental disorders occur under the Tower map.

Inverted position

The Reverse Tower describes a person similar to what we examined under the direct Arcanum, but his “explosive” qualities most often appear much less frequently, or all these unpleasant character traits are expressed on an internal rather than external level. If we are talking about nervous breakdowns and mental disorders, then with proper treatment a person can successfully get rid of them.

The meaning of the card in matters of career and finance

Now let’s see what the threat of the appearance of the Tower in the scenario for professional activities is.

Straight position

Change of job, failure in the professional field, defeat in the fight against competitors, sudden bankruptcy of a company or collapse of a work project, loss of prestige, influence, removal from office, risky undertakings, unstable business, monetary losses, poverty that fell completely suddenly.

Inverted position

The meaning of the inverted Tarot Tower is similar to the upright one, but the situation improves at the last moment. For example, incomplete bankruptcy, in which the company somehow remains afloat and does not close, temporary removal from professional duties, loss of not all money, but only part of it.

Now let's discuss possible combinations of the Tower card with other Tarot cards. As always, we advise you to listen to your own intuition and consider our interpretations only as a hint. First the Major Arcana.

• Jester: Dismissal
• Mage: Burn bridges and start over
• High Priestess: Find out an important secret, secret
• Empress: Tower-Empress Tarot combination - build happiness on someone else's misfortune
• Emperor: Collapse of family, business
• The Hierophant: The Collapse of Ideals
• Lovers: Separation, divorce, suddenly broken relationship
• Chariot: accident, theft or serious breakdown of the car
• Strength: Endurely bear the blows of fate
• Hermit: Prison, nursing home
• Wheel of Fortune: Unexpected changes that put a spoke in the wheels
• Justice: Conviction
• Hanged Man: An accident that causes a person to lose mobility, events that radically change one's life.
• Death: Tarot combination Tower–Death - death in an accident, fire or from a fall from a height
• Moderation: The consequences of the tragedy are reversible
• Devil: Shady deals, life ruined by a scam
• Star: Disorientation
• Moon: Mental hospital, dubious reputation
• Sun: Tower–Sun Tarot Combination - Life-Changing Insight
• Court: A chance to change your life
• World: Get out of prison, escape during a tragedy

The meaning of the card in combination with the Minor Arcana

Now let's look at the interpretation of combinations of the 16th Arcana with other cards of the suit of Wands, Cups, Pentacles and Swords.

With the suit of Staves

• Ace: Arson, fire
• Two: A hopeless situation
• Troika: Breaking business ties
• Four: Tragedy in the house
• Five: Get stabbed in the back
• Six: Dismissal, loss of authority
• Seven: Bend under the weight of difficulties
• Eight: Rapid Destruction
• Nine: Worst fears come true
• Ten: The blow of fate that breaks a person
• Page: Tragic news
• Knight: Unpredictability of consequences
• Queen: The collapse of creative ideas
• King: Losing a foothold

With the suit of Cups

• Ace: A blow to the senses
• Two: Cancellation of engagement, wedding
• Troika: Ruined Celebration
• Four: Get depressed
• Five: Meaning 16 Arcana Tarot with Five of Cups - serious losses
• Six: Forgotten tragedy, misfortune that took place in the past
• Seven: Collapse of Illusions
• Eight: Get away from your usual life
• Nine: The collapse of dreams
• Ten: Losses within the family
• Page: Miscarriage
• Knight: Shattered Ideals
• Queen: Shocks associated with a woman
• King: Shocks associated with a man

With the suit of Swords

• Ace: Bad thought, unfulfilled idea
• Deuce: Fate challenges
• Three: A tragedy that causes extreme mental pain
• Four: Hospital, punishment
• Five: Wounded pride
• Six: There is no turning back
• Seven: Plans Failure
• Eight: Imprisonment
• Nine: Great suffering
• Ten: Death from an accident or traffic accident
• Page: Broken Promise
• Knight: Raider Takeover
• Queen: Losses
• King: Losing control of your life

With the suit of Pentacles

• Ace: Go bankrupt
• Two: Decline, stagnation in business
• Troika: Insolvency in the professional sphere
• Four: Economic stagnation
• Five: Loss of housing
• Six: Fake
• Seven: Unfinished construction
• Eight: Meaning of the Tarot Tower with the Eight of Pentacles - dismissal
• Nine: Bad Investments
• Ten: Loss of stability
• Page: Fail an exam, test, interview
• Knight: Melancholy, apathy
• Queen: Loss of financial independence
• King: Failed business

Look for the positive side of the changes taking place. Remember that the collapse of the old makes room for something new.

Tower Warning

Be extremely careful - lightning is about to strike!

Questions answered by the 16th Arcana

• Are you able to withstand the blow of fate?
• Do you know how to let go of the past and embrace the future?
• Are you delaying the resolution of some important issue?
• Do you have a habit of letting things take their course?

So, we looked at what the Tower card means in Tarot. There is no need to be afraid of this Arcana, because sooner or later sudden changes occur in the lives of each of us. See them as an inevitable transformation leading to a new life.

The map depicts the Tower of Babel. According to the Bible, one day people all over the world decided to work together to build a tower that would reach to the heavens and would be greater than God himself. At that time, all people spoke the same language. When God found out about the tower, he became angry and punished the people - he scattered them to different places and forced them to speak different languages, so that no one could understand what another person was saying. Then God destroyed the tower. This story is a way to explain the origins of the thousands of languages ​​spoken in the world today. The card shows that too much focus on money, or on worldly success and fame, or on one's own self, always devastates a person and ruins his life. This is a card of destruction and sudden, rapid change - strong and possibly violent. This does not necessarily have to be a change in external conditions; a change can occur within the person himself - a sudden awareness or unexpectedly acquired knowledge that shatters into smithereens what a person has long believed in. It hurts, but it ultimately leads to deeper understanding and wisdom. This card says, "Don't be afraid of a dramatic change that you can't avoid. It has a good reason and a positive purpose that you will understand later."

Questions to Ask After Pulling the Tower

• Do you feel like your life is falling apart?
• Are you overstepping your own boundaries?
• Have you been significantly affected by a natural disaster or accident?
• What must naturally break down to make way for something new and better?
• What do you need to do differently?
• Do you feel like you're about to explode?

Key ideas

Friends

Reversed card: Friends turn their backs on you. Don't let this bother you. Find new like-minded people.

Studies

Reversed: Poor academic performance undermines your self-confidence. You don't know what exactly you're doing wrong, and you need some advice from a teacher.

Dating

Reversed card: The relationship may end suddenly - this will be a very painful blow.

Family

Reversed card: The state of home is tense, the same stresses are repeated over and over again. The situation will change for the better only if you approach it in a new way.

Interests

Reversed: You are clinging to someone or something and it is not doing you any good. Don't let circumstances drag you down anymore.

Health/Appearance

Reversed card: You think that you are unattractive, but as long as you think so, you will not become an attractive person. Stop criticizing your appearance, start looking for the positives in it. The secret of beauty is not how you look, but how you feel.

Money

Reversed Card: If you need financial help, you should ask for it - or, better yet, earn money yourself. Don't let pride get you into debt.

Fortune telling in half a minute

Annie Lionnet. “Tarot. Practical guide."

The tower reflects our need to live at peace with ourselves.

The tower is struck by lightning and is on the verge of collapse.

Destruction. Perestroika. New order.

According to tradition, this card depicts the only symbol in Tarot decks that is the creation of human hands. This is a tower that has been struck by lightning and is on the verge of collapse. The Tower characterizes situations and circumstances that limit and suppress our ability to develop comprehensively. Everything external that contradicts our inner truth and spiritual needs must be eliminated so as not to hinder our development. The inevitable destruction of the tower is actually a blessing in disguise, since it brings with it the realization that the existing state of affairs has become a prison for us and no longer serves as a bulwark of our safety.

Symbolism

Interpretation

Stuart R. Kaplan. "Classic Tarot. Origin, history, fortune telling."

Description

Meaning in fortune telling

Reversed meaning

P. Scott Hollander. "Tarot for Beginners."

This card symbolizes failure - a direct result of one's own misunderstanding, poor judgment and/or abuse of one's free will.

The Falling Tower, also called The House of God, Tower of Destruction, corresponds to the number sixteen and the Hebrew letter ayin.

Allegory

Description

Allegory: a structure symbolizing human vanity is destroyed by God's wrath.

Inner meaning

It is important to understand that it was not the building of the tower itself that was a mistake, nor the fact that they worked together. The reason they built the tower was a mistake. Instead of using their combined power to unleash the divine within themselves, they defied God and attempted to rule the Earth in God's place.

This card follows the Fifteenth Arcana (Devil). The goal of your spiritual improvement is to become like God. But, says the Tarot, you will not become like God simply by gaining material power. Seduced by the opportunity to rule this world instead of the pursuit of wisdom and spiritual growth, you will lose everything you have gained. The cause of disaster is not that you gained too much power, but that you misused it. Destruction is a direct result of your own misunderstanding, poor judgment and/or abuse of your free will.

The Leaning Tower also symbolizes actual material losses: in finances, relationships, prestige or personal influence. It can also be understood as a warning that your powers are not as great and your understanding is not as complete as you think. In this sense, The Leaning Tower illustrates the disaster that can and will happen to those who use magic without understanding its true purpose; the downfall of a man who plays with forces beyond his power and understanding.

In a spiritual sense, the Leaning Tower symbolizes the result of the quest, if you accepted the Devil's offer, even if you try to deny it.

Although there have been hints of this throughout the Tarot path, this is the first direct statement of what you should see as your ultimate goal. This is not the world you are trying to conquer.

At this point in the quest, there still remains the temptation to evaluate oneself in terms of this world, by one’s impression on others, by one’s earthly position. Now the temptation is even greater, because you have achieved the power, at least for a while, to turn the world according to your own will. But your goal is much greater.

You must learn to see beyond the obvious to a higher level of achievement. If you trade your spiritual growth for material power, you will lose everything you have gained.

Value in the layout

Reversed or negative: also predicts disasters and losses, but less important; they will affect your life, but will not destroy everything you have built. A sudden, unexpected change. Oppression, misfortune, shame, tyranny.

Everything you have achieved has collapsed. In many cases, this disaster would not have happened if you had acted more wisely from the beginning. If you act wisely now, you can avoid at least some problems.

If this card represents the Questioner, then you have gone too far and must pay. This catastrophe is the result of the fact that you believed in your power, which is not there, or used your power not very wisely or for the wrong purposes. In other words, you've played it out and the fall is your fault.

Mary Greer. "The Complete Book of Reversed Tarot Cards."

The Tower belongs to the so-called cards of change, but these changes, as a rule, are sudden, unexpected and unwanted. It is associated with changeable, uncertain situations leading to breakthroughs, ups and downs. It often indicates an explosive temperament or outburst of anger and warns that you may find yourself involved in some kind of aggressive behavior, arguments, and sometimes in situations involving violence. If your goal is to increase awareness, then the Tower shakes everything that has become too rigid, hard and unyielding, and forcefully pulls you out of the circumstances that limit you and prevent you from acting. Energies that have been suppressed and hidden for too long are suddenly released and find their way out. This card indicates the intervention of fate or Divine power in your life, speaks of recklessness, upheavals and crises. You may face difficult and dangerous situations or experience a shock to your entire system. Such a shake-up helps to identify defects and weaknesses that are unable to withstand such stress, because the Tower destroys the feeling of false security in all areas of life - at work, at home, in relationships or in self-awareness. This could be humiliation, loss of a privileged position, or the collapse of established relationships. Pride may be overthrown, and then a hitherto hidden crack in the foundation of your personality will become visible. But despite the fact that the Tower often talks about external troubles - such as an accident, bankruptcy or dismissal - everything will not necessarily be so scary. Perhaps the outcome of the Tower will be a flash of insight, an insight or an innovative idea, often shocking and unexpected. Or perhaps you will simply start cleaning and throw out all unnecessary things from the house.

The lightning depicted on the card represents insight that opens up new possibilities, and the flame encourages action, serving as something like a spark plug in a car. The crown at the top of the tower is reminiscent of the parietal chakra: with the rise of kundalini energy, the doors and windows of perception do not just open, but simply swing wide open. You can clear away debris, destroy obstacles, remove the old and make way for the new. The tower symbolizes the powerful orgasmic force of the creative impulse, long held back, but finally given freedom of emotion. Sometimes it can mean the emotional fireworks of romantic love, coming like a bolt from the blue, or literal problems with the roof. In a broader sense, it can indicate a change in urban development, an earthquake, a revolution and the subsequent exodus of dissent.

Traditional meanings: troubles, suffering. Need, poverty, deprivation. Disasters, catastrophes, destruction. Overthrow, collapse. Suddenness, surprise. Misfortune, failure. Defeat, overthrow. Shame, dishonor, loss. Bankruptcy. Punishment. Awakening. A healing, beneficial crisis. Natural disasters. Shipwrecks.

Inverted Tower

On the other hand, life may slowly collapse, despite your assurances that everything is in perfect order. Or you can accept failures and failures without complaint, having become so accustomed to living with them that they no longer surprise you. You deny or delay necessary changes, stubbornly softening a situation that is ready to explode.

But it may also be that external pressure is growing, and you have nowhere to run. You can refuse responsibility for what is happening, pretend that you don’t know or understand anything, you can point blank not see the friction in relationships with others or the violence committed against you. You may agree that everything is very bad, but refuse to do anything about it. You can cling to established structures and the status quo, ignoring warning signs and being confident that nothing threatens you. Or you may be overwhelmed by the feeling, leading to paranoia and panic, that troubles are inevitable. However, this card contains more confusion and discomfort than real danger. Perhaps you are clearing away the rubble after some personal crisis. In the French Tarot tradition, the inverted Tower signifies imprisonment, as, according to legend, Napoleon pulled it out on the day he left for St. Helena.

When projected onto other people, the inverted Tower makes you fear that they will cause you trouble or become the source of disasters and upheavals. Perhaps they irritate you and create discomfort. However, on the other hand, they can appear in your eyes as dynamic, self-confident and excitingly dangerous. On a personal level, the card can represent inner turmoil, chaos or anger. But sometimes it can be a “slap on the head from above”, designed to shake you out of complacency inert state.

In terms of health, these include surgeries, chemotherapy, accidents, injuries and burns. Fever and skin problems such as acne, scabs, boils, rashes, and nausea and vomiting may occur. However, these symptoms may indicate that the body is in the process of cleansing and getting rid of toxins. For one querent all this coincided with an attack of appendicitis. And just as the upright card represents male ejaculation, the inverted card indicates impotence.

From a shamanic and magical point of view, this is a rise in energy - including with the help of the so-called “cone of power” - or a terrifyingly powerful breakthrough to enlightenment, either through the practices of kundalini yoga, or through direct Divine intervention. It can also be spiritual healing or sexual magic, and also astral battles and magical wars.

Traditional Reversed Meanings: with a small degree of probability - destruction, overthrow, loss, loss. Imprisonment, arrest, captivity, incitement to commit a criminal act. Suppression, tyranny, subjugation. Disease. Punishment. Secret birth of a child. Monopolization. Exile. Persecution, persecution.

Larisa Moon. "All the secrets of the Tarot."

"Ask for great things in order to receive small things."

From the unwritten sayings of the Lord

Description of the card and its internal meaning

The man in the robe, rising to the very top of the tower, looked around at the crowd remaining below, and prepared to make a speech. At that moment, two lightning bolts burst from a small cloud in the sky. One of them hit the base of the tower and struck the people standing near it. The other cut the tower in two, from top to bottom, throwing off the man in the robe standing at the top.

Everyone suffered: the poor and the rich, the old and the young. The most famous story that matches the symbolism of this card is the construction of the Tower of Babel. It is important to understand one thing here: it was not the construction of the tower itself that was a mistake, not the unification of people. The desire that pushed the people to this action was a mistake. Instead of using their combined power to unleash the divine within themselves, they challenged God himself by attempting to rule the world in his place.

In other words, a person builds something new, perhaps on the ruins of the old, but a moment comes when the human synthesis is destroyed by the synthesis of the Absolute. The ultimate goal of human endeavor, which lies beyond his understanding, not only attracts him to itself, but also sends painful blows. At such moments it may seem that everything is lost, but only later does the conviction come: since there was a blow, it means that another step in the ascent has been completed.

Connection of the card with other occult sciences

Card meaning

Straight position

When describing the situation, the following card meanings will be used: destruction of everything that has been built up to this point - dismissal from work, divorce, loss of housing. The questioner will need to prepare for deception, shame and dishonor. The Sixteenth Arcanum speaks of events that cannot be changed at will.

Inverted position

Daniela Chris. "Magic book of Tarot. Fortune telling."

Matches

Description

The symbolism of the image in this case is quite traditional and quite obvious. The stone tower, engulfed in fire, falls to pieces. A hail of debris and two human figures fall. One person is wearing a crown and jewelry, the other is wearing simple clothes, and this suggests that the onslaught of elemental forces can turn both great and small, both kings and their subjects, into dust. You are not familiar with the character who personifies the elements here, at whose hand a catastrophe occurs, but you have already heard a lot about him. This is the ancient Egyptian god Seth.

Mythological dossier

Seth's epithets fully correspond to what the sixteenth Arcanum portends to us. That area of ​​life where we believed ourselves to be reliably protected suddenly began to shake. The tower of our views, piling up towards the sky, falls, and along with it the picture of the world collapses. Events occur that expose the fragility and fragility of the foundations, the illusory nature of the goods and values ​​being created. We can suddenly lose everything that was significant and that we spent our energy on.

Most Tarot researchers consider pride to be the reason for the appearance of this Arcanum. The wrath of the gods was the result of your vanity, your abuse of your free will and power. Sometimes they believe that this is a punishment for those who could not withstand the tests of the fifteenth Arcana and accepted the Devil’s offer, even if they try to deny it. An example is usually given of the legend of the Tower of Babel, which was built by united humanity in order to reach the sky and become like the gods. As you know, the result of their labors was destroyed, their languages ​​were mixed and they were all scattered around the world. Of course, if the action of the Tower card affects you, then this is the first question that you involuntarily ask the sky. The question "For what?" This is also the first question of the sixteenth Arcanum. And you yourself will try to answer it honestly.

However, I don’t think that the lesson of this Arcanum is so clear. Suddenly your answer will be the same as that of the biblical long-suffering Job. This book of the Bible raises the question of the justice of the world, a question that has worried humanity for many centuries and in terms of its severity and painfulness there is little that can be compared with it. Are a person’s successes and misfortunes justified by his real merits and mistakes, or is it just a chain of unfair, unpredictable and uncontrollable accidents? The Book of Job tries to somewhat cool people in their craving for global justice. The plot of the book is simple. Because of a dispute, the Lord and Satan deprived Job of his home, killed ten of his children, and infected the righteous man himself with leprosy. His friends came to console Job. God is fair, they told him in turn. You deserve your suffering, but you don’t admit it, and that’s why it’s so hard for you. But Job, himself a wise master and a fair judge, does not know and does not admit his sin. He claims that the world is unfair and inaccessible to understanding. But he does not abandon his faith, which for him merges with fear of God, readiness to accept the world and his fate as they are. And God himself confirms that Job is right.

All world religions include the idea of ​​fair retribution, but its place more often turns out to be this light, not this light. Divine justice rarely fits into the framework of earthly human life. Faith in the justice of this world, which is very natural and attractive for a person, can turn out to be dangerous. Such faith leads to recognition of the justice of any punishment, in fact, to the justification of any manifestation of force and power. It is known that realism differs from romanticism in the denial of faith in global justice, but it also differs from cynicism in the presence of faith in a person’s own abilities to establish justice in his affairs.

Thus, I think that the sixteenth Arcanum invites each of us to once again think about this issue. Great thinkers and great tyrants spoke about justice; the kindest and most monstrous deeds were committed in its name. And the path to wisdom that the Tarot leads you cannot leave him aside.

However, the lessons of “The Tower” do not end with these two questions that are so difficult to comprehend. Instead of asking "Why?" sooner or later you will learn to ask the question “Why?” Each of you will find the answers yourself. I will offer you one of the possible ones. It takes wisdom and courage to survive the suffering that this card's influence can bring upon you. And one must also be able to comprehend one’s own experience of suffering and use it as the basis for compassion and empathy for others.

Value in the layout

In a straight position

Advice. Remember that they do not send us tests “beyond our ability”. The sooner you get rid of the fragments of your old life and old relationships, the sooner the sun will shine.

In an inverted position

Advice. If you cannot change the situation, then change your attitude towards it. (The advice is simple, banal, but difficult to implement. However, try it.)

Astrological meaning:
Uranus/Saturn as a symbol of a bursting boil.
TOWER.
The tower suggests that for quite a long time we considered our position stable and safe, and suddenly everything collapsed. At the same time, precisely those structures and conventions that we have already surpassed are collapsing, and they have become cramped for us. We can talk about our beliefs or life principles, as well as about work, finances, friendships or other relationships that seemed stable and unchanging to us. In any case, the Tower symbolizes
a certain concept that for a long time provided us with confidence in the future, and perhaps a sense of security, and now no longer corresponds to our increased level. This usually comes as a surprise to us: when an old concept suddenly collapses, many people perceive it as a lightning strike. AND, since the very structures that formed the very basis of our confidence collapse, it often looks like a catastrophe. Only when the first shock passes do we discover that, it turns out, we have gotten rid of long-standing ballast. Awareness of this comes on its own or in the form of some kind of hint from the outside.

Rider White Tarot. Theory and practice. Series "Secrets of Predictions". Publishers: AST, Astrel, 2002

Astrological meaning: Mars
The sixteenth card of the Major Arcana is called The Tower and depicts a crowned tower collapsing from a lightning strike. The crown, being significantly smaller than the roof of the tower, obviously indicates that the destruction occurred due to its weakness. Lightning sometimes takes the form of the zodiac sign Scorpio, and the tower is seen as a phallic symbol. Two human figures fall from the tower - one in front and the other behind. It is generally accepted to associate this card with the fall of man. When his peak is destroyed, man falls into the lower world and incurs the illusion of materiality. Here lies the key to the mystery of sex. The tower, filled with gold coins pouring out of the breach created by the impact, supposedly symbolizes potential forces.
The human soul, in order for what is created inside to be manifested outward (the word is spoken), turns inward. But the spoken word destroys the former internal integrity: therefore, when a person sees the power of the word, he remains silent, because when speaking, he ceases to understand the meaning of what was said, since the spoken word loses its integrity, which makes it possible to touch the essence of things in the creative process.
The Sixteenth Arcana of the Tarot depicts a tower collapsing from a lightning strike. (Lightning splits the Tower of Babel of “his world,” built by man, revealing what is hidden inside.) Two people fall from it: one is a crowned King, the other is a poor man in rags. This Arcanum symbolizes the destruction of previous chimeras that openness and interaction with the outside world brings to a person, since in our life there is disappointment in
in its illusions, hopes and rational constructions, neither the strong nor the weak escapes.
Man is imperfect, and people's knowledge of the world is always only partial. Therefore, the more a person knows, the closer he is to the Socratic understanding that he knows nothing.
The planet Mars is astrologically correlated with the “Tower” card - a person’s personal moral principle, dominating over fate, giving physical strength, spiritual impulses and... hope for immortality. But hope for immortality comes to a person only when he “falls from his tower of Babel” and... there is nothing left for him except this hope.
That area of ​​life where you believed yourself to be reliably protected suddenly became cramped for you, and the Tower that rose to the sky, representing your views, suddenly staggered and fell, collapsing along with the old picture of the world.
In a more complete sense, the Sixteenth Arcanum symbolizes the destruction of form, the overthrow of values. "Tower" can mean either blind destruction (Hiroshima) or the fall of the dilapidated. This is the pain that stands in the way of rebirth.
The image of the Tower can also mean structures with the help of which a person tries to protect himself from spiritual growth and the difficulties associated with this. A person becomes cramped in himself, but he stubbornly forces himself to curl up, just so as not to grow out of fear of pain (life).
And then the tower of human views turns into a prison.
In the Tower, like in no other Tarot arcana, the influence of Mars (cosmic energy in its rough materialistic form), as well as such planets as Pluto (globalism and mass character, “nowhere to hide”), Uranus and Saturn (sudden destruction and renewal) is especially noticeable ). THE ALMSHOUSE is the most severe card of the Major Arcana.
In the upright position, the card symbolizes the end of the existing situation under the influence of external forces, and unexpected and very fast. The collapse of the existing order of life. This is a sudden decision to change place of work (or profession), place of residence. It can also mean abandoning a previous relationship or a very severe test of love or friendship, after which your opinion of people close to you changes dramatically. Next to good cards, Arcanum signals the collapse of existing evil, foreshadowing the end of a dark streak in life and getting rid of the heavy burden of the present.
In an inverted position, the card speaks of a strong dependence on existing circumstances that cannot currently be changed - your capabilities are limited, and your individuality is oppressed. You follow in your own footsteps (the same road), you live along the old rut.
“You take comfort in the fact that to suffer means to work in an effort to free yourself from matter, that is, to clothe yourself with immortality.”
Papus

Evgeny Kolesov. "The ABC of Tarot".

All the ancient names of this card - the Destroyed Tower, the Burnt Temple, the Flame and even the French Le Temple foudroy - “Temple struck by lightning” - recall the same event - the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the last stronghold of the Jewish faith, by Emperor Titus on the ninth day of the month Aba in 70 AD. The name Almshouse, adopted in some Russian publications, is an erroneous translation of the French La Maison-Dieu “House of God,” meaning primarily the Temple.
On the map we see a tall tower with a crown instead of a dome; clouds surround it, lightning strikes its top, so that the tower cracks, and the crown tilts and is ready to fall. Flames shoot out of the windows. Sometimes human figures are depicted on the map: they are flying down, an abyss opens up beneath them.
This card symbolizes complete collapse, the collapse of everything that has hitherto formed the basis of existence, a revolution in ideas about the world, powerlessness before the formidable will of heaven. But it is also catharsis, the cleansing of the soul from the sins and suffering that aggravate it.

Meaning of the card:
You built your house on sand. What you considered the unshakable foundation of life turned out to be an illusion and suddenly crumbled like a house of cards. All your hard work was in vain. Do not try to restore what was destroyed: it will no longer be possible. Better wait it out, get over your despair - and start building a new house. Soon you will feel new strength pouring into you.
In practice, the Tower falls to people who have actually experienced the collapse of something old and familiar (work, marriage, faith in authorities) or who are expecting such a collapse. However, in a direct position, she speaks of the need for these changes, because it is impossible to build a new one without destroying the old. But the old has already become obsolete, and reviving it is a waste of time and effort. Finding itself in the position of the past, the Tower may mean that the stage of destruction is already over and it’s time to start building something new.
In purely everyday terms, it can simply mean a conflict, even a scandal, but a scandal can also be necessary in order to achieve the truth.
The tower can also have a literal meaning, i.e. point out a house or building, as well as the danger posed by it.

Inverted:
He does not advise rushing to destroy old relationships and connections; it is better to resolve the matter peacefully, avoiding scandals and conflicts.

For businessmen:
The advice is to drop everything and run, taking the entire cash register - or, conversely, hire a good lawyer and take the case to court, because the chances of winning in both cases are higher than if you just sit and wait for it to end.

The sixteenth Arcana in the Tarot card layout is a tower, which is topped with a crown. The tower is destroyed by a lightning strike and two people fly from it. Such a drawing says that a person has built a new life on the fragments of the old one. Eventually, the time will come when he will have to put in a lot of effort to achieve his goals. Sometimes it seems to people that nothing can be fixed, but any painful blow indicates an ascent to the next step.

The sixteenth Arcana in the Tarot card layout is a tower, which is topped with a crown

General interpretation

Any card can appear upright or upside down. This is definitely worth taking into account. Each of these provisions has its own individual meaning. The combination of Tarot cards with each other is also considered. Some cards can enhance the effect of the 16th Arcana, while others weaken it.

In the upright position, the Tower card means the collapse of a stable and safe position. The structures in which everything has already been achieved begin to collapse and they become cramped. These could be life principles or beliefs that relate to work, finances, relationships. If earlier they seemed stable and unchanging, now the time has come for change. In general, the tower is a concept that gives confidence and security, but it becomes insufficient when acquiring another level. For most people, such changes come as a surprise, and they perceive them as a blow of fate. After all, the basis of confidence disappears. As soon as a person recovers from the shock, he realizes that the ballast that prevented them from reaching a new level has disappeared.

An inverted card symbolizes a strong dependence on everything that a person has. He is unable to change them because there are limitations in capabilities and individuality is very much suppressed. Everything will remain according to the old scenario, and all actions will be formulaic.

Relationships

In an upright position, the Tower predicts a break in existing relationships. Even if they have long been established and time-tested. There may be a serious test that will test your feelings. After such shocks, lovers will change their attitude towards each other. The tower destroys all illusions about the loyalty and reliability of a partner. He says that these relationships cannot be pure and bright. The card may indicate divorce or a difficult period. If there are good cards next to it, then this means that all suffering in the relationship will be over. All discontent from the marriage, the deceit of the spouses and immorality will be revealed. Sometimes the Tower can mean early widowhood, raising a child alone.

A card in a relationship that appears the other way around predicts less catastrophic problems. If there is a great desire to preserve the relationship, then there will be a way out of the hopeless situation. The desired results will come quickly, but will you like them? If the relationship is connected only by a thin thread, then is it necessary to save it? A breakup is inevitable anyway, all actions simply delay the separation. The tower also predicts:

• unpleasant worries;
• emotional explosion;
• significant loss in a relationship;
• painful excitement.

All this will affect a person’s life. If the Hermit card appears nearby, then loneliness can no longer be avoided. It’s good if the Strength card comes up, then the person will need to stock up on willpower and endure shocks in fate.

In an upright position, the Tower predicts a break in existing relationships

Job

All problems will relate to the professional sphere:

• it is possible to be laid off from a job that brings a stable income;
• salary decrease or complete lack of money;
• bankruptcy of the organization;
• severe reprimand up to and including dismissal.

This is just a small list about which the meaning of card 16 prophesies. Non-global changes are also possible:

• receiving stress from a large number of plans and reports;
• conflict situation with the team;
• renovation work in the office, the possibility of temporary relocation.

If a person occupies a leadership position, then the Tower lasso predicts a loss of authority, influence on employees and losing to competitors. As a result, this may lead to a demotion and removal from certain matters. It is best to wait out this time on sick leave or go on vacation. In extreme cases, you can ask for a business trip. Of course, failures will follow there too, but away from home their impact is significantly reduced.

In an inverted state, the 16th mystical card prophesies stagnation in the profession. This applies most of all to creative people. The muse will not come for a long time and the imagination will stop working. For other professional areas, these may be various obstacles that will interfere with basic plans.

If the layout shows an inverted card, then you should postpone all financial transactions. There is a high probability of encountering scammers and thieves. You should also keep a closer eye on your wallet, it can be stolen. It is better to freeze all assets and not make large purchases for a while. If the empress appears next to the tower, this means that a loved one is profiting from you.

But there is also a positive side: repair work will be completed, new work will be found, or something destroyed will be restored.

Health

A fallen Tarot Tower warns of serious problems. There is a high probability of getting into an accident, after which there will be many fractures. Therefore, it is better not to drive for some time; be sure to buckle up in the car (it doesn’t matter whether you are a driver or a passenger). Maybe that the card predicts serious health problems. All of them will happen abruptly. You should be wary of heart-related diseases: stroke, cyst rupture, hemorrhage. Burns, heart attacks, injuries and various accidents are also possible.

To avoid card prediction, you should:

• avoid heavy physical activity;
• avoid stress;
• do not drink alcohol in large quantities;
• It is advisable to quit smoking.

Arcana Tarot speaks of a favorable time to start a healthy lifestyle.

An inverted card indicates problems in your state of mind. It can be:

• depression;
• torment;
• personal unrest;
• sleep disturbance;
• loss of appetite;
• the onset of apathy;
• everything that happens around a person loses its meaning and she loses interest in everything;
• in people with bad habits, exacerbation occurs;
• Possible illness from alcoholism, drug use.

If a serious operation has recently been performed, then the card predicts successful rehabilitation, the body will recover quickly and the person will soon return to a normal lifestyle. To enhance the effect, you must follow the recommended daily regimen. This will allow you to always be cheerful and energetic.

A fallen Tarot Tower warns of serious health problems

Combination with other cards

The Tower in combination with other Tarot cards gives a detailed prediction. You should not focus on a specific card, because the most accurate interpretation comes from a combination of several cards. When the Tower Tarot card appears with other cards, it means:

• Jester - change of working profession, layoff;
• Mag - the emergence of a chance for a new life;
• The High Priestess - gaining life experience;
• Empress - acquiring happiness from someone else's misfortune;
• Emperor - ruin of business or complete discord in personal life;
• Hierophant - change your view of personal values;
• Lovers - parting with a loved one;
• Chariot - road accident with severe damage to transport;
• Strength - self-control, endurance;
• Hermit - separation, loneliness.

And you must also forget about the following designations:

• Wheel of Fortune - happy news, pleasant changes;
• Justice is punishment for sinful actions;
• Hanged Man - severe injury, change of fate;
• Death - changes in fate, strong external influence;
• Moderation - fate wards off severe misfortune;
• The devil is the loss of a lot of money;
• Star - organization;
• Moon - parting with a loved one;
• Sun - acquiring new life experience;
• Court - there will be a chance to correct all mistakes, and the World card - restoration of vitality.

The Tower card is found in card decks such as the Thoth Tarot, the Manara Tarot, the Rider-White Tarot, the Osho Zen Tarot and the Decameron Tarot.

The sacred meaning of the Tower

The Tower card has a sacred meaning. In the center is a tower, which is solidly made of strong stone. This shows the meaning hidden in it. A person creates unshakable worldview beliefs that constantly influence his life position. This applies to any field of activity.

The tower seems strong, but if you look at its base, you will notice that it stands on blocks of stone. Any movement can affect the integrity of the structure. These blocks are a symbol of the basis that a person takes to create ideological beliefs. It is worth noting that the stones are of a material nature. This shows that the person is not using his spiritual views.

At the top of the tower is a crown. Its deep meaning means the creation of an idol that rises above the divine laws and has no equal. He manages his own life, and no one dares tell him. But the time will come, and this idol will be debunked.

The aggressive background of the 16th Arcana shows that all human principles are not ready to pass the test of strength. A bolt of lightning destroys the tower in an instant and, most importantly, it begins to collapse not at the base, but from above. This suggests that the person created his beliefs correctly, but established a destructive attitude towards them. With the help of lightning, the base of the crown is destroyed. It points to a person’s pride, which has replaced all laws for him.

There are Tarot cards in which the Tower is called “Karmic Retribution.” After all, she has a punishing instrument - lightning. With her blow she punishes a person for his life beliefs.

Human images falling from the top of the tower indicate fatal retribution. A person who falls from a great height onto sharp stones has no chance of survival. Another meaning of falling people suggests that any person will be punished, regardless of social status, the depth of his mind and his principles.

Interpretation of the Tarot card The Tower brings unwanted changes in fate. Most often they happen suddenly. But once the path is cleared, a person will see movement forward. All life is filled with periods that follow one another. There is no need to focus on one thing. Any change is the germ of a new, more productive and creative period.

There is no need to think about unpleasant events. It’s worth trying to go through the “obstacle course” faster and then there will be a rise and new achievements.

For the Tower, which is traditionally considered the most severe card of the Major Arcana, oddly enough, you can search for your keyword for a long time. “Changes” in the Tarot deck are heralded by many cards. Jester, Wheel of Fortune, Death... And the same Six of Swords? Don't they all promise change? In short, this is not “change.”
Are these changes unexpected? The strangest thing is that the Tower may not be unexpected at all! The situation, like an abscess, has been brewing for a long time. This is the “end of the world” that we have been waiting for. Maybe they were even really looking forward to it! So it's not a "surprise".
Liberation? Again, the Tower will not be the exclusive bearer of this meaning. Liberation is brought by Judgment, the Sun, the Star... and a number of other cards.

And it turns out that the key word is “crisis”. Or even a “crisis”. Explosion or breakdown after previous injection. In a certain sense, this is punishment for what happened before. It is used to drive out the Devil (previous Arcanum). The ancient name of the Tower is the House of God. It's worth thinking about. This is the House of the Devil (as the map was called in medieval Italy), which, under the strike of heavenly lightning, turns into the place of the presence of God. Along the Tower there is liberation from false aspirations that do not contribute to development, through the destruction of what a person believed in and what he strongly strived for. There is a loss of the achieved balance, based on false foundations. The Tower is the orderly 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 it seems to a child who is dragged to the doctor to have a sore tooth removed. Few people perceive these cleansing operations with enthusiasm, but they are still needed.

The tower shows that the walls behind which we were hiding (or hiding something) are crumbling. One period of life gives way to another, and this happens very quickly, and therefore not painlessly. In the simplest sense, the card symbolizes the end of an existing situation under the influence of external forces, unexpected and very rapid. This could be either simply a reactive establishment of order, like a purge, or a total collapse of the current situation (at least in the area of ​​the question being asked). The tower pulls a person out of the circumstances that limit him, disrupts the long-existing state of affairs. Sometimes this completely corresponds to the expectations and even desires of the questioner, so the Tower is not always so bad. Next to positive cards, it reports the collapse of existing evil, foreshadowing the end of a dark streak in life and getting rid of a heavy load. It's time to enter the future amid the roar of the wreckage of the past.
It’s another matter if all this does not at all correspond to either expectations or desires. Then this is a bolt from the blue, a kind of painful revelation that undermines the very foundations on which we stood, a radical breakdown of previous views on life. It is important that the “blow” itself is inflicted by forces that are not worth trying to control. Another significant point - there is no point in restoring the deceased in the Tower, it is useless.

At different positions of the layout and depending on the situation, the Tower changes its scale and meaning. This can be both external destruction and internal shocks. For the future, it rather serves as a warning that what we have long considered stable and safe may suddenly be shaken. Fundamental changes are brewing, and there is a smell of thunder in the air. As an indicator of the past, she says that what has become obsolete has collapsed and will not be revived. Sometimes we are talking about internal things - ossified beliefs or life principles, and sometimes the target becomes something more tangible, but in any case, it is precisely those structures and conventions that we have already surpassed that are falling apart throughout the Tower. In fact, the old breaks down because the time has come, something new is already ripening, something more creative, alive and vital, but the old has already become obsolete, and resuscitating it is a waste of time and effort. When the shock wears off, we find that we have gotten rid of the ballast.

Throughout the Tower we clear away trash, throw out old and unnecessary things, and destroy obstacles. Sometimes she says that we are in an extremely intense process of transformation, something shook us and shocked us, we felt a breakthrough to something important, space was freed up in us for something new. We are burning with some idea, feeling, desire, breaking one thing, striving for another, experiencing shock and liberation. This is the discovery of inner truth that has been languishing in us for a long time under a bushel. This process is like a bolt from the blue or a river breaking through a dam. This can be such a powerful and vivid experience that it is almost impossible to “pull yourself together” and return to everyday routine (the notorious “tower demolition”).
The traditional meaning of the Tower is an unexpected upset and collapse of plans, in the worst case - complete failure, troubles, suffering. Catastrophic changes in the affairs of the questioner, destruction of a home, business, marriage (depending on the topic of the question and surrounding cards), sometimes imprisonment. In a purely everyday sense, the Tower often means conflict, even scandal, but it is a thunderstorm, after which the air becomes cleaner. It is possible to be involved in some actions of an aggressive nature, in difficult and/or dangerous situations.

In rare cases, the Tower portends a triumph, but even then it is rather a “Pyrrhic victory”, which is won at too high a price.
Unforeseen destruction, accidents, breakdowns, accidents, and sometimes attacks occur throughout the Tower. On a global scale, it reflects wars, natural disasters, explosions, terrorist attacks, revolutions, regime collapse, and destruction of the existing order. Plane crashes, shipwrecks.
It is believed that the Tower, appearing in a layout, determines the meaning of other cards in a negative direction.

“As if struck by thunder.”

Most likely, the person is in shock. He is overwhelmed by some news or event, and everything he had planned and hoped for suddenly changed. Maybe he is determined to free himself from something and acts as a destroyer, but again, there is some reason for this.

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 the help of which a person tries to protect himself from growth, from the world, from the activity and diversity of life. In a certain sense, the XVI Arcana depicts a prison consisting of rigid, impenetrable to change and at the same time highly exalted ideas. Unused forces, undisclosed emotions, paralyzed energy are locked within its gloomy walls. They accumulate and press harder and harder. A person becomes cramped in himself, but he stubbornly forces himself to curl up, just so as not to grow out of fear of pain (and life). In fact, this entire structure is a vain attempt to stop the process of growth, change, transition from one state to another. And so, reality, conditioned by a limited outlook, is destroyed. The Tower of Views, piling up towards the sky (and that area of ​​life where a person believed himself to be reliably protected) suddenly staggered and scattered along with the old picture of the world. This is often perceived as a disaster, since the very structures that formed the very basis of our confidence are collapsing, but in fact it is a well-deserved crisis, the impossibility of remaining in outdated positions. Nothing more is happening in the Tower than creating the conditions for further growth. This is the pain that stands in the way of rebirth.

We all go through the Tower experience many times. Man is imperfect, and his knowledge of the world is always only partial. We all, to some extent, protect ourselves from our surroundings in order to gain stability and tranquility. No one can escape disappointment in their illusions, hopes and rational constructions; the only question is how often positions are revised (the main role here is played by openness and interaction with the outside world, in general with forces that exceed one’s own “I”). If a person does not do this for a long time (and we lay the bricks of ideas in one way or another every day), then he manages to pile up a very high structure, and then he risks being simply “buried” under its rubble - it will take a long time to dig out, and this experience will leave its scars. This is a special wisdom in life - the understanding that the walls of your tower are more likely to be your enemies than your friends. Still, the feeling of falling can be downright terrifying. Sometimes it experiences “righteous anger” and the fury of destruction and liberation, but more often it experiences loss of orientation, existential horror, a stunning realization that you are not the person you thought you were, that you are grasping for air, like falling figures on a map.
It is important for a person suffering from acute Tower pain to remember that they are not alone. There, from above, Someone is looking at him, seeing everything (that’s why he fucked up because he sees...) and will not leave him 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 taking an honest look at yourself, you can truly free yourself and move on. As one of the modern Western tarot readers noted, “By accepting shock, you will be able to move along your true path, and sooner or later the Star of Hope will shine on you. The alternative is to trudge through the mud as a passive victim, wondering where you are and how you got here.” The action of the Tower is very clearly visible in Priestley's "Dangerous Turn", where the main character discovers that the entire edifice of his life was an illusion, and where the issues of deception and self-deception are shown brilliantly. And one more thing that must be remembered in “tower” times is that the most important, the most valuable and essential cannot be destroyed. This is not what the tower destroys. She burns garbage (even if we are ready to pull it out of the fire with our bare hands at that moment).

The Tower man has an extremely restless character, he is simply a powder keg. He suddenly bursts onto the stage like lightning and hits just as suddenly, which also leaves the feeling of thunder from a clear sky. He is always thirsting for change (at least unconsciously), he is cramped within the framework defined by life, and therefore something happens to him all the time, he himself and the people around him receive regular “shocks”. He is dynamic, confident, excitingly unpredictable and always ready to take risks. The tower brings shock and confusion into the lives of those with whom fate confronts him (her), it is living rock. At the same time, a person’s spirit is unbending, it is difficult to break it, and his own life, full of sharp turns, serves him, if not as a lesson, then as a strengthening. A Tower of either gender is often characterized by an explosive temperament and an inability to maintain good relationships with others. This is a born duelist who always gets into trouble. In the worst case, he is a brawler, a brawler and a rude person, or even a criminal. Historically, the Tower corresponds to tyrants and dictators (who are sooner or later overthrown if they do not die before that). Both megalomania and punishment for pride pass through the Tower. Anyone would have lost their nerve ten times over, “but he, the rebellious one, asks for storms, as if there is peace in storms.” However, he has the gift of freeing other, less cool and radical people from what oppresses them - once or twice, the doors are knocked down, the phones are torn off, the suitcases are packed, and in general, he’s a joke with them, with things, and now you’re flying “ hare" in an unknown direction, without even trying to guess how it will all end. With the Tower, the phrase “see Paris and die” ceases to be a literary phrase.

In a spiritual sense, the Tower symbolizes the consequences of a person being “confused by a demon”; he accepted the Devil’s offer, even if he tries to deny it. The Sixteenth Arcana describes the destruction of the vibrations of the Fifteenth. The tower is something sent by God (blow, punishment, revelation, collapse of illusions). Contrary to modern interpretations, in the deepest sense, the Tower does not so much “tear down the tower” as strictly the opposite - “sets the brain straight.” We receive a reminder from the Universe that we are not omnipotent (even if we have gained power), that the will of man, no matter how strong it may be, in comparison with the Will of God, is secondary and limited. The tower warns - do not imagine yourself as the Lord God, do not imagine that “man himself controls.” What you are striving for now is not conducive to evolution and is not part of God's plans. Therefore, you will be guided on the true path, the constructions of your limited mind will be overturned. The Sixteenth Arcanum is the mystery of the overthrow of everything false and unviable. Symbolically, it depicts the fall of Lucifer, Lucifer, cast down from heaven “like lightning” by the army of Archangel Michael. Sometimes it is also associated with the fall of man and his expulsion from paradise, although in general this whole structure bears little resemblance to paradise... Probably, the closest thing to the Sixteenth Arcanum is the famous myth about the Tower of Babel, a symbol of vanity, which the Lord did not allow proud people to complete. Allegory: something not quite real falls under the pressure of Divine intervention. Therefore, the Tower addresses a person with a warning: the task you set cannot but destroy the one who solves it. And does it make sense? What you are building at least ignores the laws of God, and maybe even violates them. It is the fall of sin, so expulsion from paradise will certainly follow. This construction will not be completed, although much has already been done. A uranic blow will follow, putting an end to this matter. From this uranic lightning the sun of new truth can shine. Divine revelation destroys all delusions at once, leaving nothing of them.

Astrologically in the Tower, the influence of Mars (cosmic energy in its crude materialistic form), as well as such planets as Pluto (globalism and mass character, “nowhere to hide”), Uranus and Saturn (sudden destruction and renewal) is noticeable. The tower can mean either the blind destruction of forms or the fall of the dilapidated. Mars is the personal moral principle of a person, dominating fate, giving physical strength, spiritual impulses and hope for immortality. But hope for immortality comes to a person only when he “falls from his Tower of Babel” and there is nothing left for him except this hope. In a mystical sense, the Tower corresponds to astral battles, magical wars, and exorcism.

The tower also corresponds to the mystery of the Phoenix, rising from the ashes renewed. This is the ability to be reborn, to change radically after cleansing crises (from the seductions of the Devil moving to the Star). The map often depicts how a golden glow or other substance bursts out of the gap formed by the blow in a stream, which symbolizes the released potential forces. In the Masonic tradition, the tower symbolizes the column of Jachin and the first 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 the figures falling from the Tower vary in different decks. Sometimes one is a king losing his crown in the air, and the other is a poor man in rags. This is a hint that no one will escape cleansing crises and revision of ideas 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 what is meant is rather an association with the fall of man and retribution for yielding to the temptations of the previous Arcana. Sometimes the Tower is associated with the “fiery sword” at the entrance to Eden. Exile here is reflected in the form that a person falls into the lower world and incurs the illusion of materiality.

The tower is the axis mundi, which embodies spiritual evolution towards divine heights. Esoterically, this Arcana also depicts the secret of the interaction of thought (idea) and words. The human soul, in order for what is created inside to be manifested outward (the word is spoken), turns inward. But the spoken word destroys the previous internal integrity, and when speaking, a person ceases to understand the meaning of what was said and creatively touch the essence of things. Hence the seemingly paradoxical phrase “A thought expressed is a lie.” When a person comprehends the true power of the word, he is mostly silent (an example of this is the silent ascetics).

The card can only warn that the structure is shaky, the strength is not as great and the understanding is not as complete as it seems, and misfortune may occur as a result of misuse of God's gift. A typical example: a person’s catastrophe, which plays with magical forces beyond his power and understanding, or a psychic who exaggerates his capabilities and (semi-unconsciously) profits from people’s misfortunes. The Tower has long been considered a map of edification for those seeking occult knowledge. She says that if you are seduced by the opportunity to rule this world instead of striving for wisdom and spiritual growth, you will lose everything you have gained. The reason is the incorrect use of force. It’s 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 in the quest, there is still a temptation to evaluate oneself in terms of this world - by the impression made on others, by earthly position and status. But if you exchange spiritual growth for obvious material achievements, you will lose everything, and in the hermetic sense, the XVI Arcanum is about this. YOU EITHER ASSIGNED POWER THAT YOU DID NOT HAVE, OR YOU STRIVED TOWARDS A GOAL TO WHICH YOU DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT. It symbolizes the collapse of the arrogant intellect, which has encroached on the mastery of the Secret Knowledge.

Shocking changes. A sudden decision to change jobs (or even professions). Dismissal “like a bolt from the blue”, leaving with noise and roar, “slamming the door.” Quarrels, stress, destruction of business relationships.

Professional failures. Defeat in competition. A huge collapse. Sudden closure of the project. Company bankruptcy.

Suddenly it turns out that the plans are unrealistic, not designed for human strength, and therefore doomed to failure.
Fiasco. Situations in which a person feels that all his work has been in vain, and the meaning of life has also disappeared somewhere. Loss of prestige and influence, career collapse, removal from office, suspension. A disaster resulting from abuse of power.
A risky endeavor, an uncertain business, an unsustainable enterprise.
Mostly military personnel and athletes pass through the Tower professionally. It can also be an indicator of professions associated with clearing space, destroying the old (and this could be radical psychotherapy).

A tower can literally indicate a house or building, as well as the danger emanating from it. Fire, destruction, robbery. A sudden decision to change your place of residence.
Financial structures built on the principle of a house of cards. The basis of the case is dubious; if the past comes to light, all sorts of upheavals will begin (“Don’t worry, Kozlodoev, we’ll all sit down!”)
Bankruptcy, financial collapse, economic crisis. Business destruction, financial losses. Need, poverty, deprivation, misery.
Deal failure.

Here, as in everything else, the Tower brings destruction and liberation. Whether a person feels more “breakdown” or more “liberation” is another question.
Sometimes there is simply a conflict running through the Tower, and sometimes an uncontrollable sexual impulse, sometimes one turns into the other... but in any case, it is an explosion and the release of feelings that have been accumulated and suppressed for a long time. If only something was kept under wraps, curbed, tolerated, silent, waited, then the Tower is the hour of explosion. The bonds are collapsing, the reins are breaking, patience is running out, in a word, the margin of safety is running out, sometimes completely treacherously. The direction of interpretation of the Tower can sometimes be guessed precisely by whether it was preceded by this period of “nuclear deterrence”, whether the clockwork was ticking. The previous nature of the relationship may also provide a clue. If the situation felt like a dead end, and the relationship (or lack thereof) was of a nature that strongly reminded the person himself of prison, the Tower is “knock down the door and walk out.” Sometimes it is experienced positively, much like a man doomed to life imprisonment experiences the unexpected destruction of his prison during an earthquake - he gets out without feeling any nostalgia for the rubble.
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 “collapse as a result of incorrect judgment and abuse of free will” are absolutely accurate, and the extent to which this is true can only be felt by going through all the drinkings of the Tower. Another meaning is “cleansing storm.” And one more thing - “ashes”. Which of them is closer to the truth in this case remains to be seen.
Marriage crisis, divorce. Throughout the Tower, certain “revelations” often occur - the long-hidden truth breaks out, and a sudden understanding of the true essence of events arises. This could be the realization of one’s own dissatisfaction with the marriage, or the fact of betrayal, or other unexpected blows (“everything was mixed up in the Oblonskys’ house”). Throughout the Tower, secrets are revealed and illusions are dispelled.
The sudden loss of a spouse, knocking the rug out from under your feet. In practice, there was a case when the Tower indicated sudden widowhood, the death of a wife, and a person, in a stunning awareness of his vulnerability, was left with a small child in his arms, he had to build a completely new life.
In part, the card indicates tyranny and oppression (the context of the alignment is important), the situation can also be dangerous, threatening, and fraught with violence.
The tower carries considerable sexual energy. Lightning sometimes takes the form of the zodiac sign Scorpio, and the tower itself is seen as a phallic symbol. It symbolizes the powerful orgasmic power of emotions that have been pent up for a long time, but are finally released. Therefore, sometimes a sudden love passes through the Tower, which “jumped out in front of us, like a killer jumps out of 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 (reversed, respectively, with problems in this area; it is also believed that it may indicate the secret birth of a child). According to the Tower, sex is spontaneous, very passionate, unexpected for the person himself, and sometimes violent. Sometimes passion runs through her, which completely destroys the lives of the people captured by it. “Everything happened” - but they are simply scared to open their eyes and look around after this atomic explosion...
For a lonely person living with a feeling of complete stagnation and tired of loneliness, the Tower is an almost optimistic card. She says something will happen! It is not a fact that this will be great happiness, but in any case, a boring and calm existence will end, and it will be possible to escape from the prison of stupor. It happens that a person is ready to take risks just to overcome inertia, and he is not very frightened even by the prospect of being left with a broken trough (however, the energy of the Tower is such that the other trough is also unlikely to remain intact).
A modern tarot reader, writing under the pseudonym AlmaZ, says the following about the Tower: “The card can represent a period when a person decides to do something that he has never done, following the principle: now or never. Those who marry the wrong person leave; singles fall in love and tie the knot; women who have never had children are taking their last chance to conceive, and those who have worked for years in boring jobs quit and walk to the Himalayas. For the sake of happiness and growth, everything standard must go, so that in its place what has been dormant for so long in the depths of our being awakens.”

Diseases of the “like a bolt from the blue” type. Fractures, injuries accompanied by acute pain. Accidents, injuries. Burns. Shock. Sometimes sudden healings take place throughout the Tower, the disease can be “expelled” and “eradicated”, but as a rule this also shakes the body to its core. Surgical operations. Radiation and chemotherapy.
Symptoms of liberation of the body from toxins pass through the Tower - high fever, vomiting, all kinds of skin rashes. Hemorrhages, abscesses, suppurations, an attack of appendicitis, rupture of a cyst.
Heart attack, heart attack, stroke.
Age crisis.
Nervous breakdown, severe frustration. Panic attacks.
Mental disorders, rather psychopathic than neurotic (an old joke definition: a neurotic is one who does not give life to himself, a psychopath is one who does not give life to others). The heat of passion.
Poor health (for example, as a result of radiation damage).
In exceptional cases - death (catastrophe, accident).

There is an opinion that the inverted position softens the effect of the Tower: what was built will not be destroyed to the ground. It becomes less ominous and catastrophic. The chaos may not be so strong, but it will last longer. Or is it simply postponing a change that has yet to be faced. It could also be a misfortune fortunately avoided at the last moment. But still, usually an inverted Tower also brings anxiety and pain.
In an inverted position, the card speaks of a strong dependence on existing circumstances that cannot be changed at the moment - opportunities are limited, individuality is oppressed. A person follows in his own footsteps along the same road, lives along the old rut, ripening towards a fundamental crisis of development, ignores alarming signals and clings to the status quo. He postpones the necessary changes, softening a situation ready to explode. Sometimes, according to the inverted Tower, a person persistently denies a crisis, friction in a relationship, or even the violence being committed, as if it does not exist.
The card also does not advise rushing to destroy old relationships and connections; it is better to resolve the matter peacefully, avoiding scandals and conflicts.

It is traditionally believed to have a narrow meaning: tyranny, oppression, bondage. Deception. A shame. Harassment, persecution, persecution. In the French tradition, the inverted Tower symbolizes imprisonment, since according to legend, it was Napoleon who pulled it out on the day of his departure to St. Helena.

With the Jester - danger due to inattention, carelessness

With the Magician - retribution for permissiveness

With the Empress - selfishness and the risk of being alone; danger of bankruptcy

With the Emperor - the need to defend one’s interests, to defend one’s conquests with difficulty

With the Hierophant - spiritual quests have gone down the wrong path; crisis of faith, possible involvement in a sect or falling under the power of a home-grown “guru”

With Lovers - the need to quickly make the most important decision

With the Chariot - a formidable warning about an accident, an accident on the way. If there is no road in sight, then cards of control, victory, triumph in the struggle.

With the Hermit - loneliness due to unreasonably high conceit

With the Wheel of Fortune - major and unexpected changes will occur in life

With Strength - extremely strong and not particularly friendly people will appear around you

With Death - “the rapid impact of powerful forces.” Accidents, injuries, painful incidents. Traditionally, this combination is a harbinger of an imminent disaster, literally or figuratively.

Moderation - weakens the effect of the Tower.

With the Star - no matter what the shocks are, there is no need to be sad, everything is for the better. The serenity and peace of the Star calm the storm of the Tower.

With the Sun - health problems, depression. This combination is also considered a warning not to borrow or invest money. Another meaning is bright insight, revelation.

With the Six of Wands - approval, pride, success.

With the Five of Pentacles, times are very difficult, especially in terms of money.

With the Nine of Pentacles - “a heap of problems” (according to Guggenheim)

Finger of God

Descent of the Holy Spirit

Ragnerok (fiery end of the world in Germanic and Scandinavian mythology)

Fall of Sodom and Gomorrah

Ruins of Babylon

Dance of Shiva

“To suffer is to be clothed with immortality.”

“Truly the Lord is present in this place, but I did not know it! What a scary place! This is none other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16-17).