major arcana
#16 → 7
as the previous major arcana card, the Devil, carries with it the feeling of entrapment, the tower brings release.
zodiac sign: Scorpio + Aries
planet: Mars
element: Fire
Key words
- sudden change
- fundamental shifts
- crumbing
- massive upheaval
- often out of our control
- break down of the ego
- ego death
"the downfall of the mind, seeking to penetrate the mystery of God"
Tower moments are sudden, often unexpected, changes that come by way of the Universe.
However brutal and intense its form comes in, the Tower ultimately functions to free you from the enslavement of the devil - that which is not healthy for your mind, body, or spirit.
The universe's force/will when we are clinging too tightly to things that don’t serve us (not worthy or healing for us in mind, body, and spirit)
Unlike the Death card, #13, where endings are sought out subconsciously, the Tower's endings are brought on by a higher power, possibly seeing the holes in our perceptions that we cannot.
Tower moments only happen when the tower itself (that which is crumbling) is built on shaky ground, unstable, and unsustainable footing.
This may look like everything you've ever thought to be true - belief systems, perceptions of yourself and the world, relationships, financial and occupational security - becomes questioned, seen through for its truth, and revealed for its illusions and instability.
Tower moments are meant to challenge your ego.
The Tower energy breaks down anything you've built that guards you from the truth of life.
Thus is why the tower is spoken of as "the downfall of the mind, seeking to penetrate the mystery of god."
The Tower is God's reminder that we cannot control life, and we cannot even understand most of it. The tower represents all man-”made” structures, like our intellect, our ego, the things we build that separates us from nature and our true nature. Our ego, our exertion of power in an effort to awaken, dominate, and control ourselves, others and life ~ to surpass the will of god and/or to hide from the nature of reality, which is uncontrollable and beyond comprehension. The systems that we build to keep us from feeling out of control, or keep us in systems of power and authority will never remain, because they don't speak to what is true in life. The Tower reminds us that there are greater forces outside of us (i.e. the earth) that no human can ever have power or control over. Attempting to exert control over God (i.e. the natural world) ain't gonna work. The tower is God crumbling false notions, in order to bring all of its creation into truth and unity.
The tower falls so the rubble can be used as regenerative soil to build anew on
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Lessons
Surrender to the unknown, greater force of the universe, knowing that your mind (and all that you believe this existence to be) cannot actually comprehend the complexity, true nature, interconnectedness and pure truth of reality
Trust in that what falls away from your life is doing so because it was built on unstable, unsustainable, possibly unhealthy and out of alignment foundations
The tower falling creates rubble, which contributes to fertile soil to begin planting what you have been aligned with through journeying within your tower moments
The tower promises a new stable beginning - one where you will lead with more self-awareness, strength, stability and trust in yourself and the universe
the tower encourages us to embrace these changes and use them as an opportunity to deepen our maturity
Mythology
*originally depicted in the Rider-Waite tarot, Nimrod was one person falling from the tower
↓ his/her name may be interchangeable throughout different religious texts, recounts of history, mythologies, or different places in life’s anthologies, but the symbol is the same
The Tower of Babel
After the flood, Noah’s descendants (Nimrod being one of them), were instructed by God to disperse themselves around the world and multiply. At this time, everyone spoke the same language. The people decided to turn away from the advice of God, and chose to settle and build dwellings in order to maintain safety against another natural disaster (like the flood) and wanted to garner power in the society they were building - these actions were ultimately fueled by ego, fear, and lack of trust.
In the bible, Nimrod was a “mighty hunter before the lord”, praised for his material strengths - good with agriculture, physically strong. Nimrod was one of the “mighty men” or giants to exist after the flood, which killed many of his ancestors and family members. He had a vengeance towards God from the flood, so he built a tower that was tall enough so a flood or other natural disaster could not hurt them. God ultimately brought down the tower and in doing so, confused all of the languages between the people, so they could no longer communicate with one another. This caused fragmentation among the people, causing them to spread out and split up. This marks the beginning of the fragmentation of consciousness and our inherent wholeness.
Symbolism
lightening = God
The lightning rod represents god ~ as god will crumble false notions (i.e. the tower) of him/her/itself in an attempt to bring humanity closer to him/her/it.
the tower = the spine = kundalini energy/awakening
could the Tower be a symbol for a kundalini awakening?
kundalini awakenings (or, Tower moments) clears out all that gets in the way of an authentic and intimate connection with the purest form of yourself, bringing you into a deeper connection with God.
The tower acts as energy ascending to the heavens from the base of the earth (or the pelvis, when relating to human beings, as the microcosm).
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