BodhiSeed
What I notice in the Tower card:
picture (glass cracked) of the Tower of Babel
masks around the frame
rug under table with star design
The biblical story of the Tower of Babel tells of how (after the Great Flood) the people got together to build a tower to heaven. God saw what they were up to and zapped them so they spoke different languages. Without being able to communicate, they gave up their effort. Various rabbinic sources offer explanations for the the story. One suggests the people were motivated by wanting to be protected (no more floods) and special: "God has no right to choose the upper world for Himself, and to leave the lower world to us; therefore we will build us a tower." In other words, they wanted to figure out how not to have to deal with the crap that life sometimes throws. Today, humans are just as anxious to protect themselves, and our "towers" of protection come in all shapes and forms. I am reminded of the story of woman whose child died; she came to Buddha and begged him to return him to life. Buddha told her to go find someone in the village whose life death had not touched, and he would do so. Of course there was no one, and in the process of talking to all the villagers, she realized she wasn't being singled out - stuff happens to everyone. The crack in the glass is the shattering of this illusion.
The masks around the frame show the different ways the ego can try to protect itself from the travails of life. There's the gym membership mask that promises if we stay in shape we won't have to worry about health problems. The fat bank account mask whispers we will never be financially insecure. The religion mask tells us if we worship the right deity and have enough faith, we won't have to worry about anything. Then there's the intellectual/higher education mask that assures us we have the brains and logic to figure out a solution to everything. The relationship mask tells us we will never be alone and will always be emotionally supported no matter what. And finally is the civic group mask that promises all those good deeds we do will insure that no karma crud will ever stick to us.
The star rug is a nod to the next card in the major arcana. It symbolizes that when our egos get knocked out of the comfy illusions we've built around us, we'll find healing and understanding around the corner.
ETA: I realized later that there are two empty "shelves" with no masks on them. Are these being presently worn? Or is this room for our next illusion if we don't learn anything from our Tower experience?
malpertuis.co.uk/2013
picture (glass cracked) of the Tower of Babel
masks around the frame
rug under table with star design
The biblical story of the Tower of Babel tells of how (after the Great Flood) the people got together to build a tower to heaven. God saw what they were up to and zapped them so they spoke different languages. Without being able to communicate, they gave up their effort. Various rabbinic sources offer explanations for the the story. One suggests the people were motivated by wanting to be protected (no more floods) and special: "God has no right to choose the upper world for Himself, and to leave the lower world to us; therefore we will build us a tower." In other words, they wanted to figure out how not to have to deal with the crap that life sometimes throws. Today, humans are just as anxious to protect themselves, and our "towers" of protection come in all shapes and forms. I am reminded of the story of woman whose child died; she came to Buddha and begged him to return him to life. Buddha told her to go find someone in the village whose life death had not touched, and he would do so. Of course there was no one, and in the process of talking to all the villagers, she realized she wasn't being singled out - stuff happens to everyone. The crack in the glass is the shattering of this illusion.
The masks around the frame show the different ways the ego can try to protect itself from the travails of life. There's the gym membership mask that promises if we stay in shape we won't have to worry about health problems. The fat bank account mask whispers we will never be financially insecure. The religion mask tells us if we worship the right deity and have enough faith, we won't have to worry about anything. Then there's the intellectual/higher education mask that assures us we have the brains and logic to figure out a solution to everything. The relationship mask tells us we will never be alone and will always be emotionally supported no matter what. And finally is the civic group mask that promises all those good deeds we do will insure that no karma crud will ever stick to us.
The star rug is a nod to the next card in the major arcana. It symbolizes that when our egos get knocked out of the comfy illusions we've built around us, we'll find healing and understanding around the corner.
ETA: I realized later that there are two empty "shelves" with no masks on them. Are these being presently worn? Or is this room for our next illusion if we don't learn anything from our Tower experience?
malpertuis.co.uk/2013