The Tower - 16

I'm not sure which card evokes more groans from querents when first viewed...the Devil, the Ten of Swords, Death or the Tower...and perhaps the Three of Swords, too. Once explained and read, however, folks seem to settle down and listen carefully no matter which card they worried about...IF the reader has done a thoughtful job of reading it. After all, in a multiple-card spread, no card stands alone (that would be akin to taking something out of context)...it's also important how the cards relate to each other.

The Tower, in Robin's deck, is one I often see as forecasting drastic and complete change...either change that has already occurred, change happening NOW or change to come...depending on where it falls in the spread and which spread is used. In her book, I appreciated how Robin said that the foundation of what was toppling was rotten to begin with, and thus couldn't stand the test of time. It NEEDED to come down. And boy, with water raging, fire shooting from its top, lightening flashing, the whole structure cracking AND folks tumbling out into the sky, one surely can't miss the "red flag," so to speak.

When this card comes up, especially in my own reading, I'm often reminded that pretty exteriors can often hide a decaying inside. And, conversely, shabby outsides can hide gems inside. In this present day world of glitz and glam, one can easily forget this.

The thing about change is, however, there's often good things that can come out of the seemingly bad. Again, patience is key. Not to mention not being afraid to ask for help when the storm is in full-tilt. Rest, once you've gone through such tumult, is important for that ol' balance that makes for health and happiness overall.

spinningspider said:

When this card comes up, especially in my own reading, I'm often reminded that pretty exteriors can often hide a decaying inside. And, conversely, shabby outsides can hide gems inside. In this present day world of glitz and glam, one can easily forget this.

Click to expand...

This made me think of a conference and atelier I attended. The person was talking about the golden child and the swamp one. And the way she explained it was pretty much in the same direction than you, spinningspider.

For the card, I like the idea of crack in the building. The building seems to be the focus of the card. It stand on a tiny island and we can see the waves about to hit. The clouds seems to makes circles around the tower. And the lightning is demolishing this focus. It makes me think when I am having ideas. It is like lightning: sudden. In french, there is a expression that illustrate this : "éclair de génie" (genius lightning). So this card doesn't makes me shiver. I take it more like an enlightment on something that I haven't considered before and it is hitting me all the sudden, in an unexpected way.

Imagery:

Told as if in a dream:

Desperation swarms over me, pushing my legs into a run, down and away. It's coming. I can hear it! A roaring, cavernous echoes mingling with screams of men, women and children. I've got to get away! Looking at doors as I skid past, frantically jiggling knobs. Open, I yell. Open, come on! But nothing gives. Across the way, I see someone fling open a door and disappear inside. It's a tall round tower, like a lighthouse, and I rush over there, shouldering my way into a dimly lit corridor. Stairs rise before me, and I climb, scampering up toward safety.

The building shudders and I feel the vibration of the unseen calamity which has assaulted the upper floors. But I go up, even still, because the flood of raging water I'd been running from is flowing in through the open doorway. I hear the thunderous claps that follow lightning above, and yet I climb higher. My mind settles for the unknown chances of what awaits me above, rather than be sucked into the torrent of tidal waves which are engulfing the landscape outside.

Through the small windows which appear around corners in this never-ending stairway, I see large meteor like boulders slam toward the earth. Reaching what I think is the top, I see flames lapping at the cinderblocks, and above that the roiling clouds parting momentarily for the molten finger of lightning which lights up the night and my eyes take in a horror I would not want to see. I can't stop myself from following suit, those who have clamored up, only to glide out into thin air, and free fall back down.

Briefly as I stand poised upon the edge my mind flashes on a scene from a movie. Two men standing on the precipice of a cliff (fools perhaps?). One says to the other, "I can't swim." and the other laughs. "you crazy! The fall will kill you."



The Tower represents issues that involve catastrophic change, no way to turn back, or change what is coming. Outside events tear apart our sanctuary; devastation, point of no return, and Nature's wrath. But it also is about personal, psychological, emotional and spiritual crises that can leave a person broken, unable to see a way to move on, to rise from the ashes of what has been destroyed.

I'm reminded of a story. A young woman, during World War II lost her family, friends, her home and all of her belongings during the bombing of her city. Her life has been taken completely away in everyway but physically.

At this turning point, she can actually do anything, go anywhere she wants, and, in fact, she does leave and travels to a far off land where she enters a Buddhist Monastery (the first woman to ever be allow to become a student) From the ashes of the irrevocable change came a gift of Spirit.

Within any moment of devastation there is the aftermath: THAT is where the change really takes place. How we respond/react, makes all the difference in the world and in our lives.

I've also heard that the New Beginnings and even other 'upsides' are such things as an epiphany or astounding insights. Though it is a bit difficult to SEE that in the picture. If the reading is done intuitively, I wouldn't actually pick that up from the image, though, having been told it, I would remember that was included in the possible meanings. MUCH to think about. The important thing to remember is that all cards should be read with the question in mind, unless you're simply doing a generalized reading...?