The Tower
Definition:
sudden change/revelations, disruption, collapsing of outdated structures, and liberation from something that wasn’t working
Poem:
life is full of violent interruptions
lightning strikes and you fall from grace
your house burns in a sudden fire
you’re fired from your job
your wife leaves you for someone else
everything you had relied on suddenly disappears
in an instant
your precious foundation is gone
you can feel however you want about it
scream
cry
tear your hair out
but eventually you’ll realize you only have one choice
to pick yourself up and start again
it’s that harsh
it’s that simple
it’s that inevitable
Invitation:
The Tower is another one of those cards that can intimidate people. Two figures falling from a tower struck by lightning doesn’t seem like a good omen. However, despite the imagery and what I wrote in the poem, the Tower is not all doom and gloom. While it’s true the Tower can indicate sudden loss, it can also represent sudden insights or solutions to problems. In fact, many times when I’ve pulled the Tower in a reading, it didn’t signal major changes but rather subtle revelations.
The Tower removes what is no longer working in our lives. If we’re willing to be honest with ourselves about what isn’t working, we can experience less resistance when the Tower appears. Moreover, loss isn’t something we cannot avoid—it's part of the human experience. Given this, how can you learn to accept it when it happens?
To play with the energy of The Tower….
Journal Prompt: The Tower is a card that happens to you. There’s not always much you can do to work with it, but reflecting on past Tower moments can help you process its energy. So ask yourself - What was a time in your life that you experienced a sudden loss or upheaval? How did you cope during that time? How did it impact the person you are today?
Grounding: This is a practice this always useful to have in your toolkit, but can especially come in handy when you are in a Tower moment.
Sit or lie down, close your eyes, and connect with the earth. Imagine roots growing from your body deep into the ground, anchoring you as storms swirl around.
If this doesn’t resonate, you can also imagine calling in all your energy into the center of your body. This will allow you contain your energy when everything feels out of control.