harleypuppa Posted July 21 Posted July 21 I know not everyone reads cards in reverse but I tend to as I feel it adds nuance to my readings. I'm interested, for those that do read reversals, in hearing people's thoughts on the tower in reverse. For the tower itself, I have a tendency to read it less "catastrophically" and more neutral than I know a lot of others do. From my experience and with hindsight I tend to see the tower as a fundamental or foundational change to a situation but not necessarily with a negative or positive impact. Just change. With that in mind, I do tend to struggle with the meaning of the tower in reverse. Where, I think, some readers may see it reversed as perhaps the avoidance of catastrophy, or even a fear of change, how do you read the tower in reverse, if the upright tower is less catastrophic to you than is generally perceived? Interested in hearing other's input!
JoyousGirl Posted July 21 Posted July 21 (edited) This is a thread about the Tower card but also ways of thinking about a reversed card. With regard to the Tower, it could help to assign a baseline 'realm' keyword of life that it represents to you. You have said change. That can be catastrophic for some people. So how does it work in reverse? Change is change upright or reversed. This change is occurring to a fixed, longstanding structure, something that's been in place for some time, internally or externally. So there's internal forces holding a structure together or external forces acting on the structure. Is it a mental structure or belief that is changed as a result of a sudden insight, or is it a physical change to our home or body, or some external force in our environment impacting what makes us feel safe and grounded. A roof over our head? A reinforced keep that serves as the last line of defence? A structure that keeps people IN - prison - or a restrictive relationship like a marriage, and including contracts or agreements legal or a job) or OUT - glass ceilings and men's clubs, or NKorea? The foundation of the building often remains in the images for this card. The body base is still there, yet something else has been taken away (like a cherished dream in the ivory tower?) What does that remaining foundation mean? It's sitting at the top in the reversed card, so firmly intact at the top. So does that mean a sort of 'erosion' and crumbling from the base? An internal force rather than an external one? As your question also relates to a reversed card - I should direct you to some discussion we've had recently at this thread below. It is very helpful and I think you will find the source of, or path to, your answer there: Edited July 21 by JoyousGirl
DanielJUK Posted July 22 Posted July 22 For me, the Reversed Tower shows up mostly in 2 ways.... - avoiding disaster ~ The Tower is crashing down but you have a lucky escape, like escaping an accident. Like, you step out of the Tower and get to safety before it happens. This is narrowly averting disaster. Perhaps you have an intuition or a feeling or maybe it was just good luck. So the impact of The Tower is not so bad as the upright. This can also be a realisation before it gets to bad that you might need help or support, have an addiction or in a destructive cycle of life, it's the realisation before it gets to the worst crisis. It manifests as something like that, like a lucky break. - avoidance of disaster or running from change - The Tower can be really horrible, but sometimes it brings transformation in our lives. Sometimes the foundations need to fall from under us as we have built them badly. A marriage which is going badly and all trust is lost, for example. The Tower can be the best thing that happens long term but is awful in the short term. But sometimes people fight against the change and avoid pain. We always try to avoid pain and difficult decisions as humans but by running from it, you just end up stuck! The Tower can bring liberation with the change. This reversal is very dependent on the reading and context, often looking at the reversed card has clues. Sometimes it can be easier than the upright but sometimes it reflects that someone needs to go through The Tower, huge scary change is sometimes what we need ultimately.
Chariot Posted July 22 Posted July 22 (edited) Just going on instinct, whenever I see The Tower reversed, my first thought is that there is some kind of major upheaval in the picture, but it has been (or will be) avoided. It's the 'Whew!' card. In some contexts it can also mean that the major upheaval wasn't such a big deal after all. But there is always a 'major upheaval' in the mix. Just a couple of examples of The Tower reversed: A huge storm is forecast for my area, but ultimately it misses the area—or, when it arrives, it's just an ordinary storm that does little damage. (Whew!) The stock market takes a steep dive, but we pulled our investment just in time. (Whew! That just happened to us, by the way! 🙂 ) The Tower reversed can also appear in less catastrophic guises: I dropped my grandmother's valuable cut-glass bowl, but it landed on the carpet and didn't break. (Whew!) I feared getting a massive dressing-down from my boss, but she understands what happened, and isn't angry after all. (Whew!) Edited July 22 by Chariot
HOLMES Posted July 23 Posted July 23 The tower reversed means it is time yo burn down the barn, for one can't repair it correctly.. or it might cost too much to repair, night as well get a new car. It is about delaying the tower, not so much stopping it , I took the rebuild notion to heart.. after the tower falls due to earthquake, time, sabotage. With the rebuild notion delayed it just there like an old church. We know for the most part death is about rebirth. Yet the king and queen falling from the tower cannot survive. In my favourite movie on golden pond. Norman says "we are the last of the Thayer you knows. The ending of a good name. " Ethel says I think "what a way to go out." If the tower was reversed it would be Norman trying to hold on to his legacy. Ethel by her comment what a way to go out uprights the tower. However their bloodline isn't ended as they got a daughter though near end of child birthing age. If she never births, they have a stepson to carry on there teachings, energy. As she just married a dentist. It could be it is the end, and there is no rebuilding, just a passing on of their homes, lands, could be time for a new king and queen.
Raggydoll Posted July 23 Posted July 23 47 minutes ago, HOLMES said: It is about delaying the tower, not so much stopping it , I took the rebuild notion to heart.. after the tower falls due to earthquake, time, sabotage. With the rebuild notion delayed it just there like an old church. I agree. A reversed Tower doesn´t turn into something positive, at least not as far as I am concerned. (And Hi Holmes, good to see you!) This topic makes me think of a book I once read. I don´t remember the title, but it doesn´t matter. The main character - a female, has a tarot reading at some point and the Outcome card is the Tower. She later falls in love with a guy but all sorts of drama transpires and they are both being hunted down by his psycho twin brother. Towards the end of the book, their big mansion burns down but they manage to escape last minute. They literally come tumbling out of a small door just as the tower of the building is crashing. The psycho brother who tried to kill them does not make it out of the building. I think that a Tower in reversed would have meant that the building would not have burnt down (at least not at that time), but the psycho brother would still have been after them. So no, not a positive card in reverse.
Barleywine Posted September 12 Posted September 12 I'm another who doesn't see the Tower as necessarily catastrophic. (Must be my reading of Jodorowsky, who sees it as an epiphany [bolt-from-the-blue] and a cause for celebration in assuming that it depicts liberation from the "House of the Devil," about which he says "What shall I celebrate today?") As an astrologer I don't think the Mars force is an inherently destructive one, it often just provides a jolt of adrenaline when and where it's needed. In my own tarot experience, I once had the Tower in a three-card pull using different decks three days in a row and it only amounted to minor inconveniences. A while back I wrote an essay on the reversed Tower, proposing that it shows the falling people landing on their feet (a "soft landing") and not on their heads, thus being able to walk away from the wreckage.
Croat Posted September 12 Posted September 12 Can't say I've ever viewed the tower with a positive spin. Not to say it is an absolute determinant of negativity, but positive vibes in any form from it? Nope. And reversed even more so.
Chariot Posted September 13 Posted September 13 (edited) 9 hours ago, Barleywine said: I'm another who doesn't see the Tower as necessarily catastrophic. (Must be my reading of Jodorowsky, who sees it as an epiphany [bolt-from-the-blue] and a cause for celebration in assuming that it depicts liberation from the "House of the Devil," about which he says "What shall I celebrate today?") As an astrologer I don't think the Mars force is an inherently destructive one, it often just provides a jolt of adrenaline when and where it's needed. In my own tarot experience, I once had the Tower in a three-card pull using different decks three days in a row and it only amounted to minor inconveniences. A while back I wrote an essay on the reversed Tower, proposing that it shows the falling people landing on their feet (a "soft landing") and not on their heads, thus being able to walk away from the wreckage. I think your point about 'minor inconveniences' is an important one to take, not only for The Tower (reversed or upright) but for any card, really. Unless something major is actually occurring, or the topic itself is of major, life-changing importance, I think it's a good idea to 'de-catastrophise' the meaning of these so-called 'negative' cards. Most traditional tarot decks (those little white books!) use language (and imagery) that makes these cards into a big deal. However, speaking from experience of reading for myself since the middle 1970s, I can honestly say I'm still here, still kicking, in reasonably good shape, etc—despite having received The Tower in its many guises umpteen times, as well as Death, 10 of Swords, 3 of Swords, The Devil, 5 of Swords, 5 of Pentacles ...you name it. I think one of the most important things a card reader should learn is NOT to assume 'the worst' every time a malefic card turns up in a reading. Its appearance usually just suggests a minor setback, disappointment, realisation, or ending. Edited September 13 by Chariot
Barleywine Posted September 13 Posted September 13 6 hours ago, Chariot said: I think your point about 'minor inconveniences' is an important one to take, not only for The Tower (reversed or upright) but for any card, really. Unless something major is actually occurring, or the topic itself is of major, life-changing importance, I think it's a good idea to 'de-catastrophise' the meaning of these so-called 'negative' cards. Most traditional tarot decks (those little white books!) use language (and imagery) that makes these cards into a big deal. However, speaking from experience of reading for myself since the middle 1970s, I can honestly say I'm still here, still kicking, in reasonably good shape, etc—despite having received The Tower in its many guises umpteen times, as well as Death, 10 of Swords, 3 of Swords, The Devil, 5 of Swords, 5 of Pentacles ...you name it. I think one of the most important things a card reader should learn is NOT to assume 'the worst' every time a malefic card turns up in a reading. Its appearance usually just suggests a minor setback, disappointment, realisation, or ending. As a preemptive measure, I have a one-page sheet with images of what I call "the nasties" (Death, Devil, Tower and Moon) that I will show a sitter with a brief explanation before we start so they aren't shocked if they show up in the pull.
Chariot Posted September 13 Posted September 13 (edited) 35 minutes ago, Barleywine said: As a preemptive measure, I have a one-page sheet with images of what I call "the nasties" (Death, Devil, Tower and Moon) that I will show a sitter with a brief explanation before we start so they aren't shocked if they show up in the pull. Good idea. I mention that I've had these turn up in readings ABOUT me many many many times, and I'm still here. 🙂 Edited September 13 by Chariot
Barleywine Posted September 13 Posted September 13 4 minutes ago, Chariot said: Good idea. I mention that I've had these turn up in readings ABOUT me many many many times, and I'm still here. Also I mention that The Devil, in classic religious mythology is a tempter. Temptation is probably the main 'meaning' of this card. 🙂 I'm just now working on a new blog post about that very subject! I'm titling it "The Devil: A Vortex of Temptation, Seduction and Addiction."
Fairy666tale Posted October 4 Posted October 4 The booklet that came with my deck (Incubus) describes the Tower as chaos and calamity. But goes on to say it tells one to abandon the prison and that not all things can be salvaged. The last time I drew it, I was asking for advice on what to do in a work situation (and taking a chance at moving to something different even if some people wouldn't be happy about it). Also once drew it when I asked what the general theme of the week was going to be. I don't view it as a negative card, rather the opposite (but that's based on personal experience with this card). That also turned out work-related, so no big earth-shattering events. I've never drawn it in reverse, but the booklet talks about how anxiety and stress can make us destruct our own lives. But that hope can be restored, and we can repair the damage by finding peace within. Also not negative, though I would take that as a warning if I'd draw that card. I'm still a beginner, though. And any experience I have is with just this one deck.
FLizarraga Posted October 4 Posted October 4 I have two Tarot go-to sources. One is Rachel Pollack, particularly The New Tarot Handbook, which is a sort of distillation of everything she knew about the subject. Regarding the Tower reversed, she follows Waite: "the same in a lesser degree." But, she adds, "there may not be the sense of liberation and release" that comes with the Tower (because she sees the Tower as painful but necessary change). The other is Enrique Enriquez. I have not read a lot of what he has written, apart from his very interesting posts in Aeclectic Tarot, but his 2011 documentary Tarology kind of summarizes his approach as just looking at the cards, listening to the conversation that is every reading, and letting them speak to you. I hope this makes sense.
Grizabella Posted Monday at 07:07 AM Posted Monday at 07:07 AM I've been reading through the Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen and she makes some very interesting comments on the reversed Tower so I can share what I've read there. One reversed meaning mentions that the seeker has been given outside misrepresentations by others and been influenced by that. She says that makes the Tower reversed experience less drastic in its effect and there's a better chance of coming out of the experience and recover. She says the seeker is stronger than the reversed forces of the Tower. We need to look at surrounding cards to determine in what way the information has affected the seeker . Or the seeker has been falsely accused of something. It will be a jolt like in the Tower upright, but it will be possible to recover from the jolt and not see all being lost. They'll be able to salvage much and recover.
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