Positive aspects of The Tower

[Alistair]

I'd love to gather some insights on your positive interpretations or connotations with the otherwise heavy and negative Tower card!  It's one that always kind of intimidates me, as it seems to be a really devastating card.  What positive aspects do you associate with the card and why?  How do you interpret the meaning when the card is next to a positive card, such as 6 of wands or 10 of cups for example?

[Little Fang]

I feel that The Tower is just misunderstood!  

I aliken this card to the Ancient Egyptian god, Set/Seth.  The bringer of necessary chaos.  The breaking down of walls that has to happen in order to build up something new in it's place.  It can be a very hard change, it can be sudden and knock you off your feet, but once you have a blank slate, you can learn and grow from it.  That ties in better with the positive cards near it, showing that after you break down those walls, happiness shall come to you. 🙂

[katrinka]

It's not always doom/destruction/horrible accidents, I agree.
But it can be sudden, shocking realizations that crush our worldview. Sometimes, what's destroyed is just some ego construct, and it needs to go. So it can be positive in that sense. But it's never comfortable. More like an especially intense form of cognitive dissonance, one that is often fairly difficult to resolve.

 

Or it could just be saying that you knock your favorite mug off the table and it breaks. *shrugs* This stuff is all context.

Edited April 9, 2020 by katrinka

[Ealasaid Enfys]

I actually had a kind of awakening experience with this card. Never thought I would say this. In January 2019 I drew the Tower in a general 'What can I expect in the upcoming period, what do I need to know'-spread. I don't ever determine the timing because I'm bad at it, but this time I decided to do some research since I wanted to be prepared. Up came The Sun, that I read as within 19 days or in summer. Lo and behold! In August I fell off my bike while going downhill, head first. Like the people on the Tower-card. After that I was home for months rehabilitating - still not 100% up and running - and I was forced to change my lifestyle. I learned to put things into perspective and prioritize, put me in first place in stead of wanting to please everybody else first and putting energy out there that wasn't returned. I saw the people around me in a different light. Pleasantly surprised by some, disappointed by others. Today I finally have peace of mind with my life, which I never had, and I only put my energy in the people and things that I love. I have literally reached my mental limit. I never thought I would get here since I have a tendency to have more downs that ups in my mental state. So it did cause some physical damage, but I'm forever thankful for the Tower for shaking up my world.

[Mi-Shell]

These days there is rarely a reading, in which the Tower does not come up.

Yes, it is Tower Times for homo sapiens but it is a lifting of the Tower pressure for the environment and all the wildlife.

 

Whenever the Tower falls, it is bad for 1 party affected, but it is not a given, that we/ our sitter is THAT negatively affected party.

It may just be, that they are the ones experience change for the better and relief. 

It may also be, that the Tower falls, but the sitter is well prepared and thus largely unaffected. 

It is always a choice, how we/ our sitters  act and react in a Tower event.

 Here it is raining lightning bolts, Butterflies and Haselnuts.

What would you do, if you are the Squirrel?

Edited April 9, 2020 by Mi-Shell

[Wanderer]

We're pretty much all saying the same thing, in different ways, so here's me doing the same! 😊

 

The Tower that we build around ourselves is a world-view, a perspective, or even a prison... it is the creations of our mind that insulate us from the uncertain reality of the world. Whether this is partly material, like a suburban 9-5 existence, or a spiritual or political viewpoint that gives you a framework, it allows you to function efficiently, without worrying about your every move. Sometimes, that Tower is shattered by an event. Sometimes we break it ourselves, with a new realisation. Sometimes... it is necessary. Sometimes we can't see how blind or blinkered we have become, and the big outside world is terrifying... and as the walls close in, eventually they have to be broken. 

     When the Tower has made you too comfortable, and stopped you growing into what you could be, it's time to break out. It may be painful, and there will be some sort of loss... but in the end, you'll be better for it.  

[53rdspirit]

A "sudden, drastic change" --for the BETTER!

 

The Tower + 6 Wands = One official is defeated and a new one is elected!

The Tower + 10 Cups = A vaccine is found for Covid -19, bringing back our freedom and family gatherings

 

I guess you could add The Tower next to any happy card and interpret it either good or bad. Have to trust intuition. 

Edited April 9, 2020 by 53rdspirit
I can take the hint :)

[Little Fang]

I want to add here that let us be careful with political talk, we have all sorts of people here with different backgrounds. 😉

[Rodney]

Positive aspects of the Tower? Male ejaculation. The AHA/💡 moment of discovery or realization. Literally opening up the crown chakra. Skydiving or bungee jumping.

[Guest]

I agree with Ealasaid Enfys and want to say 'good for you'. Not everyone can come out the other side of such a disaster successfully. I does take some larger philosophical structure to let you flow. Otherwise you are left thinking that you, your worth, your purpose were those things you lost leaving you feeling hopeless or a like a failure. 

[Barleywine]

The most unique interpretation I've come across was Jodorowsky's. He described it as a sudden realization or epiphany, some kind of enlightenment coming down from above and a cause for celebration. He went so far as to say that what it meant to him in a daily draw was "What shall I celebrate today?"

[Merrick]

The Tower may be my favorite card in the entire deck. A force like Death is something we all know and acknowledge exists, even if we don’t like it. But the sudden change that the Tower represents, good, bad, or both, is something people don’t often consider. It’s an important reminder that our lives can change in an instant, but also that such change can and often is wholly necessary. I find it interesting that most people when they first encounter the Tower assume that the tower in the card is a good thing and it’s bad that it’s being destroyed. That tower could be a prison, or a slaughterhouse, or something else nefarious. It’s worth considering that this card follows The Devil in the major arcana, and is followed by The Star. In that light, I could not fathom viewing the Tower as mainly negative. 
 

That being said, there’s a reason the Tower is a card of such violence. Sudden change, even sudden inspiration, is an energetic process that ripples out through our lives and can have serious consequences. This is the genius of the classic depiction of the Tower, that it encompasses all of these aspects of the experience. 

[Aaryn]

Tarot cards are not designed to harm, though the changes and transitions they herald can be overwhelming. The Tower is, as @Little Fangsaid, misunderstood because (let's be honest), it does look scary on the surface. My relationship with The Tower card has become complex, and as I've sat with the meaning, I've begun to see its symbolism in many small things, such as my little niece's tower of Lego blocks falling down because the foundation was too tiny for how tall she wanted her building to be. As kids, we learn to build our sand/Lego/snow/card towers with strong foundations so that we can create buildings that are both stable and taller than our little selves, but it takes multiple toy towers falling down first for us to get there. We transfer those lessons in play to other parts of our lives as we grow older, but sometimes we don't transfer them to the vital parts of our lives (it's easy to do, we all do it...that's why Tarot is here to help). 

 

 

Up to this point in my Tarot education, my favorite depiction of The Tower is from The Wildwood Tarot (called "The Blasted Oak"), which combines the symbolism found in both The Hanged Man and The Tower. While the faces of the people in other interpretations of The Tower are in distress, The Hanged Man falling to the ground in The Blasted Oak does not appear to be distressed; in fact, he looks like he expected this at any moment. He isn't burnt (the fire's burning what bound him), though he'll certainly be bruised falling to earth. The fast moving river of emotions tells me this will be rough, and this won't be the only time he falls from an oak in these conditions, but The Pole Star (RWS The Star) comes after The Blasted Oak. @Barleywine, you associated the word with "epiphanies," and that is absolutely the correct word for me. 

 

Shortly after my part of the United States began sheltering in place, I went grocery shopping and saw that much of the store had been rearranged to have the highly-needed items up front and close to the (self-serve) cash registers. Every angle I turned my head, there were workers cleaning things. Up to several days prior, stores had been operating business as usual, but in a matter of days, they had rearranged shelves and refrigerators to the fronts of stores. It was my first time in a COVID-prepared store, it was shocking and it made me realize how local and real this disease was. The next morning, in my daily card draw, I pulled The Wildwood's Blasted Oak - the connection was so clear that I knew it couldn't be anything but an indication of what I was going through then. 

 

Also: I pulled The Blasted Oak when I asked the Wildwood's Major Arcana to describe one of my Solar Gemini Twins - I may be fated towards epiphanies and building-shaking moments. 🙃

[Merrick]

I should mention that I prefer the depictions of the Tower where the destruction is from the inside out, that it is we who take our own worlds apart when the time comes. This to me is more profound and provides more agency than the depictions where the Tower is being destroyed by an external agent. 

[katrinka]

15 hours ago, Merrick said:

The Tower may be my favorite card in the entire deck. A force like Death is something we all know and acknowledge exists, even if we don’t like it. But the sudden change that the Tower represents, good, bad, or both, is something people don’t often consider. It’s an important reminder that our lives can change in an instant, but also that such change can and often is wholly necessary. I find it interesting that most people when they first encounter the Tower assume that the tower in the card is a good thing and it’s bad that it’s being destroyed. That tower could be a prison, or a slaughterhouse, or something else nefarious. It’s worth considering that this card follows The Devil in the major arcana, and is followed by The Star. In that light, I could not fathom viewing the Tower as mainly negative. 

You have to pass through the Devil and the Tower to GET to the Star and the other celestials, so in that sense, it's positive.
So is chemo. But chemo is not pleasant.
I can agree that the Tower is NOT a good thing, and that it needs to go. The same can be said of cancer. But getting rid of either is an ordeal.
It can be a smaller ordeal in certain contexts. If your daily card is the Tower, it could be talking about something as minor and mundane as using the weedeater. But even that is sweaty drudgery. And the weeds certainly don't enjoy it. 😉
 

Edited April 17, 2020 by katrinka

[Guest]

On a mundane level, it can indicate arguing, the slamming of doors, breaking something and storming out. It’s also a hospital and demolition sites.  I’ve also read it as a reckoning, dismissal and a purging (à la purgatory).  
 

It’s depends on the question and the arrangements, and most of all, the specific deck. You cannot compare le maison dieu, RWS tower and the blasted oak, et cetera. In addition, I’ve never been convinced by the sequential narrative / fools journey. The cards are shuffled and dealt. In progression is in the cards dealt. 
 

Although I do not believe it’s necessarily doom and gloom it’s nevertheless far from positive. Being thrown from a building or having it fall down on you is not positive or pleasant. 

[Merrick]

The majors don’t have to be the Fool’s Journey to describe a progression.

[katrinka]

7 minutes ago, Merrick said:

The majors don’t have to be the Fool’s Journey to describe a progression.

I don't think that's what Andy was saying, but I won't presume to speak for him. And I certainly wasn't implying a Fool's Journey myself.

[Merrick]

37 minutes ago, katrinka said:

I don't think that's what Andy was saying, but I won't presume to speak for him. And I certainly wasn't implying a Fool's Journey myself.

I knew that wasn’t what you were saying, I very much align with what you were saying in response to me. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Merrick said:

The majors don’t have to be the Fool’s Journey to describe a progression.

Quite so; a line of cards itself denotes/is a form of progression. On reading your post, however, there was an inference of sequential order which could mitigate the Tower. But what I do not understand is why the Stars, coming after the Tower, should be a factor unless they lie next to each other on the table. I’m not criticising you. It’s just I’ve never understood such stances.
 

I do agree with with you on the Tower not being necessarily a good place. However, there is no evidence either way. I prefer to focus on the image. 
 

I’m sorry if I offended. It was not the intention. 
 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Guest

[Guest]

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

I don't think that's what Andy was saying, but I won't presume to speak for him. And I certainly wasn't implying a Fool's Journey myself.

Apologies Katrinka. I shall bow out and concentrate on the Kippers. Three weeks in! 

[Merrick]

1 hour ago, leroidetrèfle said:

Quite so; a line of cards itself denotes/is a form of progression. On reading your post, however, there was an inference of sequential order which could mitigate the Tower. But what I do not understand is why the Stars, coming after the Tower, should be a factor unless they lie next to each other on the table. I’m not criticising you. It’s just I’ve never understood such stances.
 

I do agree with with you on the Tower not being necessarily a good place. However, there is no evidence either way. I prefer to focus on the image. 
 

I’m sorry if I offended. It was not the intention. 
 

No offense taken! I do think it is valuable to consider where the cards lie in relation to the other cards, both the ones drawn for a given reading and the ones that surround them in a sequential ordering. I feel the same about the minor arcana. 

[katrinka]

1 hour ago, leroidetrèfle said:

Apologies Katrinka. I shall bow out and concentrate on the Kippers. Three weeks in! 

No need for apologies, Andy! 

It's all good.

You're getting into Kippers? Fantastic!

Edited April 18, 2020 by katrinka

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Merrick said:

No offense taken! I do think it is valuable to consider where the cards lie in relation to the other cards, both the ones drawn for a given reading and the ones that surround them in a sequential ordering. I feel the same about the minor arcana. 

Glad to hear that. I do understand that — I use the pip numbers to ascertain flow and speed, e.g. Ace – 2 - 9 is a big jump, et cetera. However, with the trumps, I’ve just never felt an inherent cohesiveness. Outside of the tirage en croix I never use them.

 

with regards to positivity, one has read the card as throwing someone out — quite often a deadbeat partner or someone who has cheated.

 

One thing I like about le maison dieu is the providential force. It’s like a forced culmination.

 

10 hours ago, katrinka said:

No need for apologies, Andy! 

It's all good.

You're getting into Kippers? Fantastic!

Yes; third Kipper week. I did originally intend to use the extra time to increase my time spent on the GE. However, I’m into a routine now. I came across the original kipperkarten when rearranging and decided to have another go.

 

Had to do a full reset. Start from scratch. I’ve selected Hildegard Leiding-Heinz and Utu Dietrich as these seem quite respected. It’s not easy; but I’ve been extremely impressed. I am going to start blogging my study, as I’m often asked how I learn/study and this can be explained in real time. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Guest

[katrinka]

1 hour ago, leroidetrèfle said:

Had to do a full reset. Start from scratch. I’ve selected Hildegard Leiding-Heinz and Utu Dietrich as these seem quite respected. It’s not easy; but I’ve been extremely impressed. I am going to start blogging my study, as I’m often asked how I learn/study and this can be explained in real time. 

It's a great system, isn't it? Direct and chatty.
Looking forward to the blog posts!