How to Read the Tower Card in Tarot

The Tower card, the 16th major arcana of the Tarot, is the card I find the most interesting. It's the card where the images can look scary to the first-time Tarot reader and clients. For me, there is a powerful energy to read from this card.

Why is this card a little scary for some? It's probably the card's image of the tower structure struck by lightning, flames shooting out of the tower's windows and people falling to the ground. The background of the card is bleak and/or barren, and objects are falling from the sky that look like rocks. It looks like destruction and disaster. But is this the message that the card is trying to give us?

The Tarot consists of 78 cards: 56 minor arcana cards and 22 major arcana. The Tower is the sixteenth card of the 22 major arcana cards. Arcana, which means secrets or mysteries, contain information that we use to examine our situation, issue or path.

Left: The Tower Card from the Conver Ben Dov deck

Right: The Tower Card from the Rider Waite deck

How do we figure out what information is in the Tarot cards? We have to learn that the Tarot is a language. Just as we use our English language as our method of communication, which consists of words in a structured way, so is Tarot a language. When Tarot cards are chosen for a reading, the cards with their numbers, symbols, and energy give a message to the Tarot reader, who then passes the message to the querent. To understand what the message is in the Tower card, we have to take into account the other cards chosen in the reading, but if we just look at the Tower card itself, we can see the following:

The Letters

• The letters XVI mean 16. Numerology is important in the Tarot. In the Marseilles Tarot, we look at 16 as a 1 and a 6. 1 is a beginning, a start or a single point in time. 6 is the number of harmony where things are naturally balanced. Think of a hexagon-shaped honeycomb or a snowflake that has six sides. 16 is also divisible by 2. So, we have 2 options or 2 choices. These 2 choices or options can attract each other or repel. There is a balancing that is occurring, and maybe one aspect of the situation is dominating over the other. We need to look at our choices and decide how we can bring things into balance. (Reading and Understanding the Marseilles Tarot by Anna Maria Morsucci and Antonella Aloi)

The Tower card in Tarot is believed to represent the Fall of the Knights Templar

• There are Tarot scholars who believe that the Tower Card represents the fall of the Knight Templar in medieval times. The Knights Templar was a Holy Order where the members vowed poverty, chastity and a devotion to protect the Holy Land as Christians. The men of the Templar Knights guarded routes to the Holy Land throughout Europe and, in their battles, acquired treasures as well as honour. These treasures allowed them to build castles and become lenders to European leaders. The Knights Templar eventually became a wealthy order. This led to them being feared and hated amongst the European leaders, including the Pope. When King Philip IV of France was not allowed to join the order, the King was angry and concocted a plan to have the members of the order charged with heresy. The date of this was Friday, October 13, 1307. The value of this date is 1+0+1+3+1+3+0+7=16. So, the 16th Major Arcana can describe the beginning of the fall of an order. (The Grail Tarot by John Matthews)

The Tower Image

• The image of the Tower. The tower is a manmade structure, and there are no doors that are visible to enter or exit. The windows are high up on the structure. This may make someone think that the tower is like a prison and the only way out is to jump out of the windows. What does this image of a prison-like structure mean? Some Tarot scholars feel that the Tower is a House of God and that we are constrained by our own beliefs and superstitions. So are our beliefs now holding us back from moving forward, and are we held captive by superstitions or pride? Are the people in the card jumping out of the window,s letting go of old superstitions, fears, phobias and taking a leap of faith? Or are these people taking risks?

The Top of the Tower is shaped like a Crown

• To many of us, a crown means royalty or the head of a kingdom. We can look at this as leaders in our situation. Maybe we are the leader, or maybe the crown can mean the hierarchy of individuals. Perhaps an order of some sort. The crown being blown off the tower is a message that the hierarchy and order of things may be collapsing. The toppling of the crown may indicate that the divine is reminding us that human beings are neither greater than nor equal to the divine. This could also indicate a situation where someone has been foolishly acting too proud or arrogant, and a comeuppance is about to occur for that individual.

Are the People in the Card Falling, or are they released?

• Depending on the deck used, the people in the Tower Card may not appear frightened. If they don't look afraid, what does this tell us? This may suggest that the people in the card are being released from constraints. This can be a situation where the querent is blocked by someone, or fears/phobias, or some old beliefs that are no longer working for them.

The Card can represent Disillusions

• Perhaps the querent is coming to terms with a belief system, relationship, career, or friendship that no longer serves them because the querent has changed. Is this change the natural growth of the querent, or is the querent having to change against their will?

The Tower Card Can Make Us Take Notice of Our Health and Well-being

• Sometimes we don't pay attention to the little things that happen in our daily lives until something big happens. When something big happens, it can shake us to our core. A health scare or accident that has happened can be represented by the Tower card. The Tower card can be a reminder that we need to start paying attention to both our physical and emotional well-being before a crisis forces us to change.

The above suggestions for reading the Tower card are not the only meanings that the Tower Card can have. You must look at the surrounding cards chosen by the querent in the reading. Whatever meaning you get from the Tarot card will be dependent on the deck you use, other cards in the spread and the question (the reason why the querent is having a Tarot reading)

Three-card reading with The Tower

A querent asks the Tarot card reader a question regarding her finances. Her spending is not out of control, but she is worried about having enough.

A three-card spread includes the Six of Cups, The Tower and Temperance.

The querent must have had a shock after receiving a bill. Perhaps unexpected extra expenses were incurred. It takes a lot of effort and time to earn money, but less to spend. If we are not careful, it will upset the ones we love, and we don't want to disappoint them. We have to be honest and give a "heads up" on the state of the finances. If we pay attention to how this affects those around us, we can have a good conversation about finances. In this case, the querent's closest relationship is with her wife. She must initiate the conversation regarding upcoming expenses, and together she and her wife can put a budget. A discussion regarding what is expected from each spouse will strengthen their teamwork in regards to Finances. This is not a one-time discussion. The six of cups indicates that this discussion will be an ongoing work in progress to keep the relationship in harmony. The querent will have to balance the needs and wants when it comes to purchasing, but she will also need to pay attention to the other important things, such as the health of her home life, as well as her physical self. Temperance reminds us that life is a constant balance, and for the querent, it's balancing the pleasure of having the finer things in life with her needs. If we are honest with one another and truly care about one another, communication will flow effortlessly. The Six of Cups is upright, so it does suggest there is a loving and stable relationship. Temperance in this layout is looking towards the Tower, and this indicates that the querent requires patience and time to put things in order.

Sources:

The Marseille Tarot Revealed: A Complete Guide to Symbolism, Meanings and Method by Yoav Ben-Doav, 2017, Llewellyn Publications

The Grail Tarot: A Templar Vision by John Mathews 200,7 St. Martin's Press

Reading and Understanding the Marseilles Tarot by Anna Maria Morsucci and Antonella Aloi, 201,8 Lo Scarabeo