About ten days ago I pulled The Tower for my card of the day. I posted it on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter then I got on with my day. That day was whacky and I shared some of the mayhem online. Since then I’ve had several conversations with friends and clients, regarding the Tower and what it means. I think this is worth sharing here.
That morning was full of small annoyances that I didn’t put together right away. I started the day by sleeping through my alarm. I can’t remember the last time I did that. I misplaced my car keys and was five minutes late for what I thought was a ten o’clock appointment. At ten-fifteen I texted the woman I was meeting with to say I hope she was okay and that we could reschedule. She called to let me know it was really an eleven o’clock appointment. I checked my phone calendar and sure enough it was for eleven.
It wasn’t worth going back home so I drove down the block and parked in front of the bagel place. While I was inside getting a quick breakfast sandwich I got a parking ticket. After my appointment I thought I’d just pay the ticket and get it over with but the court closed at noon for lunch. I went on with my plans hoping things would be less pesky from then on.
While loading groceries into my car I got an awful cardboard cut on my thumb. For the first time in memory I had no bandages in my purse. There were none in the car. I wrapped my bleeding thumb in some napkins and drove home. I opened the car door in my driveway and I learned the hard way that half a dozen hairs on my head had gotten caught in the window when I closed it. I bandaged up my thumb, and got the groceries into the house uneventfully. This was followed by my lunch exploding all over the inside of the microwave and burning my tongue on a cup of tea. That’s when I called it a day, changed into my house clothes and stayed home.
The Tower is an alert. It is also a message to pay attention. It’s a call to keep an eye out and be mindful because surprises happen. In a reading, depending on the question asked, The Tower can be a wakeup call. It shows up to jar you and make you focus. The image is startling and the thought of the experience it depicts helps you hone in on what is actually important to you. It shakes you up and gets you thinking about the world outside your comfort zone; outside your head.
Occasionally I will have a client freak a little when The Tower makes an appearance. Sometimes they are responding to the image and sometimes they know just enough about Tarot that they spook themselves. I’m always amazed at the human capacity to assume the worst.
That lightning strike that breaks the tower could be that bolt from the blue that brings clarity. It could be a catalyst event that brings sudden understanding. It is a moment of enlightenment. This is not sunshine and roses but it’s not Armageddon either. ‘A-ha’ moments are game changers. A sudden deeper understanding of yourself or the world around you changes your life forever. You can never go back to not knowing what you know and, with that, the old ways are destroyed.
Certain structures in your life are in your way. They could be habits, relationships, routines, even thinking patterns that are unhelpful but comfortable and familiar to you. Their destruction would be an upheaval but it would also be the best thing that ever happened to you. It won’t feel that way when it’s going on but looking back on the experience you will be grateful for it. The Tower can mean that too.
Yes, the Tower can be bad news. It’s giving you a heads up that something unpleasant is headed your way. This could be a humbling experience. A blow to your ego can feel like an exploding tower. What the Tower refers to has everything to do with the context of your reading and the questions you asked. It is also influenced by the other cards pulled for that question. Maybe it means your job is in jeopardy or maybe that you’re being transferred. It might mean the boss you love is leaving or you will have that fight with your annoying co-worker.
As my card of the day the Tower was the energy of that day. It was a series of irritating things that tested my balance and resilience. It had no other context and answered no focused questions for me. In isolation it is the energy of release, of falling structures, of chaos and confusion, it’s the revelation of a hidden truth, it’s disruption of order and it’s unpredictable. As you can see from my day in that energy, it can just be really annoying.