#16, The Tower in the Tarot deck, is one of the more disconcerting of the cards. It means change – sudden, irrevocable and unexpected. And most of us don’t like that much.
When the Tower appears in a reading, it typically suggests that something significant and surprising is going on. Whether this is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depends on the question and what other cards are present. As with all the Major Arcana, in and of itself, the Tower isn’t positive or negative.
What it is though, is a new way of looking at things, a breaking down of old structures that no longer support us. A prison, generally of our own design, is coming down. In it’s grandest sense, the Tower is liberation through revelation. And when the lightening bolt hits, there’s no turning back.
I like this slideshow. A live recording of the Cascade Jazz Ensemble and countless images of Tarot Towers. By the end of it, the card’s not so scary anymore. There might be chaos in awakening, but it’s a lot better than staying stuck in the dark.
Wednesday, November 23, 2010