The tower tarot card is the 16th in the series, and is one of reckoning. Of everything you’ve built tumbling to the ground, and having to start over. This card comes after the devil tarot card, and may seem scary in a tarot reading, but is important. With this fall, you will be able to build up from the ground and create something on a sturdier foundation.
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- Previous Card: The Devil
- Next Card: The Star
- All Cards: Tarot Card Meanings
Definition of The Tower Tarot
Simple Upright Meaning
destruction, falling, starting over
A Full Explanation
The tower tarot card one representing everything crumbling down around you, and of life forever changing. This is a painful card, and means there are difficult times to go through.
In most tarot decks, the tower depicts a building with it’s top torn off, lightning striking, and the tower catching fire. People are falling from the tower, either being knocked out of it, or trying to get to safety by any means possible. This can represent the falling of power.
When you see this card in a reading, it can represent needing to start over, and begin again. This is a card of loss, where you have to leave everything behind only to save yourself. Which can be scary, because people don’t want to have to start over completely, after they’ve worked so hard. At this point, it’ll be better to go with what’s happening, rather than trying to avoid it. Because you’ll only get burned in the process if you try to stay.
With saying all of that, this can be a cathartic moment. This card forces a fresh start. And coming from the devil tarot card, you are breaking the bonds that have held you. You have found the way out of the chains holding you, in an extreme way.
This tower moment may also not be something you planned, or hoped for. It can be something that is happening to you, and now you have to roll with the punches and survive in any way possible. It could be from the building of this life not being very strong, not having a firm foundation to start with. So when you do get the chance to start over, pay attention to what tools you’re using to create roots.
My Design
I’ve chosen to do a simple version of the typical depiction of the tower tarot card. The top is crumbling down, pieces are falling off as it’s struck by lightning. The tower is leaning at an angle, representing it’s unsteady foundation as well, which was a cause to this fall. This is very similar to the original Rider Waite Tarot Deck, or the The Modern Witch Tarot Deck.
Other Thoughts
In my Triple Goddess Tarot deck, the tower tarot card looks very different than the “typical” image. Instead of seeing something crumbling down, we see no tower. Only a woman on the ground in the rain, pulling herself with all of her strength using anything she can grab on to. In this, it’s a card of trying everything she possibly can to hold on, grabbing the roots of the trees surrounding her. This can represent starting over from the ground up.
This tarot card does not expel the same sort of energy as the original cards, but more of the loss already having happened, and trying to figure out what to do after this loss of power. Of fighting to stay alive. It seems like the world has gone sideways around her.
(looking for music to play relating to the tower tarot card? Check out this playlist!)
Are you new to tarot and looking at practicing? Try your hand by picking one card a day, or try one of these tarot spreads! If you’re still having a really difficult time connecting with this card, leave it by your bedside or under your pillow to further connect. See this card on Instagram here!