The Tower

The Meaning of the Tower
Major Arcana Tarot Card in Readings

The Tarot Tower card meaning in a nutshell:
A spectacular ambition
that ends with disaster.

Archetype:
Destruction — failure.

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The Tower is evidently a card indicating disaster. The picture shows that clearly. But what leads to the disaster?

One legendary tower explains it — that of Babel, surely inspiring both the image and the meaning of the Tarot Tower card. Babel was built to reach heaven. This megalomania angered God, who crushed the tower completely — and made people strangers to one another, so that they would never be able to get together and repeat the feat.

The flash from the dark sky on the Tower card image is God's anger, and the people who fall from its height are punished for their hubris, comparing themselves to God by wanting to reach his abode. The crown thrown off the top of the tower is the symbol of utter human vanity. Great plans invite great failures. If the plans are too great, failure is certain. We invite it by aiming far too high.

On the other hand, what's the point of being human if not pushing the limits, aiming as high as we can ever imagine? If we never did, we would still be running from sabre toothed tigers somewhere in the wilderness. Our fantasy compels us to pursue our dreams. Sometimes it leads to disaster, as shown by the Tower Tarot card, but sometimes to wonderful success. So, how can we stop ourselves?

Below is the famous painting of the Tower of Babel made by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1563:

The Tower of Babel, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563.
The Tower of Babel. Painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563

The Tower Card as a Person

If the Tarot Tower card relates to a person, which is unlikely, it's someone capable of destroying things that seem as solid as mountains — and hurrying to do so. It's a person who is victim of the destructive instinct. Although costly, it's necessary in the grand scheme of things. What goes up must come down, and someone has to make sure of it. But of course, that person is a dangerous ally.

The Tower Card as an Event

If the Tower card refers to an event, and that's usually the case in divination, it's the unfortunate end to an ambitious project. Failure. Probably, you aimed too high or lifted a weight that was far too heavy. It couldn't last. Should you insist on your ambitious goal, you must be prepared to do it all over from the start, and there will be additional obstacles to overcome.

The Tower Card as You

If the Tarot Tower card has a position in the divination spread referring to you, it means you have a mentality that is bound for disappointment and utter failure. You need to change. You want to be drastic about things that demand patience and care. Most things do, at least the important ones. You might have reached the end of your patience after a long time of setbacks, but still your urge for decisive and forceful action is a mistake. Even if it is difficult, you need to calm down before you do something far too rash.

A. E. Waite about the Tarot Tower Card

Click the header to read what A. E. Waite had to say about the Major Arcana Tower Tarot card symbolism and meaning in divination.

The Major Arcana Tarot Cards

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I'm a Swedish author. In addition to fiction, I've written books about the Tarot, Taoism, astrology and other metaphysical traditions. I'm also an historian of ideas, researching ancient mythology. Click the image to get to my personal website.

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