Each tarot card is infused with symbols, philosophies and meanings – giving the cards a limitless intrigue. In the Life Lessons :: Tarot Card Meanings series, I will explore one card and some of the lessons it has to offer. Each card has a wide spectrum of meanings, so this post is not meant to be all inclusive!

The Tower Tarot Card Meanings Keywords:

• Epiphany
• Expulsion
• Explosive Events

The Tower is often considered to be one of the ‘scarier’ cards. Fiery skies, lightening, and people plummeting towards the ground. Yikes! Despite the chaos in the picture, this is one of my favorite cards. While the Tower can certainly have somber interpretations, it can also convey a necessary message of release.

Let It All Out

Sometimes we hold things in because we are trying to be polite or mature or emotionally stable. There is a place for this type of restraint, but when the Tower appears in a reading, it might be a sign that you’ve got some gunk in your system that needs to GTFO. This card indicates that what you are holding in is poisonous.

It could just be minor irritations building up – your boss said something stupid, your lover was late, your computer is on the fritz. The Tower can be a warning sign that this explosive energy is begging for a release. If you don’t find a way to consciously express this energy, it will manifest itself as a chaotic explosion.

It may sound gross, but the Tower reminds me of throwing up. The actual act of expulsion can be painful, but necessary. When everything is out of your system, you are cleansed.

Get That Adrenaline Going

The Tower represents moments of surging adrenaline – the stomach falling, roller coaster feeling. At it’s worse, the Tower can indicate an unexpected surge of adrenaline when something happens that is out of your control. But often, it’s simply a sign that releasing adrenaline is what you need to do to progress. Let your wild side out a bit. Do something that scares you. Go bungee jumping. Get out of your comfort zone. Burn down the things that aren’t working in your life.

Wake Up Call

When you experience a dramatic change, such as the loss of a job or relationship, you feel the chaos of the Tower. However, as time proceeds, you might realize this jolt was exactly what you needed. Sometimes the Tower shows up when you are drifting aimlessly as a way to force you to pay attention to your life. When you’re in the thick of it you only feel uncertainty and even pain. But in the long run, experiencing the Tower is a wake-up call.

The Tower can sometimes represent unseen forces that cause upheaval against your will, but it might also be a sign for you to do some upheaving of your own. Yes, you really should get out of that unhealthy relationship or quit that stagnating job. Having the urge to shake things up? Move to a new state, get a tattoo, die your hair purple? The Tower might be affirming that this type of shock to your routine is what you need.

And never forget: after the turmoil of the Tower comes the serenity of the Star. 

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