I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
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The Tower :: Wild Unknown Tarot
Deck Creator’s Keywords: unexpected upheaval, crisis, change
Carrie’s Keywords: breakthrough, collapse, chaos

The Tower Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown

 
An evergreen tree stands in the dead quiet of night. Two bolts of yellow lightening descend from the sky, striking the tree at two points. The top portion has already been violently ripped off and engulfed in flames, and the lower portion looks about to topple as well.

This image alludes back to the Emperor card, in which we also saw a solid evergreen tree. The Emperor seemed to be magnificent, sturdy, and invincible. But in the Tower, we see that there are forces of upheaval which can unexpectedly strike even the strongest of us.

Sometimes unexpected events seem jarring or even violent. But there is often a universal intelligence at work, forcibly clearing away certain aspects of our lives to make room for something new. Forest fires speak to this truth. Although the flames can be utterly destructive, they can also be beneficial in that they clear the way for new growth.

The Tower shows moments that are difficult at the time, but when we look back we say ‘thank goodness that happened.’ Like when your partner leaves you, but then you find a relationship that is a much better match for you. Or when you get fired, but eventually find an unexpected new career path which brings you greater fulfillment.

When a change is necessary but our ego won’t let us make that change, we experience the Tower. If we don’t listen to the whispers of our life, an explosive turn of events will force us to pay attention. On the other hand, if we DO listen to the whispers, we can encourage the tower’s dismantling. But even when we choose a sweeping change, it will still be intense!

Tarot reminds us that life is always dynamic. One minute you are the Emperor, strong and solid, and the next you are the Tower, experiencing chaos. When we look at the bigger picture we find order in disorder and necessity in the Tower’s jolt.

 

The Tower Tarot Card Meanings in General

 

The imagery in this card often shows a literal tower, a man made construct in the process of crumbling. Human figures are sometimes shown freefalling through the air. What these people once assumed to be true – the constructs of their ego – has been suddenly shifted dramatically. Thus, the Tower is sometimes associated with “ego death,” a loss of the “masks” people wear. The Tower strips away your false sense of self and gives you an experience of radical reality.

The Spacious Tarot imagery shows a cairn, a stack of rocks used to mark a well worn path. This could symbolize the ways that sometimes old ways of being are knocked down and unavailable to us. In any depiction of the Tower, the lighteing striking the structure could be thought of as representing a burst of insight. As such, this card can be associated with sudden breakthroughs. As difficult as Tower energy can be, it is also liberating. The Tower gives you revelations that may be unwelcome initially, but ultimately lead you to a greater experience of self-actualization.

In a reading

 

The Tower often appears in times of intense shifts and upheavals. Keep in mind this applies just as much to internal shifts as external ones. You might experience a lot of resistance to these changes. This card asks you to consider in what ways dramatic change in your life could be valuable – even if at first glance it only seems destructive.

Remember that in the midst of it, things might feel chaotic. But resisting and fighting against this chaos only makes the blow harder. At times, Tower energy can lead you to feel like you’re having a breakdown. But look for the ways in which what could be labeled as a breakdown might actually be a BREAKTHROUGH. You may be experiencing a shake up so that you can then experience a new, more empowering level of awareness.

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