There are a few cards in the tarot deck that tend to elicit a sense of dread from those who see them pop up in their readings, and the Tower is often one of those cards.
To be fair, when you gaze upon the somewhat Apocalyptic image of people falling from a tower that’s been struck by lightning, you might find it difficult to see a positive side to things.
But you’re a tarot reader, so you know not to take things at face value.
We’ll break down the different meanings into different contexts but please also keep in mind that the true guidance of the Tarot comes from the entire context of the spread. The meaning of the cards can change drastically depending on the card next to them. If you’d like more guidance than a single card I do offer free Tarot readings – you just need to send me the details.
Reading the Tower
While the initial appearance of this particular card does lead you to think about destruction, it’s destruction with meaning – higher meaning, some might say – and purpose: it’s the ending of an old way, making room for the basis of a new way. The old path is going to end, so you can step onto the new one.
Sometimes, we need a stronger push to take that initial step, and the Tower can be that kind of divine intervention. It puts us back into “builder-mode”, helping us rethink the whole concept, the plan, the structure, and the steps. It’s a hard reset of the situation, and you can start from scratch after getting that clean slate.
Sure, the reconstruction part might be tough, but the point is you’re getting rid of a crooked building that was sitting on an unsteady foundation. This is an opportunity to change something in a fundamental way, so you can in fact make it better. There’s so much hope and potential in the Tower card if you’re willing to work with that energy!
True, it’s a card that implies effort will need to be put in, because the rebuilding won’t happen overnight or by magic. Good, honest, hard work is going to be needed; but you’re also going to see results if you’re willing to make the effort.
It may also be a matter of divine timing in that particular situation. How fast or slow the crumbling or rebuilding will go depends on a lot of factors. You can try your best, and when it’s time for results, they will show for sure.
It’s a matter of perception and flexibility when it comes to working with the Universe and your Higher Power. The Tower can always be a blessing in disguise.
But how do you read the Tower as an answer to a yes or no question, for instance?
The Tower – yes or no answers
This is one of those cases in which it’s very important to give a lot of thought to your question. Do your best to make it as clear and straightforward as possible, so you’re not overcomplicating things when you get the answer.
Going with a question like “Will my boyfriend and I have an argument this month?” is going to make even a Tower answer pretty clear: “Yes, you are, but the stuff that comes up could make your relationship stronger in the long run”, for instance.
And yet in some cases, when you’re getting the Tower it’s not necessarily going to be a simple answer. If, for instance, you’re asking “Is my marriage going to end?” and you get the Tower, you’re probably tempted to say it’s time to call your lawyer and prepare some damage control, just in case.
What if the card is actually telling you that things are going to be rough, but that if there’s a willingness to work on it, you’ll rebuild a connection with your spouse that is stronger and better?
At the same time, it might be saying that your marriage is going to end, but that you’re going to be part of a much more stable and solid connection in the future. So how do you choose between potential options?
When it doubt, ask your deck for help
If you’re not blessed with some psychic insight so you can be guided towards the answer, the easiest way to make sense of the message is to pull more cards. While you can get a one card answer to many things, it’s better to go with at least two when in doubt.
You can either pull them together to combine their meanings and get a final reading, or you can pull one and then ask for clarification with the second, for instance.
It’s important to keep in mind the fact that tarot is a language, and sentences are more often than not formed from more than one word. One word can mean any number of things, but place it in a context and you’ll get much more clarity.
Don’t get bogged down in the details of the spread, if your intuition and/or curiosity are pushing you to get more cards for more or clearer answers!
Your own one card method: the Tower – yes or no?
If you’re set on using just the one card to get your answer, you can come up with your own clear method of receiving answers. The easiest way to do that is to set intention for the meanings for your cards in a way that you can easily keep track of – ideally, once you find a system that feels right to you, you stick with it so you won’t get confused.
You could set intention for “yes” or “no” answers like this:
- All major arcanas are a “yes” (or a “no”).
- Major arcanas 0 to X are a “yes”, and XI to XXI are a “no” (or vice versa).
- Odd number major arcanas are a “yes”, and even number major arcanas are a “no” (or vice versa).
Of course, you can always come up with your own “yes” or “no” value for each of the major arcanas.
By using one of these methods, you take out the uncertainty from the Tower card answer and assign it a very clear “yes” or “no” value.
Don’t be afraid to come up with your own method of reading it. How you work with your deck and your cards is ultimately up to you! The more you make the process your own, the better it will work.
Further Guidance?
If you would like even further guidance then allow me to do a Tarot spread for you. Just take a moment to answer a couple of questions and I’ll send you a reading today.
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