The Tower: Modern RWS Tarot card Meanings
‘KEY XVI: The Tower’, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
The Tower Upright
Keywords
Sudden Upheaval, Disaster, Revelation, Chaos, Destruction, Awakening.
Scared of this Major Arcana card? In this article, I will show you that The Tower is not always to be feared.
Correspondences
Planet
Mars
Element
Fire
Yes/No:
No (especially due to improper foundation).
Generally
A sudden, shocking event. A crisis, a major accident, a natural disaster, a moment of brutal honesty that shatters illusions.
In a Love Context
A sudden and dramatic breakup. The revelation of a major betrayal or affair, a relationship ending in a catastrophic argument, the shattering of a romantic illusion.
In a Money/Career Context
A sudden job loss. A business collapsing overnight, a stock market crash, being fired unexpectedly, a project failing spectacularly.
In a Spiritual Context
A "dark night of the soul." A spiritual crisis that shatters your entire belief system, a sudden loss of faith, a painful but necessary spiritual awakening. Like the 9 of Swords.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Brace for impact. Accept the coming chaos. Let the old structures fall.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A catastrophic but necessary ending. A complete and total reset. A painful but liberating truth revealed.
As Obstacles
An unavoidable disaster is blocking your path. A sudden, external event is causing chaos. The situation is fundamentally unstable. A dangerous error presents serious risk.
As Hidden Energy
A hidden crisis is brewing beneath the surface. A secret is about to be revealed with explosive consequences. An unacknowledged, unstable foundation. Like The High Priestess reversed.
As Resources/Alliances
A necessary destruction. A painful truth is your path to freedom. A crisis that clears the air.
The Tower Reversed
Reversed Keywords:
Avoiding Disaster, Resisting Change, Fear of Upheaval, A Close Call
Generally
Avoiding a disaster, resisting a necessary change. A close call with an accident, a refusal to leave a dangerous situation, a fear of upheaval that leads to stagnation. Compare to The World reversed.
In a Love Context
Staying in a toxic relationship to avoid a painful breakup. A refusal to confront a major issue in a partnership, a relationship that is slowly decaying instead of ending cleanly.
In a Money/Career Context
Clinging to a job you know is insecure. A business that is slowly failing, a refusal to accept that a project has failed, a fear of being fired.
In a Spiritual Context
Resisting a necessary spiritual transformation. A fear of the "dark night of the soul," clinging to a belief system that you know is false, a spiritual crisis that is being actively ignored.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
A warning against resisting the inevitable. It is time to leave the crumbling tower before it collapses on you.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A prolonged period of fear and decay. A disaster that is being delayed but not avoided. A refusal to change that leads to a slow collapse.
As Obstacles
Your own fear of change is the primary hindrance. A stubborn refusal to leave a bad situation.
As Hidden Energy
A hidden fear of disaster is driving your decisions. A secret belief that everything is about to fall apart.
As Resources/Alliances
Help comes from a narrow escape. The ability to see a disaster coming and avoid it. A strategic retreat from a collapsing situation.
The RWS Tower in Key Card Combinations
Combinations with Major Arcana
The Tower & The Star
The Tower (↑) & The Star (↑): A crisis that leads to a period of hope and healing. Finding peace after a catastrophic event. A necessary destruction that clears the path for your true purpose.
The Tower (↓) & The Star (↑): Avoiding a disaster allows you to find a path of peace. A close call that renews your faith.
The Tower (↑) & The Star (↓): A crisis that leads to a loss of hope. A painful event that leaves you feeling empty and disconnected.
The Tower (↓) & The Star (↓): A situation where a fear of change has you trapped in a state of stagnant despair.
The Tower & The Sun
The Tower (↑) & The Sun (↑): A sudden revelation that brings great clarity and joy. A painful ending that leads to a much happier new beginning.
The Tower (↓) & The Sun (↑): Avoiding a disaster allows you to find a path of success and happiness. A close call that leads to a positive outcome.
The Tower (↑) & The Sun (↓): A crisis that leads to a loss of vitality and joy. A public failure or humiliation.
The Tower (↓) & The Sun (↓): A situation where a fear of change is preventing you from finding happiness. A period of stagnant pessimism.
Combinations with the Suit of Pentacles
The Tower & The Ten of Pentacles
The Tower (↑) & The Ten of Pentacles (↑): A sudden event that shatters a stable family or business. A financial crisis that destroys long-term wealth.
The Tower (↓) & The Ten of Pentacles (↑): A stable family or business narrowly avoids a disaster. A close call that threatens a secure inheritance.
The Tower (↑) & The Ten of Pentacles (↓): A crisis that leads to a break with family tradition. A sudden event that disrupts financial stability.
The Tower (↓) & The Ten of Pentacles (↓): A situation where a fear of change is causing a slow decay of family wealth or a business.
Additional Notes On The Tower
A.E Waite’s Original ‘Tower’ Card Meanings:
Upright: "Misery, distress, indigence, adversity, calamity, disgrace, deception, ruin. Reversed: According to one account, the same in a lesser degree; also oppression, imprisonment, tyranny." Pictorial Key To The Tarot (1911).
Question: Is The Tower always a negative card?
While it almost always points to a painful and difficult experience, The Tower is, esoterically a card of Divine consequence. It represents a necessary destruction of false or outgrown structures, whether they are beliefs, relationships, or situations. The lightning is a flash of truth that, while destructive, harsh or retributive, can ultimately be a blessing in disguise when viewed from a spiritual (rather than a material) perspective.
Meditations On The RWS Tower
Some journal prompts for this card are: What "tower" in my own life needs to be destroyed? What illusion am I clinging to that is preventing my growth? If I were to let go of my fear of chaos, what new truth might be revealed?
