Whereas the Death card is usually the card people are terrified of, out of all of the cards in the deck, The Tower is the one you really need to brace yourself for.
The Tower Tarot card represents chaos and destruction. It is the Major Arcana card of sudden upheaval and unexpected change. This change usually is scary, life changing and often unavoidable.
A negative Tower event can be akin to a bomb going off in your life. You don’t know how you will survive but somehow you will and later you will realise that while it was a tremendously difficult thing to go through and you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy, it has made you into the person you are.
One positive aspect of The Tower is that the destruction it brings is usually directed at something that was built on a false beliefs and foundations or unrealistic goals and dreams.
Also on the bright side, the destruction The Tower brings is always followed by renewal and creation. However, The Tower with a negative aspect can represent a whole host of tragic, traumatic or life-altering events like the death of a loved one, divorce, a bad breakup, assault, rape, violent abuse, stillbirth or miscarriage, child abuse, bankruptcy, a drug overdose, a car crash or job loss to name but a few. It’s usually the kind of thing you hope will never happen to you.
That said, not every Tower event denotes tragedy. If the surrounding cards are positive, The Tower can simply represent a big change, like going to live in another country. This will be a massive upheaval.
It will be a scary adjustment and will change your life as you know it but ultimately the change will be a good one. Placement of The Tower is important too, in a past position in a Tarot spread it is telling you what you’ve been through. While there are some life-events that we cannot avoid, sometimes The Tower will appear in a future if you are on a path that is leading to danger to warn you to avoid it.
For instance, if you tend to put yourself in dangerous situations without thinking of the consequences, The Tower may be a warning to be mindful of your safety.
Or if you take big gambles with money, The Tower may be warning you that it’s time to start acting more responsibly to avert disaster. It can also warn of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes etc.
This card is distinct from many other cards; it in its entirety consists of one primary, obelisk-like pillar or tower in dark purple rising at a slight angle to the left in the center of the card, with industrial infrastructure in abstract, transparent manifestations on either side at the center and bottom.
From the top right is a sparking, jagged bundle of lightning crossing down through the middle of the image.