The Tower
The Tower symbolizes sudden, often destructive upheaval that reveals hidden dangers and forces necessary change. Upright, it warns of unexpected external events that can undermine shaky foundations but also clear the way for renewal and revelation. Reversed, it indicates an internal transformation, delayed change, or a narrowly avoided disaster that invites rebuilding with new insight. Across positions, it urges surrender to necessary upheaval, seeking support while taking responsibility for how you rebuild.
Keywords
Card Name
The Tower
Animal
Lionfish
Fun Fact
Lionfish are native to the Pacific Ocean and have recently appeared on the eastern coast of the United States after escaping from private aquariums. In North America they are regarded as invasive animals because they have no natural enemies and can easily eliminate native species when competing for territory and food.
Keywords
Ego, Catastrophe, Revelations
Reversed Keywords
Survival, Rebuilding, Intact
Meaning
The lionfish prowls the depths, brilliant and beautiful among the reefs. Its poisonous spines and bright colors warn others to stay away, but even those that flee don’t always manage to escape this hunter’s attention. The lionfish is an invasive species, a creature with no natural predators. The appearance of one can spell disaster for an ecosystem, wearing away at its foundation until only ruin remains. Appropriately, they symbolize hidden peril. Likewise, the Tower denotes the terrible power of chaos lying in wait. We are reminded that, no matter where we are in life, we are never safe from the sudden and unavoidable difficulties that life can throw our way.
Upright
When upright, the Tower warns the user that something unexpected and notably unpleasant is going to happen in their life. The timing of this event can be less than ideal. Your foundation is shaky and crumbling, but even among destruction lies the prospect for good. When fire tears through a forest, seeds are sown for the next generation. Surrender to forces at work in your life and start thinking about where you can go once the ground stops shaking. There is a revelation at hand. Hold onto those still in your life for support if you need it, but ultimately, you’re the key to walking away with your head held high.
Reversed
When reversed, the Tower is warning the user that an unexpected change will come from within. A personal transformation is nigh, and to reach it, you may have to undergo a drastic shift of faith and perception. This may manifest in a crisis of confidence or a complete questioning of the truths you once held in high esteem. For some, this can become a full-on existential crisis, but at the end of the tunnel lies a newly enlightened you. Though this realization can be unpleasant, take comfort in knowing that you’ve avoided (or, rather, narrowly avoided) a disaster coming your way. Take this silver lining and your new enlightenment and carefully build your future. This position can also imply that the user is delaying a necessary change, rejecting it out of fear or concern when it would be better to let the chaos come. It can be scary to surrender to something so absolute. Just try to remember there is purpose in the pain.
Visual Description
A large, flaming orange-red lionfish-like creature dominates the foreground, its long fin rays fanning like flaming spires. Behind it rise dark jagged rock towers and silhouettes of alien vegetation, outlined by thin glowing lines and wisps of red smoke. The background is a deep star-speckled cosmic field framed by a faint triangular border. At the bottom, the title THE TOWER is printed in gold letters.
Oriens tarot
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