XVI – The Tower, Tarot Mucha

“The Tower!?!! Aieeeee!!” That used to be my immediate response upon seeing this card, even to the point that it would affect the rest of my day, wondering what was coming to throw me off! It’s not hard to see why: the card image shows two people being thrown from a tower, the roof of which has been blown off by a strike of lightning, and everything is up in flames. The truth in this card’s message, though, lies in the fact that this is a necessary blast: when we become too comfortable in our patterns, especially in the ones where we’ve created comfort where there is none to be had, we close ourselves off from new possibilities and opportunities to expand and grow as people! When we’re forced to admit that parts of our lives are in ruin, then we can really look at what is not working and begin the work of finding ways to rebuild and reconfigure those realities, recreating them in ways that are much better for us and truly comfortable.

I find it interesting that my deck has thrown me two “difficult” cards in a row – the 7 of Swords yesterday and The Tower today! And both numerological 7s, a number I’ve been noticing a lot lately. For me, 7 represents perseverance, examining a situation in such a way that you fully understand your place in it and thus are able to stand your ground, holding true to your own beliefs even and especially when it’s a struggle! This is no easy feat, and one that I’m sure is lifelong. But if The Tower has taught me anything, it’s that humongous change is good! After the debris has settled, you’re able to see what’s left, and more importantly, what is truly valuable to you, allowing you to move forward unburdened but that much richer for realizing what is real to you, and what you can count on to remain stable in your life even when everything else seems to be in total disaster mode.

The Tower is actually one of my Birth Cards – a reoccurring theme in my life that leads me to understanding my life path. Yay? Finding that out helped me a lot in coming to terms with this card’s message, which is finding inspiration in the lowest and most difficult times, and learning to trust that the Universe is doing positive work when the structures we rely on appear to be destroyed. I see this card now as a sort of “roller-coaster” ride: something huge is coming up, and your best bet is to hang on tight and just ride it out! There’s no use trying to stop it, and ultimately, things will settle down and be fine again. If I’ve learned anything from my study of tarot, life is a big cycle with constant reoccurring themes! Each time they come up, we get a better handle on how to regain our grip the next time we feel like we’re losing control of our circumstances. Being able to stay grounded doesn’t keep the difficult things from happening, but it does make it easier to realize when to let yourself be swept away, trusting that you’ll come out okay on the other side!

6 of Cups, Tarot Mucha

XIX – The Sun, Tarot Mucha

Today’s Shadow and Higher Self cards (the cards at the bottom and top of the deck, respectively) are the 6 of Cups and The Sun, which indicate that today’s “Tower” message may have something to do with our personal sense of nostalgia – memories from the past will come up, reminding us how we used to feel and also how we expected to be feeling now! Don’t let these feelings get you down, and instead draw inspiration from them, even tweaking your circumstances to better fit that youthful vision, if you can! The Sun as the Higher Self card assures that whatever excitement flares up today, it’s ultimately contributing to your greatest happiness: know that you’re still on the right track even if you seem to have gone off-course, and know that today a divine opportunity will come in an unexpected form to shake things up in a positive way!

Deck used:

Tarot Mucha. LWB: Lunaea Weatherstone. Artwork: Giulia F. Massaglia. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2014. © Lo Scarabeo Italy.