We may think our present lifestyle, beliefs and world view fit the normal limits of propriety and personal/social correctness; but believe me, if these aspects of our personality are at all self-serving, void of human compassion and or falsely based and fashioned on non-spiritual convictions, we can expect an unscheduled visit from life's surprise awakener... THE TOWER.

What's the first thing you see when you look at this 16th card of the Major Arcana... falling people right ? For most of us, the mere thought or sight of such a life-threatening event (shown here in real time) actually seizes and somewhat paralyzes the emotional senses. For a brief moment we can almost feel a sinking feeling in our Solar Plexus... much like watching a video of someone jumping from the roof of a burning building. Well, the Ancients actually wanted you to experience this... it was their intention to graphically convey the "gravity" of such an event so that it would emotionally impact and imprint your subconscious mind. Seems unnecessary, you may say, for the Ancient teachers to constantly try to shock us with visual horror renditions like THE DEVIL (15th and preceding card) and now this. Again, there is always method behind their seeming madness. This time, oddly enough, their lesson ties in with this preceding DEVIL card.

Remember how the man and woman had become so much like the DEVIL... how he would inflame the man's passions (our self-conscious mind) by simply touching the torch to the man's tail. A tail, incidentally, that grew like Pinocchio's nose as the result of gratifying sensual urges, appetites and misdirected passions. Well, when each of us find our lives out of control and realize we are "slaves" of our own passions, we must bolster our determination and begin to break away from THE DEVIL by owning our own power. We simply have to resist giving in to our dysfunctional ways and begin to demonstrate our grit by allowing the inverted magnetism of all negative urges to simply pass through the purity of our being. It may seem like a superhuman assignment, since we have repeatedly conditioned our bodies and emotions to greedily consume, devour and process these urges, but with every successful denial and refusal, we victoriously weaken and separate the Devil's hold on us by just one more degree. By doing this we can eventually become free of His control to live purer more sanctified lives. That's our goal... however, because we are human and so prone to live "in the flesh", many will continue along their paths of passion and omission, content with their lot and imprisoned in their personal TOWER of complacent action and living.

Here's where the symbology of THE TOWER card is meant to come into play. If an individual fails to voluntarily break free from the clutches of his or her DEVIL, their own continuing negative thoughts and emotionalism will cause the balance scale of Nature to trigger a life altering event. It's usually a circumstance traumatically orchestrated as to disrupt the entire continuity of one's lifestyle and consciousness. Its goal is to upset the status quo, to test one's fundamental beliefs. It can be the loss of a job, a divorce, death of a loved one, financial ruin or a life altering physical disability. Whatever the circumstance, it's intended to implode their world so they can begin to reexamine and reassemble their essence into a healthier, holier, and more spiritual being.

In the TOWER illustration, the falling man is our self-conscious rational mind. The falling woman on the right is our subconscious mind. Notice she is still wearing her crown, but the man's crown (which had previously capped the tower) was just struck by the Lightning of God's Divine Will. Why, because the man built this tower (which represents his body) to wall himself off from the laws, rules and proprieties of right living and then capped it with a crown (his intellect) to seal his willful intent within (protected and out of reach of the laws of the Universe). Unfortunately the man was unaware that Nature always has the last word and, in this case, overturned and upset his isolationist plans. The roaring flames are the Will of God cleansing the interior of the tower (the man's physical being), preparing it for newly conditioned beliefs and a consciousness more in tune with the spiritual mandates of the creator. The (22) sparks that appear to be descending from the fire are really (22) individual drops of God's consciousness that have separated from the lightning bolt. They are called YOD's and are the constituent lines or graphic elements which make up the (22) individual letters of the Hebrew alphabet. As such they represent (22) separate aspects of the GOD consciousness that individually have the power to generate resonant patterns of light vibration which are to be used by the falling man to reconstruct the cells of his body. Each YOD also contains the elements of nuclear (new clear) consciousness needed to change and rebuild the molecular/core structure of his attitudes, intentions and life purpose.

In summary, THE TOWER card is intended to illustrate God's intention to shatter the rigid and willful constructs of Man's egocentric personality. Never will an individual be allowed to use his Crown (intellect) to express his rule of will over the Will of God. Hence, the destruction of the tower. It's God's wish that the falling man pick himself up and by inaugurating new rhythms (vibrations) through his mental images, use the creative force fields (YOD's) to create a better body, mind and spirit to be used in the support and growth of the Divine Plan.