By Sarah Taylor
There is no change from darkness to light or from inertia to movement without emotion.
~ Carl Jung
We have change. From the last reading, we have change. And the Five of Cups is, again, the card around which the others are constellating. Except this time, instead of being faced with the same thing, over and over, we have the tarot equivalent of a spiritual wrecking ball in the form of The Tower.
The Hierophant, The Tower, Five of Cups from the Röhrig Tarot deck, created by Carl-W. Röhrig. Click on the image for a larger version.
The Tower is apt to unsettle a fair number of people who come face-to-face with it. If you are one of them, this message is for you: not so fast.
Don’t be so quick to fall into the trap of fear that seems to shadow The Tower wherever it goes. If you are one of them, you’ve only been given half the story — and an over-sensationalised half of the story at that.
Let’s deal with what most of us who know tarot know about The Tower. Let’s look at the concept of “destruction.” C’mon — let’s break it down, in a manner of speaking. Construction; destruction. Building; destroying.
In its most physical sense, The Tower represents a structure that is in the process of being dismantled. This is The Tower when your laptop — and everything you held dear that you didn’t back up — goes kaput! It is the razing to the ground of the inner-city tenement building that seemed like a good idea at the time, but which grew into obsolescence.
It is the (archetypal) fall of the Tower of Babel, a symbol of hubris and ambition that could never reach the heights it intended.
It can also represent the dismantling of an institution — a romantic engagement, a marriage, or a business, for example. In the Rider-Waite Smith version of The Tower, two people are thrown to the ground by the divine lightning bolt of awareness: the union is revealed to have been one that held its inhabitants captive in an ivory tower, one that sought to separate them from their true natures. The illusion is revealed and in its revealing it becomes impossible for the relationship to continue in the way it has. Frequently its form changes significantly.
However, less tangible still, The Tower represents constructs that are being dismantled — ideals, ideas and beliefs.
And in this case, it is the solid, inflexible, heavy construct that you have built around the idea of love, which at the beginning of the month had brought you to disappointment time and time again.
“You do the same thing, over and over; or you change.”
Well, my dear, beautiful Fool, it looks like the time for change is here. You’ve set it in motion through your willingness to step into the unknown. The mystery has indeed brought you into alignment with a current that is powerful enough to blast that block and release you to a different way — a way that leads to:
“destroing [sic] old things,” “spiritual renewal,” “Self Knowledge,” “healing.”
Healing.
Can you stay in alignment to let it do its work? This is the realm of The Hierophant, whose presence is a stabilising factor next to The Tower — his own ‘tower’ a column of starlight that reaches from the heavens into his crown.
As “spiritual master, teacher, advisor,” The Hierophant also represents structure, but this is an inner structure whose integrity is based on your connection with a divine source that guides with gentle, unequivocal authority. It is not rigid, yet it is strong. It holds you to account; you hold yourself to account through it. The presence of The Hierophant spells the difference between the notion of “destruction” and the emotions that may accompany that (similar emotions that accompany the Five of Cups), and the idea of “release.”
Sometimes all is not as it first seems. Sometimes, yes, The Tower has its rubbly, crumbling way. Sometimes, though, it is akin to a liberation, the walls falling in the background, with freedom taking centre stage.
For, really, it is The Hierophant who remains through it all with you — guiding, holding presence, the blesser on the path, no matter what that path looks like to you. What is being cleared no longer works; what remains whispers to you an enduring and irrevocable truth. And you’ll know it in the very depths of you when you hear it.
Astrology/Elemental correspondences: The Hierophant (Taurus), The Tower (Mars), Five of Cups (Mars in Scorpio)
If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread.
Wow.
Just… wow.
I don’t know that I’ve ever had a more timely, straight to the heart of the matter experience with a tarot reading. The Tower has been everywhere for me for the past several weeks, especially in my “year ahead” readings for myself. Your words here coupled with a session with my therapist earlier today have helped me to shift into embracing it. Although I understand the innate healing qualities of the Tower, I’ve still been distancing myself from it. But…
“Well, my dear, beautiful Fool, it looks like the time for change is here. You’ve set it in motion through your willingness to step into the unknown. The mystery has indeed brought you into alignment with a current that is powerful enough to blast that block and release you to a different way — a way that leads to
“destroing [sic] old things,” “spiritual renewal,” “Self Knowledge,” “healing.””
Holding on to that belief in healing and the knowledge that there are so many forms of support along the way.
Thank you so much for all you do, my dear. I’ll be printing this one out and carrying it with me this year.
If you knew that to have everything you ever wanted, you had to let go of all that you have – would you do it?
Great question, Mandy.
I feel like I’m currently an occupant of that space. It requires a lot of courage… do I have it? Time will tell.
When I see the tower, I see expansion, breaking down the walls to give a full view rather than a limited window view, and the Hierphant always speaks of faith to me……having faith in the divine, faith in the right place and right time, having faith in yourself.
Another great reading, thanks Sarah
That is such an interesting and provocative question, Mandy. It would seem that the answer would be quite simple, but when I start to turn towards it and focus on it more seriously, my first response before all else would be: do I really want what I believe that I want?
~ S
Sojourn – if you’re in it, going back can be as difficult as going forward. There is always that lingering question “What if I had continued?”. Especially if you’ve had a taste, a glimpse of all that you want being a reality.
Sarah – Your first response was the same as mine. I really got down to the core of my heart’s desires with this question. I discovered I truly wanted Sacred Relationship in all aspects of my life. I remembered that I had held a wish for peace on Earth as a child that I had allowed the horrors to wear down. I realized I would never be content with anything unless I really put effort into creating this, whatever the sacrifice. Discovering just what it is that you need to let go of as you go along is the tricky part. You definitely get tested to see just how badly you want it! Doubt and fear will wilt it.
I keep my eye on the context of it all and the detailed content fills in for itself as I go along. I believe the Law of Attraction seriously comes into effect because you are accessing your true, deep heart and soul desires. Stepping stones appear just when I need them (often through a “spiritual master, teacher, advisor). It’s been incredible beyond words and I feel extremely blessed.
All… That is really provocative & useful… so I really want what I say I want? Fear of change however can be the high trickster… always important to gather enough data over time to get a sense of what is truth & what is the hubris leading one astray al la it’s magnificence. Thank you all for the discussion. Amazing reading Sarah. Onward. h
The Tower throws a glare of clarity on the personal readings of the past 3 months, including one last November which centered on the 5 of Swords. In the Rohrig deck, that is a figure atop the ruins of a large concrete structure, a Tower perhaps, after the fall. This morning I did some inner work on a theme from childhood “I can’t have what I want.” Isn’t that the 5 of cups, a card that led a personal reading in 2013.
Today I examined some that past theme and imagined life NOT build on the foundation of that belief. The snake bites it’s tail: a life expressed through the ruins of disappointment gives way to the Tower collapsing the illusion that any of that was ever true.
Mandy, it’s a big question you pose: If you knew that to have everything you ever wanted, you had to let go of all that you have – would you do it?
The answer I’ve always given before is No, I would not. I know what that answer has brought me. I’ll consider a different answer now. Thank you for the question. It helps.
It is a variation on the question that came in my dream 18 years ago: Do I hang on, or Let Go?
I like your question better. After many years, the Hierophant has prepared me to answer with more courage and boldness. What really matters can never be destroyed, and will never disappoint.
Sarah, the reading also was a straight shot to my life now. Beautifully done, thank you.
Sarah, I was just processing my own reading when I came across yours; they correspond beautifully, adding depth and greater understanding. The wisdom and insight you bring to us makes it all such a gift; thank you!
As Amanda said., Wow. So *that’s* what it was. Now realise that it was the Tower that hit hard last week, and woke me from a dream. It’s been so tough, and am still reeling. But yes, it is also liberating, and very necessary. Am now back on the path (though i know that ultimately, all of it is the path). Thank you so much, dear Sarah.
And thanks for the wonderful Jung quote!
Further reflections on way to work – greatly stimulated by Mandy’s question and ensuing discussion. Am rereading Tolle’s Power of Now for the umpteenth time. Was thinking (and reading ) how it’s the constant projection into the future (and past) that keeps us in a state of wanting. I certainly don’t have what I want right now – but i suddenly had this sense of relaxing into this present moment, that when I withold the mind’s chatter, all is well. It’s not that I feel particularly serene at the moment, and I’m still determined to move on from where I am – but there’s a growing sense that life is a lot happier when I’m able to open up to this present moment. And think that it’s this realization that the Tower is bringing to me, rather than the initial, desperate sense of needing to change things. And I believe (hope!) it’s in the letting go that the change can really take place.
I am, I suppose, in rather an odd situation, in which something I held dear was lost to me because I became more true to myself. However, this has paved my way to a life in which I can be much freer, and which is closer to my ideal concept.
As human beings, we often cannot see straight, and the motivation encouraging us either to let go or to remain unchanged can be laced with all sorts of complicating feelings. I felt the necessity of letting go for some time, but was unable to take the decisive action – and then it was taken for me. From this I understand that when facing a difficult choice, shoring up and refusing to compromise one’s own personal integrity can be enough to ensure the best consequences, whatever they may be.