The Tower
Major Arcana · XVI
- sudden change
- upheaval
- revelation
- collapse
- averting disaster
- fear of change
- delayed upheaval
- inner change
In the picture
A tall tower on a rocky peak is struck by lightning, which knocks off its crown. Flames burst from the windows and two figures fall headfirst through the dark sky.
Upright meaning
The Tower is the sudden shake-up. Something built on shaky ground comes down quickly: a plan, a belief, a situation. It is rarely comfortable, but the card also brings clarity, because a truth comes out and what is left standing is real.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, the upheaval is smaller, slower or more internal. You might narrowly avoid a crisis, or keep propping up something that needs to change. Sometimes it means the change is happening inside you rather than around you.
About the Major Arcana
The 22 Major Arcana are the trump cards of the deck, numbered 0 to 21 from The Fool to The World. Read in order they tell the story of a journey, and in a reading they tend to point to big themes and turning points rather than day-to-day events.
