FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: FOUR OF SWORDS

Notes on: The Four of Swords

(Centered in Between)

Artist’s Notes:

A rest between battles can take many forms. Do we spend it catching up on needed sleep with a sword ready to use at our side? Do we sit in reflective contemplation and meditation, replaying the last battles and see how we can improve both our game and the outcome? Do we travel deeply within ourselves until the call comes once before?

How do you define a battle? Is it an argument or a skirmish either between us and another one-on-one or between two sides, one of which we are part of? Could it be the simple battle of existence and the calm between battles that we face each night, each day bringing new growth opportunities and new challenges? On a larger scale may it not even be an incarnation, a lifetime of growth with the rest time in between beginning when our bodies expire?

Each level reflects those below and those above. Still, rest is a good thing.

About the Archetype:

The suit of swords represents thoughts, ideas, plans, and conflicts. Fours express stability and the manifestation of the energy involved.

There are times when our thoughts become too much for us and the inherent conflicts and battles that arise feel like a never-ending battle. We need to establish a truce, a withdrawal from conflict to meditate and be silent within ourselves, to gain further energy with which we will return and find resolution or synthesis of the ongoing struggle. The four of swords represent this time of withdrawal and meditation.

Astrological Correspondent:

Jupiter in Libra- The Jupiter in Libra energy is impartial, fair and open-minded, and willing to consider all sides. It seeks harmony and resolution but at times can become indecisive when there is not a clear solution that will benefit all. Jupiter wishes to expand truthfully while the Libra energy tends to be diplomatic and wants everyone to be happy. These two energies can often bring one to a deadlock at which time it benefits one to meditate on the solution

In a Reading:

When the Four of Swords occurs in a reading, a moment of rest occurs in a conflict. This does not mean that the conflict has gone away as much as that it is time to take stock and look at possible outcomes and solutions before the battle starts up again. It is best not to fool oneself that things have resolved as this card does not mean peace but a brief pause for healing and reflection. Further effort will be necessary

When the Four of Swords shows up reversed or badly aspected,, it may mean that the truce is over and that it is time to return and resolve the conflicts at hand. If the inner work has been done during the truce time then the resolution will be possible.

–GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

In a time when divination wasn’t born what defined fate? In the words of the Spider, he would say this.

“Purpose and conviction are two sides of the same coin. Both entail a concept greater than what we can grok. Time may assist at times but True Fate is timeless. You may postpone what i weave but that doesn’t mean you are home-free. Fate waits for when you forget even if that means waiting till your higher self forces this burden on you. After all the more you fight the more energy you waste.”

To be held captive by our conviction is the greatest gift and curse that has been bestowed on those tied to fate. The more we sit in our power the more we achieve but we are held responsible for the personal gains as well. Each life will define its karmic weight through its actions. So what will you do? Become a legend puppet or and waste of thread?

–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: THREE OF SWORDS

Notes on: The Three of Swords

(The Last Connection)

Artist’s Notes:

Two beings are in conflict and then a third decisively ends it, severing the strong negative attraction. Still, both beings are feeling somewhat bereft. They might not understand why it had to end.

Yet, from the point of view of fate, everything happens in its time. We are left to pick up the pieces when the bubble pops. The best way is by looking at the attachment dispassionately. Was it necessary to have that conflict in our lives? It was definitely intense and few things are as drug-like as strong emotions. A period of reflection to understand the nature of the connection and how to form new ones without toxicity might be in order. One question to ask always is whether the lesson was worth the price. We don’t ask this to recriminate or obsess over the past as much as to understand and develop our own values.

About the Archetype:

The suit of swords represents thoughts, ideas, plans, and conflicts. Threes deal with maturity, accomplishment, and transmission of the energy involved. Thought separates one thing from another for the purposes of comparing and contrasting, breaking down, and analyzing. What is that energy of separation in its maturity but that of sorrow and loss? When we find separation from those we loved and cherished we feel grief. When we find that we can no longer hold on to things we once innocently believed there is grief as well. Knowledge replaces faith and we grow wiser but sometimes it hurts. In the long run, the separation itself is an illusion tho. Every relationship (whether it be with beliefs, places, or people) still exists and we still learn from it. They have just moved into the past.

Astrological Correspondence:

Saturn in Libra- Saturn is the planet of hard lessons and when in Libra, the focus of the lessons is our relationships and partnerships. When our relationships come under scrutiny, then we notice the flaws, and what we need to learn from them becomes apparent. This can often result in learning the lesson and moving on or learning the lesson and rebuilding the relationship using what we have learned.

In a Reading:

When the Three of Swords comes up in a reading, it often means separating from something or someone the querent has loved and the ensuing grief that that provides. Heartache. It may be helpful to give some time needed to reflect and heal.

Threes can also represent a balance. In this case, if there is an imbalance between two plans, ideas, or people and a tendency for one to be subsumed within the other, the Three of Swords can clearly if painfully state “This is your stuff and this is mine and this is what we need to work on before harmony can happen”

When the Three of Swords comes out reversed or badly aspected in a reading, it may mean a clinging to old hurts and separations and an inability to move on and put them in the past. It can show someone who has not yet accepted the ‘gift’ of insight the separation gives.

The Inversed Three may also mean that one is trying so hard to keep a bad relationship going that they are subsuming themselves rather than showing who they honestly are. This in the long term is seldom healthy.

Fate’s Whisper:

The weight of our burdens will come crashing down one day whether we like it or not. This moment when the line was crossed for the Spider was when his life mate was murdered in the first dragon war. In the pits of all his despair for the loss of his only anchor, the first horror of Magick was born, the Word of Power Death. A single utterance gave awareness and power to a new force, mortality, in a world thought to be undying.

This was only the beginning, however. In a short span of time, all began to age as time gained an immense foothold and importance in reality as it affect both mortal and immortal alike.

When that last straw falls and it breaks your back you are forced to act to ensure you will live on. Claw your true power out of the hole you left it in. Take the blood, sweat, and tears and swallow your pride for even the greatest forces must act when it is their time. So what will you do crumble or perish?

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: TWO OF SWORDS

Notes on: The Two of Swords

(Held to Truth)

Artist’s Notes:

A Male Figure with the head of fox spars with his reflection in a cavern. He is working at conceiving of and countering any move that an opponent may utilize against him. In a very literal sense, he has his sword at his own neck, ever seeking to improve his skills and his strategy so that when the time comes he will know when to act and the best way in which to do so. Above him is the i Ching hexagram which corresponds to this energy T’ai or Peace where both the Earth trigram and the Heaven Trigram are in balance in each other’s natural place.

It often feels in these times as if life is pushing us not to act in ways that would be beneficial to our progress and growth, but to react, following other people’s agendas and not our own.

It helps then, to prepare ourselves and challenge ourselves each step of the way. Is this really the time to act? Is this what I want to do? Will this benefit me and others in the long run or is it just surrender to Adrenaline and the mood of the moment?

Sometimes, the best course of action is to not act until the time is absolutely right and then to act fearlessly without any self-doubt whatsoever.

About the Archetype:

The suit of swords represents thought, ideas, and plans. Twos represent duality, subject, and object. What do we do when two separate ideas are presented to us. We can let them battle themselves into the ground and engage in endless debate or we can sit with them first contemplating one and then the other, thesis and antithesis until we reach a synthesis that integrates the best aspects of both. The forming of this synthesis can bring total release and peace. Of course, then a new antithesis to the synthesis appears and the process continues.

Astrological Correspondent:

Moon in Libra – The Moon in Libra is all about peaceful aesthetics. People with this placement tend to be aware of all sides of a situation and are able to find a compromise (synthesis) with all. Again though this synthesis comes from a full understanding of all sides of the equation.

In a Reading:

When the Two of Swords shows up in a reading things are at an impasse and it might be time to withdraw and consider both paths. There is an inherent tension between Thesis and Antithesis so eventually, it will need to resolve but time can be taken to look at both and arrive at the optimum solution. (Compare this then the Two of Wands which suggests immediate action)

When the Two of Swords shows up reversed or badly aspected in reading then the weight of the decision has become too much. Either matter have fallen out of our hands or things have collapsed because of the inherent tension.

–GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

The Spider once told me that his definition of friendship was someone who always had his sword at your throat forcing you to grow.

Another time he told me that this symbolized the three points of the friendship sword and that friends should have swords at the heart and groin as well.

The Spider doesn’t have many friends.

Nor is he wrong.

–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: ACE OF SWORDS

Notes on: The Ace of Swords

(Seed of Fate and Air)

Artist’s Notes:

There are few things as mighty as a new idea or viewpoint. Indeed it shines as a beacon in the night as it looks to either become part of the collective web of thoughts out there or to break through. Each must stand or fall according to its own merit though some may be helped along by the encouragement of various beings.

About the Archetype:

The suit of swords represents thought, ideas, and plans. The Ace of Swords reveals a new way of thinking and a clear direction. It represents discernment, new insights, and new direction. In discernment, we transcend duality. No matter how clear the path our discernment shows us we still need to follow through. The aces are after all but seeds. How well we are prepared and whether we find our way to its end is up to us.

Astrological Correspondence:

Swords represent the element of air. Air both represents thought and intellect as well as communication of all kinds. It tends to be a swift-moving, aloof element. The three air signs are Gemini, which tends to be pure intellect, Libra, which represents aesthetic intellect, and Aquarius which is involved with social construction and breaking away from what has come before.

In a Reading:

In a reading, the Ace of Swords can represent both a new way of looking at things or seeing something that we were missing before. It can show a new clarity of thought or perception. It can also represent a new conflict that has arisen and a new challenge to be faced. It can represent something new that we are attempting to learn.

There may also be some kind of message or communication that is coming to us from a new source or direction.

When reversed or badly aspected, the clarity of the sword has been obscured. It may feel like the path ahead cannot be seen clearly. The Ace reversed can also represent delusional thinking where our prejudices and preconceptions are interfering with clear thought. It can also refer to someone trying to change their outlook or learning something new but hitting roadblocks.

–GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

Among the pillars, it was the Spider who held the most malice. It was he who started the cycle of war by breaking the peace the other Pillars held. Pledged to end cycles and start new one he became bound to the force we call Fate. The father of magick and language he holds the communication of reality together with his fabled web. Little is known of its power but it is reported by the other pillars that purpose only came after he made it.

Every cycle must start to ensure new ideas can come into being. Bound tightly to our greater purpose, we all are bound to Fate’s web. Though it is important we take our first step on that journey. How will you start yours?

–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: PRINCE OF CUPS

Notes on: The Prince of Cups

(Time’s Paladin)

Artist’s Notes:

The Crowned and helmeted prince remains in contemplation. At any point, he is ready to act based on his most current understanding. If his helmet covers his eyes, it is because he much prefers his inner vision to his outer and his intuition often proves to be a better guide than his eyes. He is led by curiosity and the need to understand. He is drawn to those with deep understanding and commitment to their cause and for brief times can be drawn in their wake. He is constantly finding keys to new understandings which he then holds concurrently within the framework of lessons both past and future.

About the Archetype:

The suite of Cups deals with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two people and that of friends and companions. Princes deal with the transmission and the endurance of the energy, the result of the union of the King’s Force and the Queen’s generative and nurturing of the energy. The transmission of emotion is seldom done through action but through words and expression. The Prince of Cups takes in the emotions, understands them, and feels deeply yet he shows what he wishes others to see holding the rest inside until it becomes either necessary or desirable to let them out. He is often artistic, using his emotions as yet another palette on which to draw. He is able to elicit emotions from others and sees things that others do not.

Having such a deep internal life, it is often difficult to get the Prince of Cups to take action on a practical level. He has a deep sense of the aesthetic yet seldom wants to get his hands dirty. In these and so many other ways, he is a study in contrasts. This is at least partly due to the fact that he often can see and hold two or more contradictory viewpoints or attributes. Due to this, he often ends up surprising even those closest to him by doing or espousing something radically different from what he had the day before.

Astrological Correspondence:

21° Libra – 20° Scorpio

Elemental: Air of Water

This combination of Libra’s communication skills, enjoyment of those considered friends, and energy combined with Scorpio’s magnetism, secrecy, and artistic flair yield an artist who loves to hide in plain sight. He will work obsessively to convey ideas and visions that will leave people scratching their heads. They love people and are very romantic often giving much of themselves to those they love yet they demand as much in return and can become resentful at what they see as a lack of loyalty.

In a Reading:

When the Prince of Cups turns up in a reading, he may represent a person, interest, or passion that while not practical sweeps you off your feet in a most romantic way. Someone may feel like the answer to all your dreams but are you sure you understand what their investment is? The force of this card may be addictive in its intensity.

He may represent a lover (male or female) who has serious commitment issues as they wish to experience it all and feel it deeply. The Prince of Cups may also be suggesting that a time when it is necessary to address the balance between dreaming and taking action in our own lives. Both dreaming and acting on these dreams are important

Reversed or Badly aspected, the Prince of Cups often speaks of the desire to avoid responsibility. This may come as a reaction to feeling like there is too much expected or it may come out of a sense of disillusionment with the world. It may also refer to someone who is manipulative and who uses our emotions and attractions against us. This person will tend to value the effect of what he (or she) says over truth or honesty. The Reversed Prince of Cups may also mean that we feel not that there is too much expected of us but that there is too much for us at this time. The Prince reversed may also refer to a time when we are letting our emotions pull us in any given situation.

–GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

Many boast of travelling through time as if it is a great passion. While the concept of time seems ever elusive its presence is absolute in many ways. Thankfully time isn’t linear as that is what makes it so hard to grasp. Every possible will happen at some point whether is holds meaning is up to the beholder.

The moments that hold great meaning to us and our existence are meant to be cherished. The Order of Everflow was created to aid Time in ensuring that moment that made each person protected. Resolute and highly trained there is little record of their deeds. This is for the better after all those emotions we develop on the path are only one source of power we have.

–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: SIX OF CUPS

Notes on: The Six of Cups

(Golden Times)

Artist’s Notes :

Think back to a moment in your life when everything felt perfect. Chances are you can remember the feeling even if you didn’t know it at the time. Moments like this exist best in memory. We replay it to the point where only certain details are clear but hey we need those moments. Perhaps even this moment will be a snapshot moment later on for you.

About the Archetype:

Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Sixes represent balance and harmony. Mix balance and harmony with love and you end up with one of those magic moments. You know, the kind that you want to remember and take out and replay in your mind because you know it will help keep you going through the rough times. Love is and you are and the universe is right and good and nothing can take these moments away. Memories of them can heal you during rough times. Knowing that they are possible can keep us going until the next one.

Astrological Correspondent:

Sun in Scorpio – This energy involves powerful sensual feeling and transcendence, One of its symbols is the phoenix rising from its own ashes. The energy is passionate, sexual, and consuming. Few things are as memorable as making passionate love with someone who has entered your heart. The Sun in Scorpio energy involves depth of experience and depth of learning and knowledge.

In a Reading:

When the Six of Cups turns up in a reading, it usually signifies an unusually happy time. The happiness of this period usually stems from a feeling of loving and being loved. This may have to do with past memories being rekindled tho it can also be a time for making new lasting memories depending on where the card falls in the reading and the other cards involved. This is a time that will be remembered for its feeling of peace and balance no matter how long it may last.

When the Six of Cups is reversed in a reading, it is possible that for various possible reasons, tho it is a happy period in our lives, we are unable to see it. It can refer to someone who is so focused on the future, that they forget to enjoy the present moment. The reversed Six of Cups may also refer to unpleasant associations from the past

—GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

The past is a key part of how we tick. When we have a cherished moment that means a lot to us we tend to seek it as a standard. In the eyes of Time, many warriors found their passion in the heat of war. The drive and adrenaline made many memories imprinted us going forward. These moments may have moulded us but they were there because we needed them.

After the peak and passion, everything must decline. To define the good the bad must occur that way we appreciate those golden times. Persist and you will find your next peak just don’t let the past define how it should be.

–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: FIVE OF CUPS

Notes on: The Five of Cups

(Youth is Wasted)

Artist’s Notes:

The actress bemoans her lost youth. In her mind, all that’s left of her is her pale reflection in her makeup mirror. The fact that this shows a handsome woman of a certain age is lost in her fears and anguish of the years that have flown by her. The young ingenue in the picture beside the mirror has been lost to time. She drinks her wine in sorrow and solitude not knowing that with a slight change of attitude (and a bit less alcohol), the best years of her life may still lay ahead.

Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.

About the Archetype:

Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.

Fives stand for conflict, change, and breaking through to higher thought. If the four of cups talked about how we look at something new on the horizon and our expectations, then the five of cups show how we handle things when things don’t live up to those expectations and we end up meeting with disappointment. One may ask in colloquial terms what appointment is it we have made that has been dissed.

Most of the time when we enter into a new situation be it a relationship or a new social group or job, we can quickly size up where the problem areas lay and indeed with a little bit of reflection can see exactly how it will play out and yet even when the outcome is likely to be negative, we follow down the path anyway, perhaps because we realize we need the experience and accompanying lesson to be driven home. The biggest lesson of the five of cups is not that we have suffered setbacks because that is inevitable in life. What is it that we have gained in the process and what are we left with becomes paramount. Because quite often, if we are not wasting time ‘crying over spilt milk’, it is that which is the gift.

Astrological Correspondent:

Mars in Scorpio – The Mars in Scorpio energy loves to test itself. It throws itself into a situation head-on often overlooking the emotional ramifications of it. Quite often people with this energy can see through facades and manipulate others in any situation. Quite often this can result in manipulating and fooling themselves as well.

In a Reading:

When the five of cups turns up in a reading, it is usually referring to a recent loss or disappointment. Depending on other cards in the reading, the person may be ‘crying over spilt milk’, choosing to look at what has been lost rather than what they still have or what they may have gained from the situation.

When the five of cups is reversed or badly aspected, the person is looking at their loss with more equanimity. Perhaps they have friends who are talking them through it or perhaps they have discovered gratitude for that which they have left and that which they gained from the experience. It may also refer to remaining open and vulnerable to new experiences despite that which may have been lost in the past.

–GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

History is littered with spoiled monarchs and ungrateful tyrants. The loss of power has caused some of the greatest temper tantrums. In the eyes of Time, every ruler and subject are no different. Both oppress when things don’t go their way. This has never really changed. Is it part of the balance that is up to the ones who read this. When you hear the word “no” how do you deal with that bitterness? Would you take responsibility or are you complaining about things that are better left alone?

Energy’s Will cares little for either response as both have a consequence. Even if you do what is “right” you still have to deal with the backlash. However, those who fight it tooth and nail to avoid it, well let’s say Time likes to ensure they fall. Entitlement turns to poverty in the blip of a passing decade, a once pure body is now tarnished in the eyes of the holder. Maybe then you will realize you are at fault for your actions.

–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: FOUR OF CUPS

Notes on: The Four of Cups

(Is That It?)

Artist’s Notes:

Having three of any of the material things we enjoy is a good thing for sure. Then we could have our best, our next best and our every day of that thing. Three cars can fit nicely between the car and the driveway after all and how many houses or sets of dishes do we need? After that, we may as well be a collector. Likewise, three drinks over the course of an evening may be pleasant but the fourth would make it difficult to drive home under one’s own power.

About the Archetype

Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Fours express stability and the manifestation of the energy involved. In this case, our emotions are stabilized and at peace. Something new appears on the horizon. Do we accept it as one more thing or do we fully explore its potential? When we become too jaded to see each new thing that appears in our life, good and bad as a gift to be explored, appreciated, and integrated rather than something else to use and discard then we set ourselves up for frustration later on.

Astrological Correspondence:

Moon in Cancer – Cancer is the moon’s home and in this sign, each thing encountered makes its emotional impression and adds to the awareness. It is also an energy that is always looking for something more as the possible answer to its needs and can never be totally satisfied.

In a Reading:

When the four of cups occurs in a reading, it can indicate something new that has entered the life of the querent, usually of an emotional nature. It can be something as simple as advice. Will we listen to it or at least seek to understand how it may apply to us or will we throw it away as just one more in a series of things we have heard? Do we believe we have heard it all before or are we truly willing to listen?

When the four of cups shows reversed or badly aspected, it says that we have learned to use what is offered to us and to accept it in the spirit offered. It may also show that this has occurred out of necessity because everything that we have taken for granted has been seeping away.

–GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

New boundaries formed while each faction began to set its roots. Powers that wanted influence sought to challenge each pillar. This would inevitably fail as they would see those who did far less gain their favour. Time was especially cruel in this. Great factions would be forced to watch as underdogs were turned into unfathomable monsters. Their numbers mattered little as they would be food for the ones they once oppressed.

Many of us see others overjoyed as they group up and travel together. It is only when we look away do they really have to face one of Time’s greatest lessons, Individuality vs Hive Mind. While we struggle to find ourselves we forget to realize that we have a will of our own. To have easy joy means it isn’t genuine. Who are you behind closed doors?

–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: ACE OF CUPS

Notes on: Ace of Cups

(Seed of Time and Water)

Artist’s Notes:

How do we measure the beginning of time? This was before the separation of the waters and all was time’s river with past, present and future existing together as one complete undifferentiated energy. When this seed came into existence time began and the waters flowed in duration. The present moment forever springs from the past and leads into the future.

With time, the beings that existed began to feel. They felt either pride, regret or acceptance of the past and hope or despair for the future. They loved or hated, rejoiced or feared. Only with time can our emotional natures develop.

Cups carry the idea of communion and community. How we deal with others (those mirrors of ourselves) can be an indication of how we deal with our own desires and needs. An old friend once gave me the key to understanding the difference between wants and needs. When we want something we are uncompromising. “I want it and I want it now. I want it this way, not that way!” When we need something, on the other hand, we are willing to get it any way we can. “I need it, I’ll do anything. It’s ok if it’s tainted just give me some now” Knowing this distinction has helped me a lot in my journeys and it is pertinent in relation to this suit.

The Element associated with cups is water. The element of water represents our emotional natures. Our moods tend to be tidal in nature with a constant ebb and flow. They can be calm and reflective or as stormy as a Tsunami.

About the Archetype:

The suit of cups in the tarot represents love and our emotional natures. How open are we to receiving that which is offered? What conditions do we place on love and how are we in a relationship? The ace of cups (like the other aces) is a seed that contains within it all of the healing and renewal that love can bring. How ready for it are we? Can we drink deep from the cup offered or do we reject it either because we mistrust what is offered or we fear where this new road can lead? The Holy Grail in Arthurian legend healed the land until it was misused and taken for granted. How willing are we to be healed?

Astrological Correspondent:

The Cups are linked with the element of water which represents the medium and currents through which our beings flow. It is the part of us most malleable and able to adjust and shape itself to its environment and thus the aspect that is most easily influenced by those around us. It contains the ebb and flow of our beings and moods, our tides, our hunger, and our satiety, our scarcity and abundance, our love and our hate. The three water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

In a Reading:

When the Ace of cups, shows up in a reading, it may represent new love being offered. This can come from another or it can come from within. It often represents a new period of potential joy. It may also indicate new abundance or happiness coming into our lives.

When reversed or badly aspected, the Ace of Cups can indicate a blockage to this renewal. What is stopping us from accepting what is offered? What connection are we not allowing to happen?

–GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

“The Fish of Time was formed right after the Dragon of Reality. She gave motion to a once-frozen frame. Though motion became her obsession none were as stubborn as her. She could heal any wound regardless of the form it took. Inevitably it is her motive to ensure reality evolved into something greater. Though that is where we stop for now after all you will heal in time regardless of which current you ride.”

–NF

Four Pillars Society Tarot: The Tower

Notes On: The Tower (Lessons Untold)

Artist’s Notes:

“Life is what happens to you when you’re making other plans” is a quote that has been attributed to many and I have found it to be quite true. We make plans and we live our lives according to what we believe we know about the way the universe works. Most of us have some clues but as the universe tends to be bigger and more complex than we believe, at least some of the assumptions we work with will prove to be false. What we believe one day to be a worthwhile investment of time, money and effort may turn out in time to be less worthwhile. This has turned out to be true of relationships, investments, political and spiritual beliefs as well as jobs. We believe we build our lives of concrete, wood and metal when in reality what we build are houses of cards. The farther our assumptions veer from what our inner truth is, the higher we build, and the harder will be the devastation when the tower comes crashing down.

The Tower is a wake-up call from the universe that can show us exactly where our false assumptions have been. From the perspective of spiritual growth, it is one of the most positive cards that we can get. Wouldn’t we rather live our lives in accordance with our truest highest self (our true will) as opposed to what we believe we want at any given moment?

The question is after the collapse what do we do? Do we rebuild according to a more experienced view of reality or do we continue to make the same mistakes over and over only to face another collapse? Most of us tend to repeat the same cycles until we grow tired of having to clean up after our own messes. That is when most of us start rebuilding on more solid principles.

On a more personal note, the cards that comprise this tower are either decks that I have created myself or decks that were my go-to’s for readings for many decades before my first deck, components with which I have built (countless times) my own Tower, each time more stable and unassailable.

About the Archetype:

For many of us, our lives are akin to a house of cards. We build them up based on how we believe life to work, adding card to card higher and higher. Since at least some of our assumptions are mistaken, however, the houses (or towers) that compose our lives tend to be unstable. As we build higher and higher, the instability increases until finally there is an inevitable collapse. This may result in our relationships or jobs falling apart or some kind of loss. We have met the Tower force full on.

Astrological Correspondence:

Mars is the planet that influences our passions. This passion can be creative or destructive. It can be incredibly sexual as Mars is the planet of sexual energy. It can also be martial as Mars is the planet of war. In an esoteric sense, the Mars energy involves the sacrifice of our spirit to incarnate into the physical as well as the desire to release that energy back into the higher planes. Mars has that tendency to push us to destroy that which is more illusory for that which is more real and vital. In the rulership of Aries, that creative pushing forward energy can be seen and in the rulership of Scorpio, that push towards the death of the personality and the rebirth into a more spiritual higher form. Mars also influences the vitality of the physical body particularly the bloodstream. Mars provides that passionate vital spark that energizes us to go after what we want most either in a way that will enliven us or as the moth towards the flame.

In a Reading:

When the Tower turns up in a reading, it normally indicates turmoil in the querent’s life. Usually, this comes when they have been living their life under a series of false assumptions, such as the stability of their job and/or relationships and life is handing them a wake-up call. It could mean that they have been approaching a particular problem in a certain way under the false assumption that it has been working only to find out that while it may have worked in the short term, in the long term things have proven disastrous. The good news is that this destructive force has given the querent the chance to find a new more reality-based approach that will work better. The card may also mean that the disaster has not happened yet but is approaching and it might be a good idea for the querent to take a look at how they are approaching things. Are they perceiving what is really going on or are they working on the assumption that all is well and ignoring the warning signs?

The Tower can also mean that the querent is receiving or is about to receive a call to wake up to a deeper reality than they have known up to this point. They may be on the brink of a peak experience or about to receive news that will make them see their lives in a totally different way. This may also feel destructive but sometimes you have to destroy in order to build.

When the Tower comes out reversed or badly aspected, it may mean either that the disaster that the Tower force has brought into their lives has not been a total one or that they have started rebuilding their lives back up under the same set of false assumptions on which they have built before. This is often seen in patterns of abusive relationships where the person finds the same type of partner who has abused them before, convinced that this time will be different. The reversed Tower can also mean that the querent keeps ‘shoring up’ the problem areas rather than facing what may be causing them in the first place, therefore, putting off the inevitable collapse. The reversed card also may mean that by proper action, the querent may be able to avoid disaster altogether if they act quickly and honestly.

— GAR

Fate’s Whisper:

“Every empire falls the same way it rises”

These words were spoken by the Spider of Fate when he cast his first judgement. When an empire rises through conflict it is determined that that leader will die fighting. While that isn’t always the case initially it has been recorded to end the same even if the last leader had no part in that rising. This wisdom taught the dragons that for their legacy to last they had to build slowly and firmly. However, the higher one climber the mightier the fall is when it happens.

The Tower is a card about lessons and self-control. The idea is that we as beings will make mistakes and when that happens how will you handle looking at the remains of what you once built? Will you make the same mistake again because your ego can’t accept it? Or will you adjust and make due and start building a sturdier tower?

–NF