XVI. THE TOWER.
This card represents the Principle of Sudden Correction
The number is XVI (16) and is the 17th Card in the Major Arcana.
This card is extraordinarily rich with profound concepts and symbols and the post is therefore extraordinarily long, inviting the reader to explore it in full via the Susbtack app or website.
HOW TO CONSIDER THE TAROT
For an introduction to this series and an outline of how to appreciate Tarot, in a very different paradigm to what one may be used to, the reader is encouraged to familiarise themself with the following post: How to Appreciate Tarot—a Hermetic guide to Semiotics & Allegory
NUMEROLOGY
Numerology is the study of numbers. If mathematics is the language and the grammar, geometry is the syntax and poetry, and numbers are the base letters.
The number 16 is the sum of 8 + 8, and the product of 4 x 4—the square of 4.
The relationship to the square, and therefore the 4 elements should be obvious. This denotes an implicit relationship to Geomancy and the Tetra-polar Magnet.
Embedded within 16 is 2, 4 and 8: Duality, The Square (4 Elements), and the 8 Cardinal Directions. (See Geometry section below).
The symbolism of the number 8 in the context of The Tower Tarot card adds a of contemplative reflection. Eight, with its shape reminiscent of an infinity loop, represents cycles and the eternal return of energy and change. 8 is connected to the wheel of direction and orientation—compass points, phases of the moon, sabbats of the year—all reflecting the natural cycles of giving and receiving, of action and consequence (cause & effect).
GEOMETRY
The compass has 8 cardinal directions and has connotations of Direction, Cardinality, Orientation and Navigation.
This is depicted in the compass and associated with the 8-pointed Pole star, the North Star and the Star of Ishtar of the Star of Innana. The word Orientation itself is derived from the Latin word for East.
The 8-pointed star, also known as the Star of Lakshmi or the Star of Venus, has been used in various cultures to symbolize balance, harmony, and cosmic order.
This is also depicted via The dharmachakra wheel and The Wheel of Fortune in Tarot, and the representation of time’s cyclical nature. A wheel in motion maintains equilibrium until a sudden force disrupts it—akin to The Tower's “Sudden Correction.” The axle of the wheel ensures the continuity of this motion, but should it break, the wheel is rendered incapable of movement, requiring immediate attention and repair—a “sudden correction” to restore balance and function.
DIMENSIONAL TRAVERSAL AND FRACTAL SCALING
A common trope in sacred geometry is the traversal between two different frames of connection.
This is a fundamental principle of sacred geometry which attempts to render into 2 dimensional line drawing the complex relativity between numbers, and integral symmetry of geometry across one or more dimensions. This allows the depiction of the interconnectedness and relational paths between various points or nodes within a geometric structure.
The diagram below contains two examples for base 8 and base 7 polygons respectively. As per the diagram below, the shortest or most direct ‘path’ between two points may be via the outer, bold frame or the the inner dotted frame, or combinations of both.
In the left example, the two intersection squares have no direct pathways to each other, and the inner 8-pointed star provides those pathways. Another related concept is Fractal Scaling, whereby describing the path of the inner star, a microcosm of the outer polygon is implied—it is by this means that 4 implies 8, and 8 implies 16 etc. This geometric symbolic device provides a visual and metaphorical language.
This notion of Fractal Scaling and Dimensional Traversal is depicted in the following visual mediations of the octagon, the intersection squares and the 8-pointed star especially as relates to the metaphoric domain of Direction, Orientation and Navigation.
In the above diagram, the 8-pointed stars are intersected to create squares and a central square, a line drawn between the axis of each star forms a square, offset from the star by 23.5 degrees, the exact measurement of the tilt of the Earth’s Axis relative to the Sun.
DUAL CENTRICITY
Another key concept in Sacred Geometry is Dual Centricity. As per the diagram below, the dual centres imply two different perspectives or aspects of Reality that are both integral to understanding the whole.
If the fulcrum is the centre, it speaks to a kind of balance and symmetry where each square shares the same centre, symbolizing perhaps different states or phases that are inherently connected, sharing a common core or essence.
On the other hand, if the pivot is at the corner, it highlights the theme of transformation or transition, as one shape moves and changes its orientation relative to the other, while still maintaining a connection at a single point. This could symbolize the principle of growth or evolution where each subsequent state emerges from a single point of the previous one.
ETYMOLOGY
Vertical shallow Etymology finds the nearest root words and leaves it at that. Deep and Wide Etymology reaches down and laterally, to explore the full essence of meaning that is related to the word.
TOWER
We get Tower directly from the Latin turris meaning “a tower, citadel, high structure”. In modern English, it means “a tall, narrow building, either free-standing or forming part of a building such as a church or castle.” A tower is a structure, usually man-made, with a height many times its base, and distinctive in its relative height over its surroundings.
As a verb, it means “to rise to or reach a great height”, as in “to tower over something”.
SUDDEN
The prime keyword associated with THE TOWER is ‘sudden’, as in sudden chaos, sudden destruction, sudden intense change, and upheaval. Sudden comes from the Latin root word subire meaning “go under; occur secretly”. The implication is that whatever calamitous change is depicted by THE TOWER seems sudden but is long in the arrival—the tower was built gradually, inviting all the while the strife which seemed to arrive suddenly.
CORRECTION
Correction comes from the Latin correctionem meaning “an amendment, improvement”, from the stem corrigere “to put straight; to reform”. It picks up its distorted meaning only later in Old French correccion taken to mean “correction” but also “punishment” and “rebuke”.
To correct something should simply mean “the action of rectifying error” and “restoring it to conformity”
APPEARANCE & ARRANGEMENT
The card depicts a dramatic scene of a tall, narrow tower struck by a bolt of lightning at its top, from which flames are emerging. At the top of the tower, a golden crown is toppled off by the force of the strike. There are two flailing figures plummeting headfirst from the tower, against a dark tumultuous sky with grey clouds. Small Yud-shaped flames are also scattered around the tower, against the dark sky. The ground below the tower is not visible, emphasizing the height of the fall.
EGREGORE
Egregore is an esoteric concept representing an emergent archetypal thought-form that arises from collective thoughts.
THE TOWER card represents the incontrovertible preeminence of Natural and Divine Law. The egregore is Sudden Correction.
In Archetypal terms, curse and punishment do not exist—via the Law of Cause and Effect and Divine Preeminence, deviation from Divine Law or Divine Will, acting out of harmony invariably results in Correction.
Nature cannot be commanded except by being obeyed.
Francis Bacon
The way of Life is emergence, renewal and harmony. Calamity and catastrophe are the corrections of the World on any form of overreach or unsustainable imbalance.
THE UNFOLDING
THE TOWER card is the second card with a black background and follows directly after THE DEVIL(XV) card, and immediately prior to THE STAR and the Luminaries of THE MOON and THE SUN. This is the part of the Major Arcana that signifies the darkest part of the cycle, the Kali Yuga.
Central to the card is the grey stone tower, struck by lightning. The lightning bolt is in the shape of the path of ascension/descension on the Sephirotic Tree of Life, implying the intervention of Divine Law, Inspiration or sudden Correction. The shape of the lightning bolt corresponds to the lower half of the Sephirotic Tree, which is marked by the Pillars of Law & Justice, Geburah(Severity) and Chesed(Mercy).
The thunderbolt is associated with fertilization, sudden illumination, sudden destruction and punishment from the gods.
THE TOWER
There are three dark windows within the face of the tower, from which flames emerge. The flames are in the shape of birds, and from the apex of the tower, flames in the shape of the winged phoenix leap skywards toward the crown and toward the origin of the divine thunderbolt. The three windows represent the three angels in the Tarot and the Three Virtues: Strength, JUSTICE and TEMPERANCE. The windows are dark and destructive flames burn from within. This signifies the destructive aspect of the three angels and the absence of the key virtues.
Additionally, the three windows depict three of the letters of God, Y-H-V-H, with the crown representing the final letter, arranged in a way that depicts the mystical concept of blasphemy, that is applying divine creative power outside of divine sanction, inviting inevitable divine correction.
The metaphor of ‘having the roof blown off’ signifies a sudden revelation or exposure—bringing to light something that was previously hidden or contained. It can denote a moment of profound insight or the uncovering of truth. The phrase often suggests a disruptive, possibly shocking event that forces one to see things in a new way, leading to a drastic change in perspective or circumstances. It can also imply a release from previously held limitations or beliefs, indicating a moment of significant transformation or upheaval.
The Tower is a phallic symbol, completed by the tilted crown poised to fall, the lightning bolt of climax striking, and the golden drops of semen among the grey clouds.
THE CROWN
The crown being toppled is the earthly sense of ‘kingdom’, reminiscent of the story of the Tower of Babel, a parable about Divine Correction. The two falling figures are the earthly ‘kingdoms’ of the Church and the State, their ‘noble’ status and fine clothes do not make them immune from Divine Correction. The crown on the one falling figure looks like the Jester’s hat.
THE FOUR ELEMENTS
The figure on the left wears a red billowing cloak shaped like flames. The figure on the right wears robes of blue that look like flowing water. This signifies that the principles of Fire and Water are complicit in creation and destruction. The tower is the element of Earth and the grey clouds are the element of Air. The emergent notion is of the preeminence of Divine power depicted by the lightning bolt.
THE 22 GOLDEN FLAMES
The 22 golden flames in the sky are in the shape of the Hebrew letter Yud, the symbol of Divine Fire, and the letter of God. 12 on the left and 10 on the right. Card 12 is THE HANGED MAN which represents the axis or Fulcrum on which the wheel turns, and Card 10 is The Wheel of Fortune which represents Fate and Dharma. 10 are the stations on the Tree of Life and 12 are the signs of the Zodiac. Additionally, 22 is the number of the cards in the Major Arcana and letters of the Hebrew Alef-bet. This implies the Word of God being ‘spoken’, signifying that Creation and Destruction are always related events.
SYMMETRY WITHIN THE DECK
Within the deck, there are symmetries and connections between the cards, defined by the relationship of the numbers, others thematically by the relationship of their symbols, archetypes and other essentialities.
The integral symmetry of this card shows up in several ways.
The other cards with Towers are the DEATH(XIII) and THE MOON(XVIII). The essence of the DEATH card is Transition, and the essence of THE MOON card is The Reflection, the unfolding reaction.
This mirrors THE TOWER’s place in the Major Arcana, marking a dark night of the soul before the emergence into greater clarity and understanding represented by the subsequent cards.
ALCHEMY
THE TOWER represents the kiln of the alchemist. Allegorical alchemical art depicted the kiln as a small “tower”.
The process depicted by THE TOWER card in Alchemy is regarded as the second or ‘greater’ separation or dissolution. The First dissolution in the Major Arcana is marked by THE HIGH PRIESTESS.
Spiritual illumination in the form of lightning strikes the kiln in a moment of shattering intensity. If the furnace and the receptacle of the alchemist cannot withstand the divine potential, the Correction is sudden and catastrophic. If the kiln is not formed in accordance with Divine principle, presided over by the Will of the alchemist in harmony with Divine Will, it will not withstand the Divine illumination and will be destroyed.
Creation and Destruction are two aspects of the same process.
FIRE - The Element of Transformation
THE TOWER CARD is associated with the element of Fire (🜂). Fire, by its nature is transformative. While something may be dissolved in Water, it can be recovered again once the water has evaporated. Once something passes through Fire, it is changed forever. In the context of Alchemy, this alludes to the process of creation wherein something must be sacrificed or committed, to enable the emergence of a new substance through the door of Fire. The Lightnight bolt is symbolic of concentrated divine fire as opposed to the ‘worldly fire’ of fuel and ember.
KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM
In Kabbalah and Judaic Mysticism, there is no concept of “punishment” or “curse”—the concept of Correction assumes that all action we interpret as strife is the indelible force of Divine Law turning the soul back to the light.
This perspective is especially relevant to The Tower, where the apparent destruction is actually a form of divine correction, guiding the soul back to alignment with higher truths.
ALEF-BET - Ayin, The Eye of Choice
The 16th Letter in the Hebrew Alef-bet is Ayin(ע), meaning “Eye, the Letter of Choice(Will)”. 16=9+7
This notation is common in Hebrew since the use of the number 10 (Yud) is avoided on the grounds of it being considered the sacred Letter of God.
Tet(ט) is 9. Zayin(ז) is 7.
Tet(9) means “Best or most good”. Best is a limit. Its own opposite is then is “Worst”, or “least good”. These represent the two pillars of divine design and creation.
Zayin(7) means “Sword/Tool/Penis”.
This not only reflects the dual nature of creation and destruction but also the pivotal role of human agency within the divine framework.
SEPHIROTIC TREE - The Path of Ascension & Descension
On the Sephirotic Tree of Life, each Station is connected by one of 22 branches, each assigned to one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alef-bet. Ayin(ע) meaning “Eye, the Letter of Choice(Will)” connects the stations of Tipheret (Beauty) and Binah (Understanding).
More literally, the Tower itself is the inverted section of the Sephirotic Tree of Life between Yesod (Foundation) and Malkuth (Kingdom). The base of Tower is embedded on foundational bedrock, but its crown is toppled. The lightning bolt describes the path of descension on the Sephirotic Tree.
The destruction of the tower's crown and the path marked by the lightning bolt reflect the necessary descent into material reality before the ascent back to spiritual awareness and enlightenment. This path, mirrored in the structure of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, underscores the interconnectedness of all levels of existence and the cyclical nature of spiritual growth.
SHATTERING & CORRECTION
Core to Kabbalah are the concepts of Shattering (Shevirat HaKelim) and Correction (Tikkun), offering profound insights into the nature of reality, the process of spiritual evolution, and the deep symbolism found in THE TOWER card of the Tarot. These concepts underscore a dynamic interplay between fragmentation and wholeness, between chaos and order, mirroring the cyclical processes of destruction and renewal that are intrinsic to the universe.
Shattering (Shevirat HaKelim) refers to the primordial event in which the vessels (kelim) created to contain the divine light were unable to hold it, leading to their breaking and the scattering of the divine sparks. The Shattering represents the introduction of dissonance, imperfection, and fragmentation into creation, symbolizing the inevitable consequences of a world that is not yet in perfect alignment with the divine will.
Correction (Tikkun): The process of Correction involves the gathering and elevation of the scattered divine sparks, a task that falls to humanity. Through acts of goodness, spiritual practice, and adherence to divine commandments, we participate in the healing of the world, aiming to restore a state of harmony and divine unity. Tikkun is both a personal and collective journey toward enlightenment, healing, and the reintegration of the fragmented aspects of the self and the cosmos.
The Tower, in this context, can be seen as a metaphor for the Shevirat HaKelim—the necessary destruction that precedes realignment and restoration. The card’s imagery of a tower struck down by divine lightning reflects the moments in life where existing structures, beliefs, or ways of being are found wanting and must be dismantled to make way for a higher state of consciousness. The chaotic upheaval depicted in THE TOWER is not a punishment but a crucial phase of spiritual growth, a divine intervention aimed at correcting our course and bringing us closer to our true purpose.
The numerological and alphabetical considerations, particularly the insights drawn from the letter Ayin and its connections within the Sephirotic Tree of Life, deepen the understanding of THE TOWER’s role in spiritual transformation. Ayin, symbolizing the Eye and representing choice and will, highlights the importance of conscious decision-making in our journey toward correction and enlightenment. This suggests that the path of Tikkun is not passive but requires active participation and the exercise of divine will.
THE TOWER’s depiction of sudden upheaval is thus reframed as an opportunity for profound spiritual awakening, a call to realign with the divine harmony that underpins existence. It invites contemplation on the parts of our lives that require correction, urging us to embrace change, however disruptive, as a gateway to deeper understanding and connection with the divine.
In the broader narrative of the Tarot, THE TOWER’s position signifies a pivotal moment of awakening, challenging us to confront and transcend our limitations. It serves as a stark reminder that true growth often comes from the breaking down of outdated structures, leading us through the difficult yet necessary process of Tikkun, as we strive to illuminate and elevate the scattered sparks of divinity within ourselves and the world around us.
HERMETIC LAWS & CONCEPTS
The Absence of Harmony as ‘Death’
In Hermetic tradition, there is no evil in the world, only an absence of harmony and the implications of Cause & Effect, meaning that design and action out of harmony with divine law, Logos or that which is referred to allegorically as ‘Life’ and continuation, will invite correction, destruction, dissolution, decay, which is referred to as ‘Death’.
Kronos (Time) as the Keeper of Bounds
In one sense, this inevitable corrective principle is called Chaos, and while our interpretation of it can be negative when simplified into Gnostic mythos, the countering force is essential for ongoing creation, via Iteration, and is essential for harmony, by consuming everything that extends beyond its limit and its bound.
The limitless and boundless are potentialities that are innate but realised or actualised over time, which is why Time is portrayed allegorically as Kronos/Saturn the Keeper of Bounds. For anything to be sustained in creation it must sustain creation.
The Law of Polarity and the Law of Cause & Effect
The tower represents the forces defined as per the hermetic principles, whereby everything in existence, is possible and is sustained by alignment and adherence with these principles. This is observable as the wave function. Persistent imbalance results in collapse. Persistent increase deviates towards entropy.
Motion, persistence or growth that is outside of natural harmony results in mounting tension/resistance, causing movement or stability to wane towards its own zenith. By the Law of Polarity, everything contains its own opposite and therefore must be contained by its own opposite. If the natural waveform is defied, the accumulated tension can be released suddenly. This is observable in physics, psychology, and meteorology, population dynamics and depicted by the Yin-Yang symbol.
In the context of The Tower in Tarot, these principles are vividly depicted. The Tower’s collapse is not merely an end but a necessary correction—a return to equilibrium prompted by the laws that govern existence. It symbolizes the breaking down of structures, beliefs, or systems that have become misaligned with the underlying truths of the universe, paving the way for a new phase of growth and understanding that is in harmony with the cosmic ebb and flow.
ASTROLOGY
THE TOWER card is associated with the Astrological Planet of Mars (♂), and the element of Fire (🜂) and obviously the Sign of Aries (♈︎).
Mars is symbolic of conflict, sudden calamitous and decisive change. This is the kind of change related to the wheel coming off the axle, rather than the turning of the wheel.
The Tower with the crown toppled one way and the lightning path leading the other way is reminiscent of the symbol for Aries.
Aries in the wheel of the Zodiac, stands in direct opposition to Libra (♎︎) the symbol of balance and harmony. Libra, ruled by Venus(♀) is the aspect of Nature and Creation that sustains harmony through ‘attraction’ and balance, Aries, restores balance by ‘decision’ or ‘cutting’.
This is not inherently negative either. The ‘cutting’ is how the runaway growth of the cancerous tumour is stemmed which allows harmony in the system to be restored.
MYTHOS & LOGOS
ABRAHAMIC MYTHOS
The most common depiction of The Tower trope is via the story of The Tower of Babel associated with the Kabbalistic concept of Shattering (Shevirat HaKelim).
In the narrative, humanity, speaking a single language, comes together in the land of Shinar (Babylonia) and decides to build a city with a tower “that reaches to the heavens” to make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered across the earth.
Here the Tower represents the notion of an Axis Mundi, the axle of the world on which the wheel of causality turns. In attempting to erect their own axis, they are attempting to harness the laws of causality to their will.
This act of collective pride and ambition to assert their power and unity directly challenges the divine order. In response, God confounds their speech so that they cannot understand one another and scatters them across the earth, halting the construction of the tower. This dispersal results in the multitude of languages and the spread of human populations.
One interpretation of Logos is “The Word” or divine Reason and order. The attempt to build a tower to the heavens represents not just a physical undertaking but a fundamental challenge to the divine order and balance—the Logos—that governs existence.
The Tower of Babel story, when viewed through the lens of the Tarot, transcends its historical and cultural context to illuminate a universal aspect of the human experience—the tension between aspiration and limitation, between individual or collective will and the broader forces that shape and underwrite our existence. The implication is that any true progress requires alignment with the fundamental laws that govern the cosmos and underwrite Life, which is encapsulated by the term ‘Logos’.
HINDU MYTHOS
The relationship between THE TOWER and Shiva and Kali within Hinduism offers a profound illustration of the principle of correction, echoing themes of destruction, transformation, and renewal that are universal to human understanding of cosmic order. In Hindu tradition, Shiva is known as the destroyer among the Trimurti (the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver), but this destruction is not negative; it is a necessary phase for renewal and regeneration. Kali, often associated with death, time, and doomsday, embodies the force of change that is both terrifying and necessary for the cycle of life to continue.
Shiva’s role as a destroyer is not about annihilation but about the dissolution of illusions, ego, and the false identification with any form of “evident permanence”. Shiva’s dance of destruction, the Tandava, signifies the cosmic cycles of creation and dissolution, the rhythm of birth and death that is the heartbeat of the universe at both a microcosmic and microcosmic scale.
INNER REFLECTION
In the shadow of The Tower, we stand at the threshold of sudden transformation.
What may initially appear as a calamity can, in fact, is a forceful and inevitable reversal towards equilibrium and authenticity, suggesting that calamity is itself an inevitable and necessary result of ignorance of the fundamental nature of life, which requires giving and receiving in all things.
Through the allegorical lens of the Tarot, we witness the stark revelation that our machinations in life, are invariably subject to the irrevocable laws of the universe. The principle of correction is precisely equal to the principle of harmony, two twin forces that allow for the continuation and expansion of existence and Life. Correction is the cosmic realignment enacted by the forces of nature and divinity, ensuring that balance is maintained, and harmony restored.
Here we see the image of an hourglass, time run out, the chamber of ‘giving’ utterly emptied, inviting inevitable and sudden reversal and reset. We are invited to the contemplation of such sudden shifts in life as natural corrections or realignments, prompting a reevaluation of the principles of harmony by which everything is sustained.
Through this lens trauma can be seen as a powerful catalyst for personal and spiritual awakening, revealing the interplay between human actions and the divine, between chaos and order, prompting a reflective journey through the cycles of creation, destruction, and rebirth.
The dance is not just an end but a necessary reset, the principle of divine correction that limits the pendulum, to peak and reverse direction, to optimally preserve its inertia. That is the principle of Life and the nature of ‘correction’.
THE INVITATION
The Invitation is to consider the analogy of birth as a kind of death of the first way of being. Birth is a tumultuous experience of a sudden albeit necessary form of calamitous reversal in the natural world. There comes a point in gestation where the environment of the womb, which has nurtured growth and development, becomes inadequate for the continued expansion of life. This imbalance prompts the sudden and often intense process of childbirth—a natural correction that enables the continuation of life. Necessary upheaval leads to a profound transformation, signifying the end of one phase and the immediate beginning of another, much like the newborn takes its first breath of air, independent of the womb, initiating a new cycle of life.
The title image of this post depicts an hourglass with the sands both ‘run out’ from the ‘Giving’ chamber and a wave formed within the ‘Receiving’ chamber in the process of reversing the flow with the suddenness of resetting the hourglass. The image of the hourglass reminds us that we do not run out of time, but we do run out of sand within a cycle.
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