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The Tower is often seen as one of the "scarier" cards in the Tarot deck, but it isn't inherently "bad"--the position in which it falls in a reading, the surrounding cards, and the situation for which the reading is sought determine its meaning.

Traditional cards generally show The Tower being struck by lightning; one interpretation of the card that I've seen says that it represents nature's dominion over man. The lighthouses on this card represent, to me, man's attempt to work with nature, not to overcome or dominate it, but also to avoid being dominated by it. Nevertheless, a lighthouse is a very dangerous place, with the possibility of being swept out to sea. It's a reminder that in a time of great change, you need to keep your wits about you and not let yourself be overtaken.

Most resources say that The Tower represents a time of great challenges and change. When I look at The Tower, I see something that reminds me of Bruce Springsteen's lyric "Smokestacks reachin' like the arms of God"--towers rising to the heavens, reaching toward Heaven, aspiring to greater things.

This card (my card) is a bit bottom heavy, but that's on purpose. The tower rising from the bottom of the card, and the stones, represent the grounding force of nature--that while we may aspire to the heavens, and reach for the sky, we still need to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground.

After a long hiatus, I'm working on the deck again. While I was looking through my images folder, I ran across a collage that I don't believe I ever posted. It isn't really about tarot, but it incorporates tarot cards in the image.

Click on the image for full-size.