
The Tower
Tarot Card Meaning
Upright Keywords:
Upheaval, Catastrophe, Sudden Change, Revelation, Disruption, Chaos, Breakdown
Reversed Keywords:
Avoided Disaster, Delayed Change, Resistance to Change, Fear of Loss, Controlled Chaos, Minor Disruption, Survival
Summary:
The Tower tarot card represents sudden upheaval, chaos, and dramatic change. It can symbolize destruction, revelation, and the breakdown of existing structures or beliefs, but almost always in a negative way. However, when reversed, The Tower stands for avoiding or delaying disaster or predicts a less sudden and massive change.
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Table of Content
- What Does The Tower Tarot Card Mean?
- The Tower Tarot Love and Romance
- The Tower as Intentions of People
- The Tower Yes or No: What’s the Answer?
- The Tower Reversed Position: A Sign of Resistance
- The Tower Upright Position: What Can We Learn From It?
- The Tower as Feelings of Inner Turmoil
- Reading The Tower in a Spread with Other Significant Cards
What Does The Tower Tarot Card Mean?
The Tower tarot card, one of the most visually terrifying cards in the tarot deck, generally indicates chaos and unexpected upheaval. The flaming Tower with the bodies falling out of its windows, which you can see in the image, shows the destruction that needs to be done in order to move forward.
While the way the Tower tarot meaning is depicted is indeed scary, and a lot of people with little to no tarot experience are taken aback the first time they see it, tarot reading experts know that it can be a symbol of necessary change, so the Tower tarot card meaning isn’t necessarily negative. Change and destruction are often the precondition for positive transformation and the long overdue rebirth, which is exactly what the Tower meaning shows.
The Tower Tarot Love and Romance
If you draw the Tower card meaning in an upright position when asking the deck about your love life, your relationship might take some wrong turns in the coming days. The upright Tower indicates a separation, breakup, or even a divorce.
So, if your relationship is going through a rough time, you need to prepare yourself to go through the upcoming destruction as unscarred as you possibly can. However, the Tower love in an upright position can also mean that the destruction coming your way might eliminate the reason that is damaging your relationship, and you and your partner will come closer after a hard time.
Suppose you’re in a relationship and experiencing distance and pain without doing anything about it. The Tower reversed love is a sign that you need to make adjustments to your relationship immediately.
Let your partner know how you feel and discuss the things you’d like to see changed or leave this relationship altogether. Unless you do something as soon as possible, things will keep getting worse, and they will affect your well-being even more.
The Tower as Intentions of People
The Tower as intentions suggest drastic change, revolution, or a desire to break away from the established order. This individual might have a sense of needing to shake things up, whether by terminating a relationship, revealing a secret, or rocking the boat for change.
Their actions may seem sudden or out of the blue, but they likely are responding from a strong desire to re-energize and be themselves. This card can also indicate resistance to maintaining something precarious, demanding change despite the discomfort. Ultimately, the Tower's intention is to take away what is old to make room for something new.
The Tower Yes or No: What’s the Answer?
If you draw the upright Tower when asking the deck a yes or no question, the answer is no. The situation you have in mind will soon go through unexpected changes that could be challenging or disruptive.
The Tower reversed yes or no in response to such a question is also a no. However, in this case, there is a chance you will be able to lessen or avoid the negative consequences of the changes coming your way. Not everything is lost yet when it comes to the Tower tarot yes or no.
The Tower Reversed Position: A Sign of Resistance
The Tower in a reversed position shows resistance to new things and avoidance of change. Probably, the deck can sense that you aren’t a big fan of changes and you’d like things to stay the way they are (even if, deep down, you understand that they are no longer serving you).
That’s not possible, though. The Tower upside down is trying to tell you that you need to stop resisting and face the hardships bravely. Going through them is necessary to reach a new beginning. Once you embrace the inevitable change, you will find the strength within yourself to go through it with dignity.
The Tower Upright Position: What Can We Learn From It?
The Tower card in an upright position indicates abuse, violence, natural disaster, loss, and tragedies — basically, all the things you should be afraid of. If this card shows up during your reading, it means big changes are on their way to your life. So, you can use these indicators to prepare yourself for dealing with them.
At the same time, as discussed, the upright Tower isn’t always as bad of an omen as some people seem to believe. Sure, you need to brace for impact, as serious changes are coming. But who knows, maybe that’s exactly what you needed to turn your life in a more positive direction.
The Tower as Feelings of Inner Turmoil
The Tower as feelings represents shock, turmoil, and inner chaos. Whoever is experiencing them may feel disoriented, as if what they believed was reality is unraveling. It could signify sudden revelations, collapses, or a change of heart. In relationships, it could mean feeling shocked, having a relationship collapse, or facing deep insecurities.
While these emotions are unsettling, they also bring about growth and transformation. The Tower's energy brings about necessary transformation, making it necessary to release outdated beliefs or attachments. Painful in the present, the feelings ultimately give way to something more authentic. Keep in mind that the Tower reversed as feelings might hold the exact opposite meaning.
Reading The Tower in a Spread with Other Significant Cards
Now, let’s see how the cards you draw next to the Tower in a spread affect its meaning.
The Star. The combination of the Tower and the Star is a very hopeful one. It suggests that after the period of upheaval that you are about to go through, there will be calmness, hope, and healing. So, don’t fear the change; embrace it.
The Chariot. If you draw the Tower and the Chariot together, prepare for rapid and unexpected changes requiring you to take control to avoid complete chaos.
The Death. The Tower and the Death duo predict a massive transformation, as both cards symbolize the end of an era. The change you will soon experience will likely be exceptionally significant.
The Eight of Cups. The pairing of the Tower and the Eight of Cups suggests that you need to let go of the consequences of the big change you’ve recently experienced. It’s a good idea to withdraw emotionally for a bit to let yourself heal.
The Fool. The Tower and the Fool, drawn together, suggest that after the big disruption you are already experiencing or will soon experience, you will have a chance to start anew. Use it.
The Tower Tarot Guide

Read About Other Tarot Cards
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- Suit of Wands
- Suit of Swords
- Suit of Pentacles
- Suit of Cups
- The Minor Arcana
- The Major Arcana
- Queen of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Ace of Wands
- ...
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- King of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Page of Swords
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- Nine of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Two of Swords
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- King of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
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- Knight of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Ten of Cups
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- Seven of Cups
- Six of Cups
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- Four of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Two of Cups
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