16. The Tower
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Welcome to Soulchology’s worksheets, your starter-kit into an intuitive self-enquiry using tarot and astrology. I write these in my usual dry humour, which reflects the tone of my sessions too, because learning is intense enough without stripping it of humanity. A little wit makes the wisdom easier to digest!
Anyway, while full sessions include numerology, Lenormand, and therapeutic layers, these worksheets are your solo starter kit designed to get you going without frying your nervous system.
Grab your deck, take a breath and don’t overthink it. No altar required. You can read these on your lap, mid-commute, or in bed with questionable lighting. If you know current transits, great, add them in. If not, the cards still work because they’re generous like that.
And, if you shuffle really fast, they love to fling out like you’re live in an episode of Ghosts and Trevor is standing next to you.
Each sheet prompts you to connect the cards with your real life, that is, not your aspirational, one-day-when-I-journal-daily life. Pay attention to the artwork, colours, symbols, and emotional tone because tarot is layered, not linear. Study only what leaps out, don’t go looking for clues.
This isn’t about mystical perfection, it’s about noticing yourself. Your thoughts, your choices, your patterns. If you’re new to tarot and feeling twitchy about it, you might want to read my piece on Substack that gently dismantles the pressure.
My advice is to pull (or fling) your card at the end of the day, not first thing. That way, you’re reflecting and not pre-loading your brain with vague forecasts. It’s a faster way to build intuitive confidence and a more honest way to learn what the cards actually mean to you.
i. The Nutshell
Upright
The Tower is the celestial demolition crew arriving uninvited. It's the moment when the structures you've built, be that beliefs, relationships or identities, are struck by a lightning bolt of truth. This card yanks the rug out from under your feet asking, “Still think you’re in control?!”, and holds your stare as it dismantles the illusions you've clung to. The Tower symbolises unexpected changes, confusion and new insights, prompting you to face the fact that your previous supports are no longer strong.
From under the rubble though, a new shoot of liberation is starting to push through. The Tower clears the way for new growth by removing what’s not in the next chapter of your life path book, aka, soul contract. It's the painful yet necessary process of transformation, urging you to rebuild on your existing foundation of authenticity and integrity. The wrecking ball represents a force that wakes you up, urging you to live more truthfully and in harmony with what you envisage for yourself.
The universe is like a wise gardener, carefully choosing the seeds it plants in the fertile ground of your life. Each challenge is tailored to the strength of your roots, ensuring that you are not faced with a storm greater than the resilience you possess. Your arcana training has given you the knowledge and skills to thrive at Tower-time. Just as a sturdy tree bends but does not break, you too are equipped to navigate your path by drawing on your experiential wisdom to maintain balance.
Keywords: Sudden change, upheaval, revelation, awakening, liberation.
Translation: Sometimes, things fall apart so better things can fall together.
Reversed
When The Tower appears reversed, it's like trying to hold on to a crooked ladder that’s teetering dangerously at the edge of a steep cliff. You're fighting against the wind of necessary change, grasping onto unstable situations because they feel familiar, even if they're just as precarious as a jester's balance atop a unicycle. This card issues a warning: ignoring the inevitable disruption will only deepen the fall, much like ignoring a leaky roof will lead to a deluge during a storm.
Alternatively, the reversed Tower can signify that the storm has passed, and you find yourself in the aftermath, sorting through the debris like a clown cleaning up after a drunken juggling act. It’s a time for rebuilding, a chance to pick up the pieces and integrate the lessons learned from the tumult. Take this chance to rebuild your life with more awareness and strength, creating a better foundation as you turn the page into your new chapter.
Keywords: Resistance to change, avoidance, fear of upheaval, rebuilding, recovery.
Translation: Change is coming, face it willingly, or it will force its way in.
ii. Illus-traits
A quick glance at The Tower’s symbolic traits in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Being the necessary destruction that clears the path for authentic growth, surrendering to the fall is the first step toward rebuilding:
Lightning Bolt – Divine Intervention or Cosmic Reality Check. A sudden, blinding strike from above shatters the tower's crown, symbolising an unexpected revelation or upheaval.
Falling Figures – The Unplanned Exit Strategy. Two individuals plummet headfirst from the tower, representing the abrupt loss of control and the forced release from illusion.
Flames – Destruction as a Path to Renewal. Fire engulfs the tower, consuming the old and making way for the new. It's the purifying blaze that clears the debris of outdated beliefs and false securities.
Crumbling Crown – The Fall of False Authority. The toppled crown signifies the collapse of ego and the dethroning of misguided power. It's a humbling reminder that no facade is too grand to fall.
Dark Sky – The Storm Before the Clarity. The ominous clouds set the stage for the tower's downfall, reflecting the inner turmoil preceding transformation. It's the tension-filled atmosphere before the breakthrough.
22 Flames – The Universal Wake-Up Call. The 22 flames, corresponding to the 22 Major Arcana cards, suggest a comprehensive upheaval affecting all aspects of existence. The Master number 22 is often referred to as the Master Builder, symbolising the ability to turn dreams into reality through practical means. It embodies the potential for immense power and achievement, guided by a strong sense of purpose and determination.
iii. Influences
Planetary:
The Tower is ruled by Mars, the astronomical instigator known for its fiery temperament and penchant for upheaval. Mars delivers wake-up calls with a sledgehammer. When The Tower appears, it's as if Mars is shouting, "Time's up!" This planetary influence charges in, demanding immediate action and revision. Where in your life has complacency taken root and what structures are overdue for a dramatic overhaul?
Natal House(s):
The Tower resonates with the First House of self-identity and the Eighth House of transformation and rebirth. The First House, representing the self, is where Mars asserts its will, challenging you to confront your ego and the facades you've built. The Eighth House, associated with death and rebirth, aligns with The Tower's theme of destruction leading to renewal. Together, these houses ask: Which parts of your identity are unstable, and what should you change that fan the flames for a new direction?
Astrological Sign(s):
The Tower is often linked to Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, ruled by Mars. Aries embodies initiation, courage and a headstrong approach to challenges. When The Tower's energy combines with Aries, it signifies a forceful push toward new beginnings, often through the abrupt end of outdated structures. Where does Aries' courage need to face what's coming and accept change?
Numerologically:
The Tower is card 16, which reduces to 7. While 16 signifies sudden upheaval and the collapse of existing structures, 7 represents introspection, spiritual awakening, and the quest for deeper understanding. This numerical combination suggests that through The Tower’s bonkers’ destruction, there's an opportunity for profound personal growth and enlightenment. It's the storm that clears the path for clarity. What inner truths are waiting to be uncovered once the dust settles?
Element: Fire. The Tower is associated with the element of Fire, representing transformation, purification and the burning away of the old to make way for the new. Fire consumes, illuminates and catalyses change. In The Tower, fire is the agent of destruction that clears out the falsehoods and illusions, leaving behind only what's real and essential amongst the charcoal. Where can you harness this fiery energy to incinerate the inauthentic and ignite your updated purpose?
iv. A Day in the Life of The Tower
Well That Escalated Quickly
Your life was a carefully curated Jenga tower of “shoulds,” bad coping mechanisms, and IKEA-level emotional architecture. Then - achoo! - one holy sneeze and the whole thing hits the floor in a spectacular, slow-motion collapse of breakups, job implosions and existential crisis. You're clinging to routines like a person still wearing a parka in July; sweaty, disoriented and convinced winter might return out of spite. It won’t. The Tower just yanked you out of your regularly scheduled programming because you missed all the previous signposts and refused to make the turn. This is your reroute onto a road that’s more pothole than new-surface but there can be solace found in knowing it’s what your soul agreed to pre-incarnation.
Adjusting the Knobs
You’re not under debris yet, but you can hear the walls groaning and the floor is lava. You’ve got a crack in your career ceiling, a suspicious draft in your belief system, and maybe your relationships are feeling more costume than connection. It’s the creeping dread before the quake. The part where you start muttering, “Is it just me, or does this entire structure feel... off?” That discomfort? That’s wisdom stretching its legs. You're beginning to ask dangerous questions - and that's good. You're prepping for a controlled burn instead of waiting for lightning.
Unsubscribed from Self-Sabotage
Congratulations, you've picked up the sledgehammer yourself. You’re smashing through stale patterns and knocking down psychic cubicle walls like a liberation-hungry renovation expert. It’s messy, loud, and someone keeps crying (it might be you), but progress is happening. You’re under construction. You’re brushing off the dust as you attach the post-it note to the fridge for your next life chapter of emotional honesty.
Writing the TED Talk
You're barefoot in the remains, swirling a glass of red wine, covered in soot and laughing like someone who’s seen the abyss and started redecorating. You let The Tower remodel your ego and now you’re making your thank-yous out to the Academy of Total Collapse. The old you, bless their heart, thought safety came from holding it all together. The new you knows freedom comes from patting down the soil on the false stuff. You've turned the mess into raw material and filing it under Future Magic. You’re rebuilding with better boundaries and rock solid values.
v. Working with these Energies
Living The Tower Wearing A Hard Hat
The Tower kicks the door in and thinks knocking is pointless. This archetype tears down what was never stable to begin with, usually just after you’ve gotten comfy. Yes, it’s a dramatic intervention. But underneath the rubble is raw, unfiltered truth and the kind you didn’t know you needed until everything safe and scripted blew sky-high.
Scorch the facade
– What truths have been politely knocking that you’ve refused to let in?
– What “normal” have you been performing that’s actually a slow implosion?
– What belief finally snapped under pressure and what freedom is suddenly possible because of it?Audit the remains
– Which pieces of your identity were merely clever props for someone else’s approval?
– What have you mistaken for stability that was really stagnation?
– If nothing is guaranteed, what’s still worth rebuilding?Enjoy the skydive
– Where are you gripping tighter when letting go would actually hurt less?
– What happens when you stop trying to “bounce back” and instead ask: bounce back to what, exactly?
– If your defenses are gone, what’s been waiting behind them?Build like a Master Number 22
– What foundations do you want made from your truth, not trauma?
– What relationships, routines, or roles need to be left in the flames?
– What would it look like to construct a life that doesn’t require constant maintenance to stay upright?Practice post-apocalyptic clarity
– What are you suddenly clear on, now that the noise is gone?
– How can you honour what collapsed without romanticising the ruins?
– What’s the first brave, small step that says: I get to start afresh and this time it’s my time?
vi. Building Skills
1. Still Standing: A Grounding Guide
When life falls apart, we often want to fix things, ignore the pain, or act like everything is okay. But The Tower encourages you to take a moment to observe, to not rush the rebuild, and to understand what really happened and what was important.
Step 1: Mute the Commentary Track. Your inner narrator will try to name, blame, and analyse. Politely ask them to take a seat.
Instead of thinking “This is good / bad / right / wrong,” try: “This is happening.”
Step 2: Conduct a Somatic Sweep. The Tower shakes more than your worldview - it hits the nervous system.
Where in your body do you feel unsettled, tight, or strangely awake?
If that tension could speak, what would it say? What does it want - soothing, stillness, movement?
Step 3: Observe Without the Old Script. Approach your routines and relationships like you’ve never seen them before.
What feels out of place, like it belongs to a past version of you?
What suddenly feels alive, raw, or undeniably true?
Step 4: Name What Survived the Blast. Not everything was lost. Some things withstood the quake.
What inside you didn’t collapse?
Who showed up for you, include yourself on the register, when it mattered most?
What value, desire or clarity emerged from the wreckage?
Step 5: Make One Micro-Adjustment. You don’t need to rebuild the whole Tower today. Just remove one brick that doesn’t belong.
What’s one small choice you can make to honour what you know now?
What would it look like to act from truth instead of fear even if it’s only for the next 10 minutes?
2. Somatic Reset: Touch + Weight + Movement
A step-by-step exercise to help re-establish a sense of physical safety, grounding, and presence when your inner world feels chaotic or blown apart.
Anchor with Pressure (2–3 minutes)
Sit or stand. Press your hands firmly against a solid surface like a wall, the edge of a table, or your own thighs. Feel the resistance. Let your hands push just enough to engage your muscles.Say silently or out loud: “I am here. I can feel this.”
Weighted Wrap (2–5 minutes)
Grab a heavy blanket, coat, or even a backpack with books. Drape it across your shoulders or lay it in your lap. Let your body register the weight.This mimics deep pressure stimulation and is a safety cue for your nervous system.
Low and Slow Movement (5 minutes)
Lie down or stay seated. Begin rocking gently side-to-side, or shift your weight in small, slow circles. Keep it simple. Nothing dramatic.This kind of rhythmic motion soothes the body and can reset a stress response.
Reset Connection (1–2 minutes)
With one hand, place light pressure over your heart, and with the other, over your stomach (solar plexus). Hold still and breathe slowly in steady breaths.This helps connect your headspace back to your body’s core.
vii. Embodiment
Alchemy Is a Demolition Job With a Soul
What breaks wasn't meant to carry you forward. But you? You're still here. Beneath the collapse with no title, no mask, no script - you arrive raw, present and real. The Tower asks you to feel. To rebuild from who, where and what you notice now: the texture of the moment, the weight of your breath, the steadiness beneath the confusion. This is about anchoring into what’s left using your senses, your truth, your body.
Smell: What does truth smell like? Think scorched wood, torn paper, wet earth. The aftermath of something real. Let yourself inhale the honest mess of it. Scent has memory so let it remind you you’ve survived worse.
Body: Where did the lightning land in you? Is your chest buzzing, stomach tight, shoulders up around your ears? The body always knows when the story has changed even if your mind hasn’t caught up. Find the wreckage site in your system. Stretch. Run. Dance. Shake. Cry. Sigh. Shout. Scream. Let it move - out.
Soundtrack: Choose a song that holds you without fixing you. One that holds you open and says, “Yes this is horrible but you’re still here.” Play it so it vibrates through your bones.
Action: What’s one small way you can respond differently now that the old pattern has been broken? Call someone instead of disappearing? Rest instead of rebuilding? Rage clean? Rip up the to-do list? Forget the plan, you just need a moment that reminds you you’re not trapped in the old story.
Nature cue: Go find something that has been ruined and kept going anyway. A broken fence with wildflowers pushing through. A cliff battered by wind, still standing. A tree hollowed by lightning, now home to birds. Nature knows what we forget: fracture isn’t failure. It’s transformation in process.
Notice what’s still standing: The Tower burns what’s false. But it also reveals what’s real. What did the fire leave intact? What beliefs or instincts are still here with you? That’s your foundation.
viii. Your Impressions
The Tower is an alarm bell with bad bedside manners. A juggernaut to the ego and a controlled demolition you didn’t schedule. This card is arrives to shatter the illusion and act like a rescue mission.
Start by looking at the card. Where does your eye land first? The toppling crown? The flying bodies? The flames? Maybe it’s that one poor soul doing a full somersault out the window like they just realised their lease is up and it’s time to move to a better town.
Notice what hits you hardest. Is it panic? Relief? A weird little thrill? That part of you that thinks, “Finally, something’s happening?” The Tower has that effect. It clears out what you refused to outgrow.
Now check your body. Are you holding your breath? Bracing like something might fall on you next? Maybe there’s a crackle of adrenaline or an ache behind your ribs. That’s your system clocking a truth before your mind can language it. Please don’t override it.
ix. Intuitive Meaning
This card can define a moment you don’t walk away from the same. Think now to what you’re telling yourself. Who you are, who they are, what life is and what it isn’t and reflect on these:
When in the past did life unexpectedly change, leaving you simultaneously furious, curious and grateful?
Where are you still trying to rebuild the old instead of letting something new emerge?
What truth are you finally willing to live with, even if it temporarily costs you comfort?
Applied insight with a three-card reading using The Tower as your anchor:
What structure in my life is ready to collapse?
What truth is trying to break through the debris?
What can I start to create now while putting awareness before fear?
Pull or shuffle-fling your cards. Let the spread reveal the attachments hiding in plain sight, the stories you’re still obeying, and the power you’re ready to call back.
Write your own Keywords
Note three supportive words that reflect your personal experience of The Tower that mark growth not pain.
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x. Closing Reflection: Track Your Evolving Lens
Your relationship with each card will grow over time because it’s meant to shaped by your life. Consider the prompts below to revisit and reflect.
What I thought this card meant when I first pulled it: —————————————————
A recent experience that changed how I see it: —————————————————
How I feel about it now, in my body or life: —————————————————
What surprised me as this card kept showing up: —————————————————
One way this card is living in my life right now: —————————————————
If this card visited me today as a guide, what would it want me to remember? —————————————————
Revisit these after a week, a moon phase, or a meaningful moment. Let the card evolve as you do.
If you feel a quiet sense of recognition, curiosity and want to explore it, browse the sessions page for what feels right.