Meanings of the Cards
The Tarot is more than a simple pack of cards. The pack itself comprises 78 cards which combine to form the 'arcana' - symbolic representations of ancient wisdom. These are divided into The Major and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana comprises 22 “trump” cards covering pretty much all aspects of human experience (and quite a bit of divine stuff too). The 56 'Minor' cards are split into the four elemental suits of Earth, Water, Fire and Air. Though these Suits have a variety of names, depending upon which deck you happen to be looking at, we stick here with those names accorded them in the Thoth Tarot deck, whose images you see across the site.
The Tower
The Tower is numbered sixteen and shows a tower struck by lightning, with raging fires within and the top of the tower falling. There are usually figures falling, head-first, from the ruins.
The Tower shows us a basic fact of spiritual life - the power of the Gods can strike unexpectedly to break down all the long-established patterns and assumptions that we have taken for granted for so long.
Sometimes our limited vision of reality blocks our understanding and perception of truth. We begin to believe that the Tower - which we have been building higher and higher in order to reach the Gods - is the only reality. A cataclysmic force is needed to destroy this fantasy so as to allow us to recognise the powers which surround us. When this happens we must react with hope, letting go of our fears. The highest truths can now be realised.
