The Tower XVI in the Rider Waite Tarot
Table of contents
Table of contents
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
The Tower Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation
Major
Fire
Mars
Generally speaking, The Tower is a card of shock, rupture and sudden collapse. It marks the sudden end of an illusion, a structure or a state that no longer has a place. It’s a card that acts like an electroshock of fate: unpredictable, violent, but profoundly liberating. It shatters masks, certainties and ego constructs to bring you back to basics. It’s a necessary step when you’ve ignored the signs of change for too long. If it causes pain, loss or falls, it also brings light: light that does not lie, light that illuminates the true path. The Tower is an experience of raw truth, of stripping bare, but also of resilience. It teaches that after every fall, it is possible – and even necessary – to rebuild on truer, more solid, more aligned foundations.
RWS Tarot : Arcana The Tower readings
Love / Sentimental reading
with the card The Tower
In sentimental terms, The Tower evokes a sudden break-up, a brutal crisis or an unexpected revelation that shakes the foundations of a relationship. It can represent the end of a relationship that seemed solid, but was in fact based on illusions, unspoken words or unrealistic expectations. This card speaks of the truth coming out, often in a painful way, but necessary to break out of the blindness. If you’re in a relationship, a conflict or revelation may come as a shock, but also an opportunity to start afresh on a truer foundation. For singles, The Tower may signal a destabilising event, but also a rude awakening about the way you live your attachments. It will encourage you to rebuild a more lucid vision of love. In all cases, it heralds a radical transformation which, if well received, will lead to profound liberation.
Professional / Work reading
with the card The Tower
In the professional sphere, The Tower is synonymous with major upheavals: unexpected redundancy, the failure of a project, the loss of a job or the collapse of a structure that was considered unshakeable. It speaks of a necessary collapse, often provoked by a truth coming to light or a situation reaching saturation point. This card can be difficult to live with at the time, but it acts like a life-saving jolt, designed to wake you up from stagnation or illusion. If you’ve been clinging to a position or status out of fear, The Tower calls everything into question. It can also symbolise a sudden realisation of your true aspirations. This is the moment to free yourself from the facade, from appearances, and return to what is authentic. The collapse often precedes a more solid reconstruction, more in line with your deepest values.
Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card The Tower
Financially, The Tower can herald a sudden fall or unexpected loss: unexpected expenses, bankruptcy, theft, or the collapse of an investment. It brings you face to face with the precariousness or instability of certain securities that you thought you had acquired. This card is not there to punish, but to awaken: it often signals poor management, an illusion of abundance, or dependence on an external source. It urges you to review your material foundations, to re-examine your relationship with money, and to start afresh on healthier foundations. Although destabilising, this crisis can also be liberating: it’s an opportunity to learn to live differently, to let go of the unnecessary, to detach yourself from possessions and ego. In the long term, The Tower teaches you resilience and invites you to build a more conscious and sustainable relationship with the material world.
Family reading
with the card The Tower
In the family sphere, The Tower represents a major upheaval in the home or in family dynamics. It may involve a violent dispute, a secret revealed, a separation, or the collapse of an established family pattern. It acts as an electroshock, often painful, but necessary to put an end to a frozen, sometimes toxic, situation. This card speaks of the naked, unvarnished truth that shakes the foundations of the family. It can also indicate a breakdown in communication or a generational divide. However, despite the pain of the event, it can also put an end to hypocrisy or stifling practices. It’s a call to rebuild more sincere relationships, on a foundation free of fear or control. The Tower pushes you out of the family façade and into the truth of the relationship.
Spiritual reading
with the card The Tower
On a spiritual level, The Tower is a card of sudden awakening, of the fall of the ego, or of lightning revelation. It symbolises the ‘dark night of the soul’, the moment when everything collapses so that the inner truth can emerge. It’s not a decline, but a purification: it destroys the illusions, rigid beliefs and dogmas to which you’ve clung. It’s a difficult passage, often accompanied by existential crises, doubts and pain… but it’s also a moment of opening up to a more authentic light. The Tower strips you bare to better reveal you. It shows you that true security comes not from external structures, but from your own inner alignment. It is the symbol of the destruction necessary before spiritual rebirth. The soul, laid bare, can then begin to vibrate in its purest truth.
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
5-Card spread
The Tower and its positions in a 5-card draw.
Want to better understand how to interpret the card The Tower according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card The Tower in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.
