The Tower as feelings: what it says about how they feel

The Tower as feelings is one of the more dramatic answers a deck can give, and it usually describes something that has already happened rather than something on the way. Feelings that came as a shock, or a shock that changed the feelings: the lightning has struck, and the person is still standing in the dust working out what it means.

Read it with care. The Tower is not a verdict on whether someone cares about you. It is a picture of upheaval, and people in upheaval often feel a great deal at once.

The Tower as feelings, upright

Upright, the Tower as feelings can mean sudden, intense emotion: a realization that hit hard, an attraction they did not plan for, or anger and hurt after something came to light. It can describe someone whose ideas about love, or about you, have been knocked over in a short space of time. Two figures fall from the windows of the burning tower and the crown is knocked off the top; whatever they thought was settled, is not. Sometimes that is good, a defense coming down. Often it means they need time before they can feel clearly.

The Tower reversed as feelings

Reversed, the Tower as feelings points to upheaval held in. They may feel the crack forming and be trying hard to keep everything standing. It can mean feelings they are afraid of, or a change in the relationship they can see coming and are avoiding. Occasionally it means the worst has passed and they are rebuilding quietly. In each case it describes someone more shaken than they show.

The Tower as how someone sees you

As how someone sees you, the Tower suggests you have disrupted something in them. That can be exciting or unsettling, and often both. You may have challenged a belief they held, or arrived in their life at a moment when much else was coming down.

The Tower as feelings from an ex

From an ex, the Tower usually points back at the breakup itself: it hit them harder, or differently, than you may think. Upright, the feelings may still be raw. Reversed, they may be avoiding the subject altogether. It is not a card of a smooth return; when it describes an ex, the rebuilding usually happens separately rather than together.

The Tower next to other cards

Followed by the Star, the Tower describes a shake-up and then a gentle recovery. Next to the World, an ending clears the way for completion; see the Tower and the World. With the Lovers, a sudden truth changes a choice.

What to do with this card

Give it space. Tower feelings are loud and unreliable for a while, in them and in you. Do not make big decisions in the week the lightning hits. Wait until the dust settles, ask the question again, and look at what is still standing. If you would like the gentler second half of this story, the Tower is followed in the deck by the Star.

Ask the cards your own question

One card is one reading of one moment. If you would like to ask about a particular person, the free love reading lets you put the question in your own words first, and it will be honest about what the cards can and cannot see from the outside.

Questions people ask

Is the Tower as feelings negative?

It is uncomfortable rather than negative. It describes sudden, strong emotion and things changing fast. What it changes into depends on what comes next.

Does the Tower mean they will break up with me?

Not by itself. It shows disruption, and relationships can survive a Tower moment, sometimes better for it. Look at the cards around it, and at whether the two of you can talk honestly.

What does the Tower followed by the Star mean in love?

A shake-up followed by recovery at a human pace. We wrote a whole page about the Fool, the Tower and the Star.