Thoth Tower Tarot Card Introduction
My new YouTube channel is : Thoth Tarot Videos. The major arcana videos are yet to be remade.
(ii) Thoth Tower Tarot Card
The Tower is a glyph for the process of PURIFICATION THROUGH FIRE and the planet Mars supplies this energy which leads to the destruction of our small self or limitation of consciousness.
(iii) Rider Waite Tower Tarot Card
The Rider Waite Tower version is somewhat different to the Thoth imagery and we will cover this is a separate Tarot series.
(iv) Thoth Tower Tarot Card and The Tree of Life
The Thoth Tower Tarot Card links the path connecting Hod (ruled by Mercury) and Netzach (ruled by Venus). They represent the energies of the intellect and emotions respectively.
In its lowest level on the Tree of Life Love is a battlefield, because it is about the integration and harmonisation of opposites. In this card we have the opposites of the emotions and the intellect.
If we look at the Tree of Life, the paths parallel to The Path of the Tower, are represented by The Empress (ruled by Venus, Dove) and Lust (which has the Lion Serpent) is illustrated in the diagram below:
(v) Thoth Tower Tarot Card Hebrew and Astrological Attribution
A. Hebrew Association
The Tower is associated with the Hebrew letter Pé pronounced (Pay).
Pé means MOUTH and we can see this in the bottom right of the card as being the vehicle of FIRE which destroys the Tower.
Dis = Roman God of the underworld (associated with Hades)at the bottom of the card breathing fire. He is represented by a mouth but is seen in full in the image below:
B. Astrological Association
Mars is the warrior planet and in this card is in full attack mode to destroy the Tower.
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Mars was the God of War
(vi) Thoth Tower Tarot Card Symbolism
Tower = our ‘ring-pass-not’ or limitations our Ego, the part of consciousness trapped in form & lower consciousness. The mental, emotional and physical bodies. The structure of IDENTITY that we have built up over our lifetime.Since this is only a ‘small’ part of who we are, and yet we see it as the totality of who we are, this limitation of our consciousness needs to be broken down.
In the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley it describes 2 types of Love, one represented by the Dove the other by the Serpent. The Book implies that the Love associated with the Dove is not as effective as that of the Serpent.
Dove and Serpent = are 2 Thelemic symbols for LOVE and are different manifestations of the same energy:
Dove = passive love.
Serpent = active love. Crowley identifies the Serpent as Abraxas:
Abraxas = The seven letters spelling its name may represent each of the seven classic planets and 365, the number of days in the solar year. He was also described in Gnostic Christianity as a God who was not solely benevolent but also a destroyer, and this follows the theme of this card. He represents life and death at the same time.
In this image we see his relationship to the serpent, The Sun, Moon and War.
In its higher octave Love involves destruction as these opposites are dissolved and reconciled with each other, and this relates to the destruction of the Tower. All of life is a process of reconciling to a UNITY or oneness .
Jesus says :
Matthew 10: 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
This is why when the Eye of Shiva is opened, the Universe is destroyed and we attain Enlightenment. So destruction is a form of LOVE as it unifies opposites within us.
Eye of Shiva = destroying the Tower which represents the Old Aeon .27 rays radiate from the eye which is the number of its Path on the Tree of Life as described above. It is also associated with the third eye on Pan (The Goat) from the Thoth Tarot Devil Card. The opening of the third eye results in the destruction of the illusion of the material creation by the revelation of the 1000 petalled lotus :
Shiva was the Goddess of Destruction burning ones Karma with Fire:
Additional details of the Tower:
Lower Window = divided into 10 squares, also the number of the 10th sephiroth, Malkuth.
Upper Window with Cross = representing Malkuth and the 4 elements (fire, water,air,earth). These make up our physical, mental and emotional bodies and implies that when the tower is destroyed
We can see the Cross on Malkuth in the image below :
Lightening Flash = spiritual illumination breaking down our ego. There are 5 points to it, representing the 5th Sephiroth Geburah and the destructive energy of Mars which rules it.
4 Figures Falling from Tower = painted black to represent earth. They are drawn as a collection of crystals to represent the process of letting go of the physical as our attachment to our old reality breaks down.
Sexual Interpretation = tower is the erect Penis, lightening flash the orgasm and figures are ejaculated sperm.
9 Embers of Flames = number of 9th sephiroth Yesod. Yesod is the foundation of the Tree of Life and yet it is associated with the Moon, and the Moon represents CHANGE, as represented by its cycles. Here is the axiom that:
Change = stability as it provides the opportunity for growth, where as inertia = death. The Tower Card forces change as its rigid structure is incapable of flexibility and growth and so has to be destroyed.
But the Moon and therefore Yesod are also to do with ILLUSION, which is being destroyed in the Thoth Tower Tarot Card.
(vii) Devil to Tower Transition
Thoth Tower Tarot Card represents rigidity in the third sequence. It shows the reaction of using the mind to break things down in order to try to understand and control them – but only succeeds in destroying them. The Tower may represent the nature and fragility of the way in which the mind builds its sense of self i.e. with limits that imprison who we really are. The crown that we and others may have given ourselves as apparent “ruler” of our lives can be suddenly cast aside by the new viewpoint and insight provide by initiation. The Tower does not stand on well-spread foundations – showing that our beliefs are built on isolating ways of existence – our sense of self can often be built on how we are different and separate from others rather than what we share or have in common with others.
The reaction to this sudden sense that we are more than we though we were can become a traumatic experience – the mind cannot understand or control this new aspect of ourselves found in meditation no matter how hard it tries. The bolt of lightening, the light in this card, is the liberating force and represents our higher nature entering and starting to break down our engrained ways of thinking and acting.
A. Summary of the Transition
This transition is that of coming to terms with the recognition that we have a greater part to ourselves that we have not known and are just starting to know. It is also coming to terms with the recognition that we have been attached, limited and imprisoned within a small sense of self and that we have not really had the freedom and self-control that we thought we had ! Again this is a point of commitment to go beyond our small sense of self and follow The Path and free ourselves from those attachments that seemed so essential and valuable to us before. When ready, the initiate needs to move beyond discovering attitudes, beliefs and mental potential and commit to transforming them.
B. Relevance to the Spiritual Path
We may try to withdraw into our old sense of self after initiation, but The Tower shows that the change brought about by initiation is irreversible – our awareness has been expanded beyond the walls or limits of our previous self. What is important is how we react or respond to this change – do we get stuck in our rigidity and return to the world of attachment (The Devil) or do we move on to the flow of The Star ? Do we build a connection between inner world of meditation and our outer world of activity by transforming our personality and our mind ?
C. Difficulties in Attempting this Transition
This transition is all about allowing change or fighting against it. Trying to maintain a rigid control over ourselves and maintenance of our old ways of thinking and our old sense of who we think we are will be like becoming The Tower – we will continually be challenged by the input of spiritual energy in meditation.
The initiate may feel overwhelmed by their attachments that they now more clearly see and may want to walk away from The Path and any imbalances, qualities and conflicts they now see need to be resolved in their thinking and mind.
The new viewpoint given by initiation may allow the person t to become more aware of their self, their attitudes and beliefs; it may be hard to accept what we start to discover.
This transition is again about openness and trust – will the initiate try to stay the same person they were ? Will they hold on to the attitudes and beliefs that defined them ? Will they change how they act in the world but not change their thinking ? Or will they allow the power of their meditation and interaction with others on The Path to transform those attitudes and beliefs into ones which are more about openness, integrity and serving others ?
In contrast we may get too caught up in too much thinking and trying to improve our mind, focusing too much on this level.
We may also become caught up in the trauma of change and not move towards a new sense of self. Years can be spent struggling to let go and move from the challenge of The Tower and the realisation of our attachments along to the peace of The Star in the next transition.
D. Practical Advice on Making this Transition
Once again, Adepts and other initiates can be a great source of help and can advise on how to manage your reactions to the subtle but very profound change in your life. Continue to talk to others about how you are, share your inner thoughts with those that may have had similar experiences so the process does not seem so challenging.
Continue regular meditation, reading spiritual books, attending meetings. Accept that this is a huge change in your life and take time to come to terms with it – again do not try to change too much at once. Remember what brought you to The Path, what motivated you, and where you want it to lead.
If we discover or perceive attachments and thinking that we do not like, then remember that our these are not the true self we can discover in meditation and that they can be accepted/modified along the way. As you get to know your mind better, remember that it is just a vehicle for your true self – a vehicle that can be serviced, upgraded and transformed; how we are today is not how we have to be tomorrow.
Use meditation to find an escape from thinking and attachment, to find a constancy that can never be found in ever-changing thoughts. Enjoy the freedom that can be found inside !
Use realisations gained in meditation to free yourself from and change the way that you think and the attitudes and beliefs that you have held.
(xiii) Thoth Tower Tarot Card Divinatory Meanings
(a) Thoth Tower Upright
1.It is a time of turmoil and destruction as you seek to understand how you could have been mistaken about a situation or person which you now have to come to terms with.
2.Emotions like anger, grief, depression, and not being able to eat or sleep may be affecting you as our current sense of security has been lost or badly shaken up. We feel as if our comfortable world will never be the same.
3.Situations which may be relevant include : relationship break ups, loss of a career, death of a loved one, financial or health problems
4.However the important message about the Tower Card is that with destruction of the Old comes the New and we can eventually look at life in a much more meaningful way which makes us wiser.
So it provides us with an opportunity for growth that will hopefully get us to reach for The Star, the next card in the major arcana sequence, rather than falling back to the stagnation and trappings of the Devil Card:
The Lightening Flash represents a bolt out of the blue experience that jolts us out of our reality and forces us to re evaluate our life at this time. These moments are necessary for our spiritual growth even though at the time they may be very difficult changes which make us very anxious.
(b) Thoth Tower Reversed
1.Resistance to obvious change that needs to happen in our lives.
2.Fighting and conflict might result (Mars is the God of War).
3.Situations like refusing to end or sort out a difficult relationship apply, staying in a toxic job situation without taking the necessary steps to resolve it.
4.In a more general sense, the effects of the Tower upright happening over a much longer period of time.
5.Going back to the Devil (see above image) after not moving on from the situation. In other words we keep repeating negative cycles for an issue over a long period of time as we are too anxious about overcoming the difficulties of the change.
6.Mental/emotional breakdown
(ix) Thoth Tower Tarot Card in the Celtic Cross Spread
1:The Heart of the Situation = A difficult situation has arisen out of the blue which is causing anxiety and forcing a major change in your life
2:Possible obstacle = not coping with a stressful change in your life building up stress and anxiety
3:Unconscious Influences = holding on to anxiety/depression due to fear from previous life trauma
4:Recent Past = sudden stressful change out of the blue.
5:Hopes and goals = to be able to overcome those situations that feel you are stuck in and feel no way out (like being stuck in the Tower
6:Short Term Future = change of job/relationship/ or material situation unexpected.
7:Our Self Image in this situation = stuck in our own little safe world (Tower) and yet we are not experiencing life to the fullest as we have built walls of protection around us.
8:Environment = could be a safe environment but that which is no longer serving our growth. Implies a need to move on before life forces change
9:Guidance & Warning = need to be open to your heart and trust in the process of change and the natural flow of life otherwise you will have repeated forced change which will traumatic.
10:Overall Outcome = learning to go with the flow of life and clinging to the past. Spiritual growth through overcoming change and challenges.
(x) Thoth Tower Tarot Card Links
Additional videos on the Thoth Tarot Tower Card from other YouTube members:
(xi) Further Links
20
Incredible explanation.
In the8th position,…I have covid. The rest of the reading very positive regarding relationship with the person who. Gave me covid. Huh.