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In most of the traditional Tarot Decks like the B.O.T.A. Deck, Modern Witch Tarot, and Rider-Waite-Smith version of THE TOWER , we see stylized lightning or energy strikes knocking off the anatomically accurate human forms which symbolize the man-made personalities that see reality as a world of straight lines ; straight lines as in 'black and White" or "good and bad". The Man-Made personality, sees a reality foreign to Nature and the Universe, which is circular and/or spiral in nature, and is known for its lack of straight lines as its "I" sight is about I AM Me; Me being a circular creation of self- reflection that has no right angles, and is all assumed potential, as it is all about the spiraling and thereby, transforming potentiality of "I Will Be" and/or "I Dream Me".

Now I know that Mars is the symbol of the war god of destruction but few remember that Mars is also attributed with the power of crop fertility. Again the process of destruction to build anew is seen here as the peace and calm of the soil that is distributed in order to plant healthy crops. This really is the core of the message of The Tower-Key 16.

The Tower symbolizes the construct that most people call "I" or Self, where perspectives of the Personality and its "false will", shown as the crown-Kingdom of Earth, are being shattered by the influx of the Fiery Energy of Higher-Self -Knowledge . The toppling Tower also represents the destruction of man-made institutions, government, religions, or any accepted values. Yet this striking down, is not to be construed as the destruction of evil, rather it is a process of change, as "stepping stones" of perspective are built that contributes to the continual building up and striking down of "stepping stone" concepts that lead into the Inner Realms of Higher Self; Kind of like the building up and striking down of miles as one travels, but also accompanied with the pain and effort of long travel..

Another way to understand THE TOWER'S process, is that upon first approach to these "Higher Planes" of reality, many people begin anthropomorphizing the States of Conscious Energy, as Archangels or "Spiritual Beings", as that is how they "realize" them; However, these Creative Forces are formless, so in order to incorporate these forces into our own anthropomorphic "reality", we must destroy the previous false concepts of these angelic beings and know them as states of Self that we are to manifest and often do manifest in balance or imbalance, as I Am Me. This is a necessary process of progressive and expanding Self-Awareness as we journey on the "Above all things, know thyself" Paths of the Tree of Life. Just to travel in the present, we must destroy the perspectives of our past! For if we are always looking behind, we never seen the present or the possibility of future and only loop around and upon yesterday's travel. To have true "I" sight, we must always remove the blinding veils of yesterday's views. And yes, the Soul, whose shape is undefined by infinity, is I AM-anthropomorphizing itself as Me so that it can experience with intimate certainty, data/information. When information becomes in-form-action, knowledge is produced.

The Western Hermetic Qabalistic Tarot- Tower Card-Key 16, displays the Hebrew Letter-Peh (bottom of Thoth card-Not shown on Traditional Tarot) ; the Path of Peh (meaning Mouth), the 27th Path on the Tree of Life. Dr. Paul Foster Case ( of B.O.T.A. fame) calls the Tower card, the 27th Path of Peh," The Exciting Intelligence", as its vibrations excite matter and is simulated in the Mouth, that sends forth vibrations as sound or words. Hod ( Splendor), the Sephirotic center of the reasoning process is connected to the center of the intuition-desire nature, Netzach (Victory) by the Path of Peh-THE TOWER. This Path of the Personality brings into balance what is out of balance and is related to Mars, the Roman god of War and the North.

Traditionally the North was the quarter seen as the "greatest place of darkness", for when the Mysteries where initiated, the North side of King Solomon's temple was the darkest side. But all is not doom and gloom here, as any initiate in the Mysteries knows, it is from the darkest night that comes Light ( Dark energy) and that "enlightenment has its origin in the hidden sources of power which terrify the minds of the ignorant". To us moderns who are familiar with Quantum Physics Theory, it is said that from the Dark Energy and Dark Matter are the birthplaces of Light energy.

Peh, the Hebrew word, is called a double letter, for it not only means -Mouth but also-Grace-Indignation, a union of opposites. Double letters, are considered "gateways of the Soul", that have two possible directions of passage. It is also a fact that the mouth has two passages as well. One passage takes in nourishment into the organic system and another expresses speech. Thus, we can see the similarity between the two actions of the Path of Peh/Tower. For it not only is a devastating Path of the Higher Vibrations that burn away the dross of our Personalities, it is also the entrance that nourishes the consciousness with the Spiritual knowledge,( enlightenment) from the Real Personality...the one your soul built before you were reconstructed by your indoctrination and environmental reactions.

Many of us are familiar with chanting and the effects of the power of vitiation on the physical world and body. Many Mysteries expound on the use of "god names" or "Words of Power" to effect the destruction of "negative energies", in body and environment. (Relative to speech, we know that the Logos, is also called the Word). These "negative forces" of The Tower card, represents the destruction of our our own personal towers of false concepts and institutions that are commonly believed to be reality. By tearing down past reality, which is ignorant of today, room is made for something new in perspective. When a mask is ripped off, the Real face is exposed (persona, the root word for personality, is mask in Greek).

The lightning flashes are representative of sudden inspiration, or flashes of perception, that occur when we realize our Real Identities. Both the Modern Witch and he Ryder-Waite TOWER CARD, shows the Crown as an obvious reference to Kether at the top of the Tower; However, this also symbolizes the false crowns of our existence, those man-made values that we believe control us; hence, false authority. To show this conflict with in the human, Waite, called the two falling figures who are also wearing crowns, The Kings of Edan (the consciousness and the unconsciousness). The Striking of the Crown from the Tower, also refers to an older, more complex Hebrew mystery of the Circumcision. This is a most secret meaning of the Tower card, that is supported by Gematria as the Hebrew word for circumcision is the same value as the number 85. We also know that in numerology 8+5=13 which is the Death Card and that 13 in numerology is 1+3=4 which is the Emperor who is the Authority of Mars and/or the Father as avenger and protector . There is much to research here so I would advise the curious student to do so.

To carry on, the fore-stated inner conflict of man-made values and spiritual values, is why A.Crowley subtitled THE TOWER as WAR. But this is not a new perspective on the inner conflict of survival persona and the Higher Self, as throughout esoteric literature are depicted these moments of "inner-war". For instance, in the Bhagavad Gita,, there is described symbolic battle of self perspectives, and/or component parts of Self: The Higher Genius is portrayed as Krishna (Solar Logos), guiding Arjuna (lower personality) onto his inner, and personal field of conflict.

We also have the storied example of the destruction of the Tower of Babel illustrating the fact that those who are locked behind the bricks and mortar of any system, culture, words, and/ or religion, are unable to see beyond that system to the Divine Unity and purpose which is the Light of all true religions.

In Western literature, we also have Christ, going through his days in the desert, solitary and alone, while being continually tempted by the lower personality of Satan, which relates to the survival based ego trying to usurp the Rule of the True Ego/Soul.

Also, I previously mentioned that this card is about the destruction of the old order.

Primarily, the flash of Superconsciousness turns all perceptions of personal consciousness upside down, and utterly destroys these false conceptions. The 22 Yods (flames) on Waite's card, represents the 22 basic modes of consciousness as symbolized in the TAROT KEYS.

The Emperor Card is Mars/ The Martial Father. Here he has stepped down from the throne and donned his armor and sword, to sweep away institutions that have become useless in our lives. With sword in one hand, he destroys utterly, and with the rose in the other, is of peace and conciliation.

All in all, this Tower Card, forces us to consider the source of negative life experiences, such as loss of job, illness, and other disasters that seem to arbitrarily befall us. Are these accidents, or are we "reaping what we sow"? Such questions must be addressed towards this Archetypal image: Therefore, skrying this card is recommended.

When the Key 16-The Tower, is thrown in an divination, it implies:

• The instinctive destruction of form.
• The upheaval of values.
• Overcoming one's self-setting the soul free.
• The truth and enlightenment of perception that strikes like lightning and destroys false and/or rigid ideas.
• Breaking open encrustations. 
• Passing through pain to new birth.
• Sudden, massive and probably painful change is on the horizon. 

When reversed:

• Blind destruction.

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