the Tower upside down?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Feb 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

firemaiden	07 Feb 2003
HI, what is it supposed to mean when the Tower is upside down. Is that good? Or does it make the card worse? I asked the deck for its "opinion" on something new I want to try, and its opinion was the Tower upside down...

Francesca	07 Feb 2003
I don't usually like to read upside down--this is part of why! Anyway, Rachel Pollack (I believe) says that upside down cards indicate that the energy of the card is blocked somehow and that makes the best sense to me for reading upside down. The Tower indicates some sort of shake up that will probably cause a lot of trouble before everything gets cleaned up and what exactly has happened is assessed. It's a change card, but Isee it as change that is coming from the outside and is not of the querent's choosing. Upside down I would say that something is brewing but isn't quite able to happen. In the context of your question, there may be a lot of fear and nervousness around the new thing, but there is no use keeping it all bottled up. Francesca

Karenwhe	07 Feb 2003
I believe that one card is not enough to see the whole picture of what the Tower rx really means (unless you get a hunch and that didn't happen). But in general the Tower rx could mean any of the following: * The process of change has started already, but there is still time to get there (you would get the tower right way up some time in the future). I also translate the Four of Wands RX in a similar way, meaning: you are well on the way to achieve whatever, but not there yet. * As Advice: not to resist the inevitable * Blockages: you might be pessimist about this, negative or doubtful. * Another things that it can represent is delay, or delaying the inevitable. What ever it is that you want to try I would say by this card that is something that requires a major change for it to be successful. And there may be blockages, in terms of doubts or fears either of doing it or the impact of the result if both successful or otherwise.

Woof	07 Feb 2003
Could it be that what you expect to be a major change, a major "disaster" will actually be averted? Or will not be as catastrophic as might be expected? Again I agree with Karenwhe, one card is not enough to tell. If I pulled this in a daily draw or in a one card reading I would take it as a indication that I need a more detailed spread on the issue. Woof

firemaiden	07 Feb 2003
hmm, my question was rather vague wasn't it. I thank you all for your insightful and thoughtful answers. I was trying to figure out which new aria (song) might be a good one to present in an audition (for opera houses) -- the experts can tell me, or try to, but they never agree, plus its all about energies, what kind of energy I can project, so, picking the right song is kind of like casting a spell -- which one is going to do the trick?!!! So I picked three alternatives, and asked the tarot: Alternative 1: The tower upside down Alternative 2: 1 of swords Alternative 3: 4 of cups upside down. Do anyone of them look positive? I was rather hoping the the tower upside-down would be as good as the tower right-side up is bad, alas...it doesn't look good for alternative #1... Perhaps it is not fair to ask the Tarot something this specific! I am experimenting now, trying to get a feel for what the tarot can do.

ihcoyc	07 Feb 2003
In that context, the Ace of Swords suggests to me that you might want to consult a brutally honest critic. 4 of Cups, in the context you mentioned, seems to me to indicate moving away from the repertoire that you might be comfortable (and bored?) with, striking out in a new direction; novelty for its own sake. I would agree that whatever alternative the Tower Rx means, it is the least desirable here: a barely controlled disaster.

firemaiden	07 Feb 2003
Wow, ihcoyc, that is a really cool interpretation! Then its just right, it says the Wagner would be disastrous, the Mozart needs major work, and the Verdi a refreshing new piece, but right up my alley... Great stuff! Thank you. p.s. bye the way ihcoyc, a couple of off-topic mischievous questions...a). what does your name mean? and b) qui diable est Adoré Floupette!!!!

Karenwhe	07 Feb 2003
I know nothing about songs at all but by the look of all the 3 cards they scream out at looking for something new, change direction. Ace = new, 4 of Cups rx = new, Tower = change (reversed or not). By the general feel, I think that you know already that you need something TOTALY new to what the options you are considering so far, (to knock their socks off), but the Tower suggests that you are afraid of that option as you may see these people as too conservative, however the cards do suggest that this is required to succeed. I take the Tower in this case a necessary card of drastic change to achieve success. That is my take anyway. I think that the combination of these 3 cards come with a general message to you.

firemaiden	08 Feb 2003
Karenwhe, that is the hidden message I was not seeing. It certainly confirms my feeling, that I need something fresh radical and new, which is the whole reason I started the inquiry in the first place! It is so gratifying to have your thoughts, Karenwhe, icoyc, Francesa, and Woof, thank you so much for your generosity here, in sharing your gifts of perception.

Umbrae	08 Feb 2003
Personally, in this spread, the only thing I saw that was negative was the 4 of Cups reversed. To me this spoke of denial. The Tower is not always a bad card. Reversed, its implications are muted – but next to the Ace of Swords…it speaks of shining a light upon that which is right and true, accepting not any duplicity (indicated by the 4 of Cups Rx). To me the entire spread, alternatives and all says, “Take a chance…you have a chance. Play it safe – and have no chance at all…”

firemaiden	08 Feb 2003
Thank you Umbrae! :) I love what you said:it speaks of shining a light upon that which is right and true, -- beautifully said. It turns the tower into a lighthouse, doesn't it.

Karenwhe	08 Feb 2003
firemaiden, I just had a thought...... Maybe you should try to do a two card reading for each option (song) this would go something like this: 1. what you give out (song x) 2. response you get in return (response to the song chosen) I do this short but sweet reading when I go into important meetings and I have some new (and usually radical) ideas to present to executives. I always want to know how the idea would be perceived. As so far this little spread has helped me a lot. Hope it helps.

firemaiden	08 Feb 2003
Karenwhe, that is a fabulous idea. I am going to try it and post my results here.

ihcoyc	08 Feb 2003
I'm not a music pro by any stretch of the imagination, but my general impression is that Wagner requires a very different approach from Verdi or Mozart. Wagner and Mozart strike me in some obscure sense as polar opposites in disposition and style. To know what IHCOYC means, write it in capital letters :) Adoré Floupette was a fictional poet who was created back in the nineteenth century to write rather funny parody poems.

jmd	09 Feb 2003
I wasn't going to read this thread until I completed my Tower card for the Aeclectic Tarot Project II - and it is now only just done... Given your three alternatives, and the cards for each, I would not hesitate to suggest that option 2 is the guidance given. Alternative 1: The tower upside down: this can be a a positive option, but, as Karenwhe has mentioned, a willingness to fully enter this option appears a bit of a hurdle; Alternative 2: 1 of swords: to me, an upright ace, especially of swords, seems perfect in this instance - the thrusting forth provides for a clear positive decision on the matter; Alternative 3: 4 of cups upside down: four of cups can be read as stable emotional results, but reversed may indicate disappointment. These are my quick notes, which need to be moderated by your insights and guided by your own inner guiding insights.

jmd	09 Feb 2003
ihcoyc forgot, I believe, to mention to write his name not just in capitals - but in Greek :).

The the Tower upside down? thread was originally posted on 07 Feb 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.