[JMI_Tarot]

I find The Tower to be empowering because whatever it is that's about to come crashing down is something that probably ought to.

It's human nature to be unrealistic at times, to engage in wishful thinking, or what is sometimes called "magical thinking" (having nothing to do with actual magic).

The Tower card tells me I need to look squarely at a situation, which is usually a good thing to do, to face a hard truth and deal with it rather than waste more time on a pleasant lie.

The Tower makes me feel like less of a "leaf in the wind".

[ihcoyc]

I've always been fond of the RWS 3 of Swords as a purely graphic device. I would use it as a heraldic device if I had a coat of arms. (Sable, a heart gules, pierced by three swords argent, twice per saltire and once per pale, points in base.)

[bubblyNightmare]

As someone raised in a strict Christian home, I'd say The Devil gives me comfort. It tells me it's okay to want things, to be my damned gay self because that's what being human is all about.

[lantana]

Does the Hierophant count? A lot of people have a very negative view of the Hierophant because of the Christian imagery, and I guess I can't really blame them for that. But to me the Hierophant can go beyond that surface image of a clergy member preaching to his laymen and into a symbol of the Divine (whatever that is for you) meeting the mundane. Traditions, orthopraxy, even organized religion... These things aren't alway as stodgy and limiting as some people make them out to be. There's also the more secular meaning of institutions and societal groups, and while it can symbolize toxic institutions like the patriarchy, it can also be about the things you are willingly a part of (friend groups, collectives, work colleagues, etc.) and examining the pros and cons of being a part of these things.

I could talk about my feelings on the Hierophant all day, haha.

Originally Posted by Barleywine

I appreciate the Hanged Man. It reminds me of that old Coca-Cola slogan, "The Pause That Refreshes." I seldom see it as a distressing sacrifice of anything substantial, more as willingly relinquishing time and outward initiative as one focuses on the inner landscape. I especially like the Thoth Hanged Man when reversed, since it appears to be erupting from the solar disk, ready to act on its altered perspective: the time for waiting is over. For some strange reason, it makes me think of Richard Nixon flaunting his twin "V tor Victory" signs. If, as Crowley says, the Hanged Man upright represents a baptism and an initiation, reversed it suggests re-emergence into the light of day.

I agree wholeheartedly. I relate to the Hanged Man a lot because of my current place in life. It was (and still is, sometimes) hard to surrender to my circumstances instead of fighting what needs to happen, sacrificing external "purpose" (a job, a degree, a "normal" life, the idea of productivity in general) to be allowed to dive into the internal to heal myself and experience growth. My Hanged Man is less "hanged" and more "lying in bed", though.

[KnightOfTheCosmos]

Originally Posted by bubblyNightmare

As someone raised in a strict Christian home, I'd say The Devil gives me comfort. It tells me it's okay to want things, to be my damned gay self because that's what being human is all about.

YEA. *high fives* The Devil also comes up for me sometimes when I have to let go and want things and also be my own damned gay self, haha. It taught me that having desires isn't always a bad thing. It's also come up for me when I'm in a toxic relationship but it has had its good moments.

[KnightOfTheCosmos]

I'm loving all of the responses in this thread! I don't have time to respond to every single one but I'm reading all of them and learning so much. It's giving me a wider view of the cards!

[EmpyreanKnight]

The Devil card sings about temptation, weakness, and obsession. It might seem overly negative, but the enslaved wraiths can always rid themselves of their chains should they choose to. Thing is, they should muster enough strength and willpower if they are to truly succeed.

Personally for me, the Devil teaches that one can twist one's weaknesses and turn it to an advantage. He possesses a devastating sensuality that can lead to either great enterprise or great ruin, or even both. If redemption isn't in the cards, he can opt to burn by himself tho really, he would most probably drag people along with him to his hell. To his credit tho, before he plonks them in the proverbial lake of fire, he would give them the time of their lives, take them on a great ride. Whatever his faults, boring isn't one of them.

This arcanum deeply resonates with me, and I feel that this is one archetype that would always have a significant influence in my life. I only hope it would be for the better.

[Scarlet Air]

KnightOfTheCosmos I love the Tower card, I think it always seems to be a very well thought out card in decks with lots of subtle differences in meaning.

In the Linestrider deck I see it as as overreaction to the situation. Yes there is a storm overhead but the lightning hasn't actually hit the tower so the danger hasn't actually come to pass. And yet people have thrown themselves from the Tower to their doom despite it only been the 'threat' of danger. I see the Linestrider Tower as a melodramatic person or someone who is reacting irrationally to the situation and their reaction as the cause of the current problem over any outside storm. It also warns that the way you react has consequences to those around you as well, shown by the bird changing its course to avoid the falling jumper.

On the Prisma Visions Tarot there is no storm at all. Instead the Tower sits on a crumbling cliff face, it could fall at any moment or not for a hundred years. It's just waiting for the right storm of circumstances to bring everything down in a heap. So I adjust my interpretations accordingly. This Tower becomes all about examining the foundations of your situation as they're not as stable as you think they are. Crisis can be averted but only if you rebuild your foundations before the next storm.

I actually really like a lot of the traditionally negative cards, but that's just because I understand those cards the best and so always take valuable information away when they turn up in a reading. Some of the cards I struggle with the most are the much more positive cards.

For example I don't get along with the Sun card. To me the Sun is a source of heat, of burning. During the summer my skin burns and I get heat stroke even inside because it is so hot. It brings with it devastating fires that wipe out entire communities. In my country skin cancer from the sun is one of the leading types of cancer present. To me the Sun's traditional meanings and my feelings about it don't jive so I find it hard to read. But maybe I'm just weird on that one.

[ilikeskittles]

I actually really like the hermit, death, and the tower, lol! I'm kind of a homebody so I feel like the hermit resonates with me. And death and the tower have usually yielded positive results when they've come up in my readings. Death has usually been something transforming within a relationship or situation that led to a positive outcome, and the tower has usually been a shakeup or handling a situation head-on which has led to a resolution or a better dynamic. The devil card doesn't bother me either.

[greatdane]

I don't see negative or positive cards. The question, the reading, is what I look at as to which way any of the cards are leaning.