16 The Tower

First chakra, survival

Whenever we build structures – of any sort – we run the risk of losing them. This seems too obvious to state, but it's the working principle of the Tower card – loss. Much of our loss in our modern world is of things we've crafted, bought, or otherwise collected around us and call our own – material stuff. A lot of value is placed upon our stuff, and even the loss of a tiny object can cause great anguish.

The next level concerns falls caused by a toppling of our egos, our sense of self, our identities. These are largely mental constructs, formulated ideas of style and beauty, our projected image that we develop and present to the world. Even a slight dent on the bumper guard of our polished persona can send us into a tailspin.

Much of what we lose in day to day living is chaff – unnecessary to our existence, and though precious to us and we protect them carefully, we're not really that bad off by having lost the small things. It's good to meditate on the tenuous existence of our things though, to keep them in their proper perspective, so that we don't get thrown off balance so easily.

But the real and deep meaning of The Tower card deals with major destruction of things so integral to our lives that their loss seems to be of the very self. Our death or that of a loved one may lie at the very root of our fears. We build homes and live in them – they shelter us and more – they become extensions of ourselves. We construct plans and businesses and live by them and from them. It's our survival. We adopt political and religious ideas and beliefs and add to them our observations and opinions, - they become 'who we are,' and when our identity is shaken we lose our grounding, our footing.
The endangerment of any of these by storm, fire, theft or decree – is what is being addressed.

So to take a serious and perhaps disquieting look, we have to back way up and examine our very modes of living and the creeds we live by, that we've developed in the modern world. Do they serve and nurture us?

Native peoples of the present United States of America lived for many thousands of years – until the great genocide - without building elaborate constructions that, if destroyed, would cause grave concern. Shelters were replaced relatively easily - they maintained a 'low center of gravity.' They arrived at sustainable systems of survival and did not excessively strive to make a good system 'better'. The methods were optimal and sustained them for many millenniums - no towers to crash and burn. Religion was lived, rather than believed. The sun, the rain, the seasons, the endless sky – these are realities to be in tune with, not something to believe in. The Great Spirit quite obviously pervades and prevails through nature, so there's no mental construct to be defended or destroyed.

Vajrayana Buddhists work with consciousness itself, to clear the mind of any misconception that may destroy our peace if challenged or destroyed. Even death of a loved one or of the self is understood from the beginning as the inevitable condition of our temporal world. They strive to reach what is termed as 'Ground Luminosity' – when any and all formations and superstitions of the mind are cleared, then there's nothing left to lose or to challenge, and the 'sea of cosmic light' which sustains the universe emerges into our vision – this is accessible to each one of, by the way. This light suffuses our being and imparts to us an impermeable and infinite joy. Even death of the body cannot destroy us, as our awakened consciousness is well-established through the practice of meditation. We become immortal, as we have become one with the universal life stream. No further to fall, no thing left to topple.

These are examples ways of living and perceiving that we can borrow from. Of course most of us are a long way from such states of being, so let's talk about how to pick ourselves up if something essential is ripped away from us. In any disaster, there are few if any choices left. We cannot in any way retrieve what has just been lost, and so, we must sit down, find our next step, and concentrate upon how to proceed from here. The Tower is the archetype of impermanence (another 'pillar' of the Buddhist philosophy). All things change and pass away – so to cultivate awareness of this from the start will go a long way in softening any blows that we may suffer from loss or sudden change. If we can walk lightly enough upon the earth, then we'll be able to sustain our balance when the ground moves under our feet. If the Tarot is 'the path to enlightenment' then this card becomes one of the most critical of the deck to ponder. It is the acid test – the indisputable arbiter of our stability – if we can emerge from the crucible of major losses and keep our balance and even our sense of humor, then we have gone a long way toward consolidating our energies into a hotter, more cleanly burning ball of fire.

By Ananda G. Brady copyright 2011