19. Tower
Card Influence: + | | -
Category: Person Description Card
Astrological Symbol: ♄ Saturn | ♑ Capricorn
Keywords: Authority, official institutions, power; Longevity, tradition, conservatism; Isolation, separation, protection; Coldness, detachment, abstinence.
House Meaning: Corporations / Authority / Higher Self.
Concepts: a. Authority; Official certification; Speaking rights; Prestige. b. Long-standing institutions; Tradition; The old ways; Things that have existed for a long time. c. Isolation; Separation; Protection from external influence. d. Intellectual confinement; Information echo chambers. e. Emotional detachment, strict self-discipline, abstinence.
Career: Monopolies; Government jobs; Bureaucracy; Civil servants; Academia; Strict adherence to protocols; Large corporations; Judges; Professors.
Love & Relationships: Emotional detachment; Coldness; Feeling distant in relationships; Silent treatment; Being overly rational in love; Emotional walls.
People: Authoritative figures; Reserved and aloof individuals; People with high standards; Cold and distant personalities; Elitists; Reclusive individuals; Those with psychological barriers; High-status figures; People with tall stature.
Objects: Isolated places; Ivory towers; Prisons; Large corporations; Historic buildings; Universities; Skyscrapers; Tall and slender objects; Individually packaged items.
Health: Spine; Back-related issues.
Spirituality: Higher self; Divine protection; Higher consciousness.
Advice: Do not lose touch with the outside world. Seek information from new sources. While isolation may offer protection, prolonged separation can come across as arrogance.
Imagery: Seal Stamp: Represents official certification and authority. Yod: A symbol of divine protection.
Summary: The Tower represents authority and isolation. It signifies a long-established, authoritative entity with the power to enforce rules—such as judges, professors, government institutions, and major corporations. The isolation aspect of the Tower comes from the necessity of maintaining prestige and impartiality. Those in power often appear detached, traditional, or reserved to avoid bias. On another level, this card can also symbolize a person who isolates themselves from the world, living in their own intellectual or emotional fortress, unaware of external changes.
Comparison: - See 15. Bear for power-related differences. - Both Cactus and Tower symbolize self-isolation and protection, but: - Tower seeks to legitimize and maintain its power, fearing that failure would result in losing authority. - Cactus isolates itself as a defensive measure to avoid harm.