The Fool’s journey continues, and now we see as it comes to a place of transcendence and enlightenment. This doesn’t come easily though, as major changes need to occur for The Fool to break free from The Devil. The cards that symbolize this massive shift and the ensuing calm after the storm are cards 16 and 17 of the Major Arcana: The Tower and The Star.
The Tower
The Tower is a seemingly foreboding card of change, but just like Death and The Devil, this doesn’t mean it has to be negative. While the card appears ominous, it often is not. The Tower card represents the path of The Fool as he works to free himself from the clutches of The Devil; it represents the massive shifts The Fool must undergo to break free. We each have a beautiful and vulnerable inner core, and we tend to build walled ego fortresses around this place; this is what the dark gray stone walls depicted as The Tower represent. As I mentioned earlier, the card appears worse than its reality, because after the walls of those inner towers are broken down, we feel a newfound joy and lightness in the wake of the major shakeup signified by The Tower. As you look at this card, notice the bolt of lightning striking the top of the building and knocking its seemingly royal occupants to their apparent deaths below. This is symbolic of what The Fool needs to break out of his ensnarement with The Devil – enlightenment. Just as we, when trapped in material comforts, need the same humbling enlightenment from powers greater than us to break free and transcend the darkness. The Tower is truly a card of major growth and change for your Highest Good, as the resulting revelations make the entire struggle worthwhile. Through the process of humble enlightenment, the light of truth is free to shine through enabling us to see reality as it is.
The Star
The Star is a beautiful card of serene tranquility, stillness, hope, and inspiration. Now free from the entrapments of The Devil and The Tower (his ego), The Fool continues his journey and enters a newfound place of inner peace and calm. This card is depicted with beautiful imagery that attests to his serenity. In life, when we break free from the bondage of our own personal entrapments, be they material, physical, emotional, or ego, we often find the very connection we sought in all the wrong places during our dance(s) with The Devil. We are struck by light from our fortresses of ego and pride, and we fall to a place of Divine connection to Source. This place is where we discover a new faith in ourselves and All That Is. We see this peaceful serenity depicted in The Star card. You see in this card a naked woman; she is stripped of all material defenses and disguises, as we are once we free ourselves from our prisons. She is naturally and wholly herself in all her inherent Divine glory. The stars twinkling in the sky above represent hope and inspiration. The Star is a small glimpse into The Fool’s own inner nirvana and connection.
The negative energies which fed his ensnarement with The Devil are no more, they have been replaced by trust and faith. He has reached a place of enlightenment, as he is blissfully immersed in supreme joy, and his only wish is to share this joy with the rest of the world. This feeling is exactly what many of the ancient traditions found across Buddhist, Yogic, and Hindu practices strive for. This is the place where the heart opens wide for the first time, and the Divine river of love flows unobstructed out of The Fool. As it is for any of us the first time we taste this blissfully peaceful state, this is a truly magical moment for The Fool on his journey.
I hope you enjoyed our first eight classes, and I look forward to chatting with each of you in our Facebook group until our next class on September __! Continue to explore your Rider-Waite deck, as well as the Tarot Ritual Kits, which you can either subscribe to and receive your tarot kit monthly, or get the new kit today. I can’t wait to see you in class.
If you are joining me for the first time, you can purchase previous tarot classes here.
Many blessings on your own journey to deeper wisdom.
