The Busy Witch: Learning to Love The Tower

Last updated on: April 15, 2014 at 8:00 am by Jen McConnel

The Busy Witch: Learning to Love The Tower 2014-04-15T00:51:24+00:00 Jen McConnel

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There’s been a lot of upheaval lately, in both my personal sphere, and in the wider community. When things get tough or change unexpectedly, our first impulse may be to lash out or bury our heads in the sand, but in the long run, these actions don’t solve the root of the issue. I’m not a fan of lightning fast change or trouble, but I’ve been trying to re-train my brain when it all hits the fan. Instead of melting down or stepping back, I’m learning to view upheaval as an opportunity.

One of my favorite decks, Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot.

Try thinking tarot-ly. The card that springs to my mind in times of stress or disaster is, inevitably, The Tower. I used to dread seeing this card in a reading, but a few years ago, I decided to shift my focus. Instead of seeing The Tower in a spread as evidence of disaster, I looked at meaning beneath the surface. This is a card of lightning-fast change, but it often shows up for me when I’ve refused to make necessary changes or am clinging to things which no longer serve me. Letting go can be scary, but ignoring the problem is even scarier; it begins to fester, and you never know when the foundation will start to crumble.

I’ve found the same to be true in my individual life, as well; whenever I ignore what’s broken or decayed or simply finished, it ends up smacking me in the face in the least expected way possible. It’s hard going to retrain myself to view these times of seeming disaster as an opportunity for growth, but isn’t that one of the things The Tower teaches us? Only when something is torn down can something new take root, and dreams are often realized when the chains of the past fall away.

It’s not always easy to face crises this way, and I’ll admit, I still hit anger and denial whenever my towers crumble, but the best way for me to work through upheaval is to try to face it as an opportunity for growth, a chance to let a better dream take root. Rant if you need to, and mourn what you must, but when those feelings are spent, look to the future and begin building something new.

How will you transform upheaval into something positive?

The Busy Witch is published on alternate Tuesdays. Follow it via RSS or e-mail!

Previous Post

April 14, 2014

Seekers and Guides: Wicca Has No Gurus, Only Teachers

Next Post

April 16, 2014 Loop of Brighid: The Nine Pure Choice Graces, Part 1 - The Grace of Form

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Lakeside Hearth Adventures in Wortcunning Alone In Her Presence Arts, Crafts & Cooking Birthing Hereditary Witchcraft Book of Blackbirds Book Reviews Born-Again Witch Cauldron, Sword, Spear, & Stone Cermony and Liturgy Columns Community Dandelion Seeds Dear Jasmine Druid Thoughts Editor's Picks Everyday Pagan Family & Household Practice Family Traditions Full Frontal Magic Gateway Goddess Guest Articles Happily Heathen Health and Wellness Hearth of Hellenism Heathen Woman Hills of the Horizon History Holidays Horse Goddesses Interfaith Interviews Irish-American Witchcraft Jewish Witch Lamp & Labyrinth Letters from Midgard Literature, Media, Film, Music Loop of Brighid Love, Sex & Relationships Magic or Magick Making Light Naturalistic Traditions Nature News Outside The Circle Pantheisticon Politics Prayers, Poems, Blessings & Stories Queer Femme Mystic Queer of Swords Recipes Ritual and Practice Science and Research Seekers and Guides Seeking the Grail Socially Responsible Magic Spear of Athena Star Made Witch Syncretic Electric Technology The Blooming Staff The Busy Witch The Cartomancer The Crow's Nest The Dance of Pagan Recovery The Hearth of Hellenism The Lady's Quill The Other Side of the Hedge The Path of She The Rantin' Raven The Witches Next Door The Zen Pagan Theology, Ethics, Philosophy Tree City Witch Urban Earthwitch Wayfaring Woman Witch on Fire Wyrd Words

Select a Month January 2026 March 2025 December 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 August 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What church leader is called "the Bishop of Rome"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The Archbishop of Canterbury The Pope The Patriarch The General Superintendent