The Tarot of Eli 2, LLC: Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- Key 16- The Tower & The Archeon Tarot - Key 16-The Tower

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In most of the traditional Tarot Decks like the Connoly Tarot, B.O.T.A. Deck, The Prophet Tarot, Rider-Waite-Smith, versions of THE TOWER, we see stylized lightning or energy strikes knocking off the anatomically accurate human forms which symbolize the man-made personalities that see reality as a world of straight lines; straight lines as in indoctrinated "black and White" or "good and bad". All false control paradigms.

The Man-Made personality, (false ego-a mind virus program or egregore) sees a linear reality foreign to Nature and the Universe. The Universe is actually circular and/or spiral in nature and is known for its lack of straight lines as it's "I" sight (identity) is about spiral I AM composed of Plasma/ Light.

Self-Awareness being a circular creation of self- reflection that has no right angles, a Serpentine flow, and is all assumed potential, as it is all about the spiraling and thereby, transforming potentiality of "I Will Be" and/or "I Am the Dream and the Dreamer".

The Tower symbolizes the construct that most people call "I" or Self, where perspectives of the Personality and its "false ego", shown as the crown-Kingdom of Earth, are being shattered by the influx of the Fiery Energy of Higher-Self -Knowledge.

The toppling Tower also represents the destruction of man-made institutions, Military Industrial Complex, patriarchal government, dogmatic slave religions, the media supported "hypnosis of words" or any accepted social values.

Yet this striking down, is not to be construed as the destruction of evil, rather it is a process of change, as "stepping stones" of perspective are built that contributes to the continual building up and striking down of "stepping stone" concepts that lead into the Inner Realms of Higher Self; Kind of like the building up and striking down of miles as one travels, and also accompanied with the pain and effort of long travel.

Illuminating the Shadow: Knowing the Self as the Cure to Evil

In the Western Hermetic Tradition, Light is not simply the opposite of Darkness—it is its revealer. We are taught that one must descend before one ascends. And so it is with the psyche. Evil, often misunderstood as some external malevolence or demonic force, is in truth the absence of knowledge—an inner ignorance that festers in the corners of unexamined consciousness. This "evil" is not something outside of us, but within us, as misaligned will, fragmented thought, and unconscious behavior.

It is in this light that the Nephesh, the instinctual animal soul, must be understood. In Qabalistic psychology, the Nephesh is not evil—it is primal. It is the energy-in-motion that animates the body, regulates instinct, and seeks survival at all costs. When divorced from conscious awareness and spiritual guidance, it becomes reactive, territorial, and easily manipulated by fear. But when embraced with knowledge, respect, and integration, it becomes the sacred vessel of vitality—the animal steed of the charioteer.

The Demonization of the Instinctual Mind

The great lie of Patriarchal control systems is the illusion that our animal nature is dangerous, shameful, or sinful. From this false premise, religious and political authorities have long encouraged the suppression of our most instinctual and embodied selves. But this suppression does not eliminate instinct—it drives it underground, into the subconscious, where it festers and becomes distorted.

This creates a vulnerability—a void into which the False Ego inserts itself.

The False Ego: Parasite of the Psyche

The False Ego is not the Nephesh. Rather, it is an artificial self—a reactive mask built out of trauma, fear, conditioning, and social programming. It pretends to be "you," but lives only through denial, projection, deceit, and shame. It must keep its host asleep to maintain control.

In Hermetic psychology, this "mind virus" is the real adversary—not because it is evil in the moralistic sense, but because it hides from light. Its only power is secrecy. Once observed in clarity, it loses its grip. This is why ancient spiritual traditions emphasize Self-Knowledge as the highest command.

"Above all things, know thyself." Not merely as poetic wisdom, but as metaphysical survival. The illuminated individual cannot be controlled. For one who sees through illusion cannot be made a slave.

The Tower: Divine Intervention Against the Lie

Enter The Tower—ATU XVI in the Thoth Tarot, aligned with the Hebrew letter Peh, meaning "mouth." The Tower is the violent, liberating force of Divine Speech, or the Logos, which shatters the constructs of falsehood. In the initiatory journey, the Tower is not punishment—it is revelation. It is the sudden flash of spiritual insight that annihilates the ego’s illusions.

Crowley describes the Tower as the “blasting of the mind by lightning”—a violent but sacred deconstruction of false identity. It is here that the counterfeit structure built by Patriarchal programming—the social lies, the religious guilts, the shame around instinct—is struck down. The Tower does not destroy Truth. It destroys falsehood. It is the sacred apocalypse of the soul.

In a way, the Tower rescues the Nephesh from its chains and releases the imprisoned divine spark hidden beneath layers of conditioning. It is a cleansing fire.

This is not a descent into chaos, but an elevation through destruction. As the Zohar teaches, "There is no ascent without descent, and no building without first breaking down."

The Alchemical Conjunction: Healing the Split

In Hermetic alchemy, the union of opposites is the goal. The Nephesh (instinct) and Neshamah (spirit) must be harmonized through the mediating soul—the Ruach, or rational consciousness. This is the true “magnum opus” of the soul: to bring the dark, primal fires of the unconscious into conscious alignment with the Solar Will.

This is why we must not fear our darkness—but rather befriend it. The shadow, when faced, becomes a guide. The Nephesh, when honored, becomes a guardian. The ego, when understood, becomes a servant rather than a saboteur.

The Path of Immunity

To be immune to evil is not to avoid the world or its temptations, but to know oneself so intimately that one cannot be deceived by false light or false authority. When knowledge leads the Nephesh, the soul walks as sovereign, not subject. The Adept becomes immune to the propaganda of empire, the fear spells of mass media, and the guilt programming of corrupted religions.

This immunity does not make one arrogant—it makes one lucid.

Conclusion: Self-Knowledge is Liberation

In the Thoth Tarot, cards like The Devil (Ayin), The Moon (Qoph), and now The Tower (Peh) all symbolize different phases of confronting the shadow. But none of these cards are evil. They are initiatory gates. They teach that the soul must first undergo fragmentation before it may attain union.

The Tower, then, is the Mercy of Ruin—a lightning-strike of truth that lays bare all lies and clears the field for authentic rebirth.

The shadow does not destroy us. The false self does. And once that Tower falls, the Light of Tiphareth—the True I AM—can shine forth unobstructed.

The Tower and the Fall of Anthropomorphic Illusion: A Hermetic Elucidation

Another, more subtle and esoteric function of The Tower lies not just in the collapse of outer constructs—but in the inner disillusionment of how we perceive spiritual reality itself.

When many first approach the higher planes of consciousness—those sublime vibrations that transcend Malkuth and stir in the Spheres of Netzach, Hod, and Tiphareth—there is a tendency, even among seasoned aspirants, to anthropomorphize these energetic states. One may experience radiant presences, luminous patterns, or internal shifts that feel "otherworldly," and the conditioned mind reflexively interprets these forces through familiar filters: as Archangels, guides, ascended masters, or even "external" gods.

This is not wrong—it is the way we first understand them. But it is incomplete.

Egregores and Cultural Projections

What is being perceived in such moments is not a winged man with a flaming sword or a divine woman in white robes. What is truly being interfaced with is a formless, vibrational intelligence—a living State of Consciousness within the Plasmic Mind of the Macrocosm. The Human Mind, which is built upon names, forms, and dualistic structures, cannot initially comprehend pure force or archetype. It reaches instead for cultural egregores—powerful astral forms generated by centuries of belief, devotion, and emotional projection.

Thus, the mind conjures the angel according to religious iconography or the demon in accordance with inherited superstition.

The Tower as the Ruin of Illusory Divinity

The function of The Tower in this context is profound: it is the destruction of the anthropomorphic veil that obscures the true nature of these higher states. The aspirant who would know God within must learn that these angelic forms are not external beings to be worshipped—they are spiritual dimensions of Self, states of conscious intelligence arising through the Sephiroth and measured within the subtle architecture of the Tree of Life.

Michael, for instance, is not a "person." Michael is the force of solar fire within Tiphareth, the guardian of integrity, truth, and radiant Will. Gabriel is the watery Intelligence of Yesod, dream clarity and receptive intuition, not a celestial mailman in glowing robes.

These realizations often come with psychic discomfort. The veils rip, and what once was comforting becomes raw. The ego clings to its illusion of “separate higher beings” until that Tower falls and the aspirant sees that all these beings are aspects of themselves, projected by culture, reinforced by ritual, and held in place by the lower ego's need for hierarchy.

From Projection to Embodiment

In the Tower's blast, one discovers the sacred inversion: these forces do not exist to rule over you, but to be embodied by you. They are vibrational archetypes of your expanding soul-awareness. As you awaken through the Tree of Life, you do not worship Tiphareth—you become Tiphareth. You do not call down Netzach—you live through it. You do not fear Geburah—you channel its strength with precision.

The false “Me”—that shallow mask of personality assembled from memory, trauma, culture, and the need to be liked—is precisely what The Tower seeks to shatter. And in doing so, it makes way for the True I Am to take form.

This is not a metaphor. It is the metaphysical blueprint of all Hermetic initiation.

True Invocation: Manifesting the Archangelic Self

In the highest form of invocation, one does not summon a being to descend—but awakens the corresponding force within. The aspirant becomes the Archangel. The voice used in ritual becomes the mouth (Peh) of Divine Will. The movements become the dance of the Sephiroth through the body. The ritual robe is not a costume—it is a glyph of embodiment.

The illusion of separateness dies. This is why The Tower is both feared and revered—it is the most liberating violence imaginable.

On the Path of Knowing Thyself

The Hermetic command, “Above all things, know thyself,” is not a moral suggestion. It is the map of evolution. To know thyself is to remove all false layers of ego, culture, religion, and fantasy until only pure awareness remains. Then, and only then, does the aspirant rise from the ruins of illusion and stand sovereign at the center of the Tree.

This self-knowledge is not selfishness. It is divinity rediscovered. It is the awakening of the Adam Kadmon, the Solar Human, the Divine Hermaphrodite who balances all polarities and walks not in worship, but in co-creation with the All.

And it begins, always, with the Fall. With the Tower.

Just to travel in the present, we must destroy the perspectives of our past! For if we are always looking behind, we've never seen the present or the possibility of future pitfalls or success and only loop around and upon yesterday's travel becoming dead to the experience of the self of the moment.

To have true "I" sight, we must always remove the blinding veils of yesterday's views. And yes, the Soul/Solar Self, whose shape is undefined by infinity, is the I AM-anthropomorphizing itself as a Me - a lucid dreamer so that it can experience with intimate certainty, data/information.

When information becomes in-form-Action, Knowledge is produced!

The Western Hermetic Qabalistic Thoth Tarot- Tower Card-Key 16, displays the Hebrew Letter-Peh (bottom of Thoth Card-Not shown on most Traditional Tarot); the Path of Peh (meaning Mouth), the 27th Path on the Tree of Life. Dr. Paul Foster Case (of B.O.T.A. fame) calls the Tower card the 27th Path of Peh," The Exciting Intelligence", as its vibrations excite matter and are simulated in the Mouth, which sends forth vibrations as sound or words. Hod (Splendor), the Sephirotic center of the reasoning process is connected to the center of the intuition-desire nature, Netzach (Victory) by the Path of Peh-THE TOWER. This Path of the Personality brings into balance what is out of balance and is related to Mars, the Roman god of War and the North.

To "speak with the power of Mars" in Western Hermetic Magick refers to embodying and channeling the attributes associated with the planetary and astrological correspondences of Mars during one's speech or verbal magickal workings. Mars, as a planetary force, symbolizes strength, willpower, aggression, determination, courage, and the dynamic drive to overcome obstacles. Speaking with the power of Mars entails several key elements:

1. Assertiveness and Confidence

• Speech driven by Mars should be direct, commanding, and assertive. It lacks hesitation and conveys a sense of authority and self-assurance. This is vital in rituals, affirmations, or invocations where one seeks to manifest control or assert a clear intent.

2. Passion and Fire

• Mars' association with fire lends itself to passionate and energetic expression. Speaking with the power of Mars often involves invoking fervor and intensity, whether for motivation, rallying others, or driving personal transformation.

3. Strategic Intent

• In Hermetic Magick, Mars is not only the planet of brute force but also of strategic action. Speech imbued with this power should be deliberate and purposeful, cutting through ambiguity or resistance like the sharpness of a sword.

4. Overcoming Fear

• The energy of Mars helps transcend timidity or fear. In speaking, this translates to removing self-doubt or inhibition and expressing oneself unapologetically.

5. Vibrational Resonance

• Magicians may use specific vocal tones, vibrations, or chants to align with Mars' energetic qualities. For example:
  • Enunciating martial god-names like Ares, Mavors, or Kamael with resonance and force.
  • Employing mantras or seed sounds (bijas) aligned with Mars' energy, such as "Vam" or other phonetics depending on the tradition.

6. Correspondences in Ritual Speech

• Using the Qabalistic and planetary associations of Mars, such as the Sephirah Geburah on the Tree of Life or invoking the Archangel Kamael, can align one's speech with martial power.
• Symbols such as the sword or the pentagram of Mars may be visualized or invoked to enhance the power behind one's words.

Practical Example:

In a ritual setting, if a magician seeks to break through an obstacle, they might "speak with the power of Mars" by firmly stating a command like:

• "I banish all fear, doubt, and hesitation. By the force of Mars, I claim victory!"

This combines clarity of intent with the dynamic energy of Mars.

Caution:

While the power of Mars is invaluable in certain contexts, it must be wielded wisely. Unchecked Mars energy can become overly aggressive or destructive. In Hermetic practice, balance is key—integrating the fiery force of Mars with the tempering qualities of other planetary forces ensures harmony and effectiveness.

In the context of the Thoth Tarot, the letter Peh (פ) is deeply connected to the astrological and mystical symbolism of Mars, though it represents a specific aspect of the Mars force. The Tower card (ATU XVI) is an embodiment of this connection, weaving together the destructive, transformative, and creative powers of Mars as expressed through the letter Peh.

Peh and Mars in the Qabalistic Framework

1. Astrological Attribution: Mars

   • In the Sepher Yetzirah and the Golden Dawn correspondences, the Hebrew letter Peh is attributed to the planet Mars. Mars is the fiery, active force of destruction and upheaval, qualities that align with the imagery and energy of the Tower card.

2. Peh as the Mouth

   • In Hebrew, Peh means "mouth," which symbolizes expression, communication, and the power of speech. In Hermetic Qabalah, the mouth represents the ability to create or destroy through words, echoing the Mars-like themes of decisive and transformative action.
   • This corresponds with the notion of the "Word" as a force of creation or annihilation, reflecting the archetypal destruction seen in the Tower card.

3. Destruction as Necessary Transformation

   • Mars is not merely a destructive force; it clears away old, stagnant forms to make way for new growth. This is mirrored in the Tower card's imagery of the falling tower, which symbolizes the breaking down of false structures, illusions, or egos to reveal a truer, more authentic reality.

4. Peh on the Tree of Life

   • The letter Peh connects the Sephirah Netzach (Victory, Venus) to Hod (Splendor, Mercury) on the Tree of Life. This path is known as the "Path of the Blazing Intelligence" and reflects the intense energy of Mars breaking through illusions and harmonizing polarities through dynamic action.

Symbolism in the Tower Card

1. The Mouth of Peh

   • On the Tower card, the mouth is sometimes depicted as a consuming force of fiery destruction, akin to a volcano erupting. This mouth can be understood as the voice of divine judgment or the roaring call of Mars that tears down outdated structures.
   • It is a powerful visual metaphor for the release of energy, akin to a shout or explosion, which corresponds to the disruptive yet necessary energy of Mars.

2. The Lightning and Fire

   • The lightning bolt in the Tower card is another manifestation of Mars' energy. It acts as a sudden, fiery intervention that shakes the foundation of reality. In this way, the symbolism of Peh aligns with Mars as a force of purgation and illumination.

3. The War-like Aspect of Peh

   • The Tower card’s chaos reflects the aggressive, martial aspect of Peh. It is the energy of a cosmic warrior dismantling what no longer serves, aligning with Mars' archetype as both a destroyer and a catalyst for transformation.

Peh as a Form of Mars

While Peh is not literally Mars, it is a specific lens or expression of Mars' energy as understood within the Hermetic Qabalistic tradition. Mars is the planetary ruler, while Peh channels Mars' destructive and transformative powers through the metaphor of the mouth—emphasizing the role of speech, creative force, and dynamic energy.

Thus, Peh in the Tower card represents Mars as a force of transformative destruction: the breaking down of structures, the release of pent-up energy, and the clearing of the path for renewal. It reminds the magician that even in chaos, there is a creative, divine force at work, clearing the way for higher understanding and growth.

Traditionally the North was the quarter seen as the "greatest place of darkness", for when the Mysteries were initiated, the North side of King Solomon's temple was the darkest side. But all is not doom and gloom here, as any initiate or aspirant in the Mysteries knows, it is from the darkest night that comes Light and that "enlightenment has its origin in the hidden sources of power which terrify the minds of the ignorant". To us moderns who are familiar with Quantum Physics Theory, it is arguably said that Dark Energy and Dark Matter are the birthplaces of Light energy.

Peh, the Hebrew word, is called a double letter, for it not only means -Mouth but also-Grace-Indignation, a union of opposites. Double letters are considered gateways of the Soul, which have two directions of passage. It is also a fact that the mouth has two passages as well. One passage takes in nourishment into the organic system and another expresses speech. Thus, we can see the similarity between the two actions of the Path of Peh/Tower. For it not only is a devastating Path of the Higher Vibrations that burn away the dross of our false personalities, but it is also the entrance that nourishes the consciousness with the Spiritual knowledge, (enlightenment) from the Real Personality...the one your soul built before you were reconstructed by your indoctrination and dogmatic egregore environmental automatic reactions created by a viral mental control program of victimization.

The Sonic Collapse: Vibration, The Word, and the Towering Masks of the False Self

In Hermetic science, all things begin with vibration. From the Sepher Yetzirah to modern string theory, the hidden doctrine remains the same: the root of all manifestation is sound. The Logos, the Divine Word, is not symbolic—it is literal. In the beginning was vibration, and from that vibration emerged form, frequency, structure, and even the limitations of time and space.

In practical application, this sacred understanding births the ancient practice of chanting, intonation of god-names, and the use of Words of Power to alter the internal and external energetic environment. For the magician, the Logos is not merely spoken—it is embodied, projected as vibrational force, not as mere syllables. The Word is a creative current and a destructive flame, depending upon the will behind it.

It's a dangerous business going out your front door.

J.R.R. Tolkien

The Logos and the Tower: Word as Destroyer of Illusion

In the context of The Tower (ATU XVI), the Logos becomes the weapon of liberation. It is the thunderous shout of the divine within that shatters illusion. The Tower represents more than physical or emotional chaos—it is the collapse of the ego’s reality-construct, particularly those based on inherited beliefs, false morality, religious guilt, social dogmas, and cultural programming. Hence the huddled figure illustrated on the Archeon Tarot -Key 16-the Tower.

To apply the Word to the Tower is to invoke truth so powerful it incinerates delusion.

Each god-name in ritual—whether IAO, YHVH, ALHIM, ABRAHADABRA, or others—functions as a sonic scalpel, carving away the unreal. These are not merely tools of protection or calling spirits. They are frequencies encoded with aeonic consciousness, disrupting the dense masks we wear to survive consensus reality.

The Persona: When the Mask Becomes the Prison

The Latin word persona—meaning "mask"—is not accidental. In ancient Greek theater, the persona was the mask through which the actor’s voice was projected. But the magician’s tragedy is that many forget the mask is not the face. Instead, the mask becomes identified with the self. This is the False Ego: a role mistaken for reality.

The Tower experience is the violent stripping of the mask.

What was once a defensive construct to survive the world—your job title, your religion, your gender role, your trauma-born personality—becomes your cage. The Logos tears it off. And when it does, there is both terror and ecstasy. The terror of no longer knowing who you are, and the ecstasy of finally seeing who you have always been. That terror is easily seen on the Archeon Tarot card as what was once comfortable is now shattered and burning away.

Chanting as Alchemical Fire

To chant is to vibrate the bones. When spoken with intent and full consciousness, Words of Power begin to reorder the self—not from outside in, but from the inside out. The vibration clears energetic pathways, balances the nervous system, and—most crucially—dislodges stagnation in the subtle bodies. The unconscious, built from years of false stories and conditioned response, begins to crack.

This is the inner Tower falling and it tells us to get up and declare ourselves as power without the falsehood of outside authority and the trappings of "stuff". Therefore, the magician chants not to plead with gods—but to become the god, whose voice is truth and whose silence is power.

Each utterance of the Logos becomes a miniature lightning strike—aligning the body, soul, and spirit. Not through coercion, but through resonance with the Real Self, often hidden beneath layers of persona.

The Destruction That Heals

The Tower card shows us the divine violence of awakening. It is the lightning of awareness striking the tower of habitual thought, outdated belief, and masked personality. It is the Tower of Babel collapsing into speechless clarity. It is the death cry of the ego's false "I", and the birth of the True I Am.

The magician’s path is one of constructive destruction: to tear down what is untrue in order to build what is real. In this, the chant becomes the chisel, the god-name the thunderbolt, and the Word the axis of renewal.

Conclusion: Chant, Collapse, Become

To invoke the Logos is to accept the Tower. The Word is not gentle—it is precise. And in this sacred shattering, the old self dies, the mask falls, and the Real Face—the solar, radiant, unnamable Self—emerges from the ashes.

Thus, let the Word burn. Let the chant shake your inner temples. And when the dust settles, do not mourn the loss of the mask. Celebrate the exposure of the Face of the Divine—you.

The lightning flashes seen on the RWS Card are representative of sudden inspiration, or flashes of perception, which occur when we realize our Real Identities.

The Crown Falls: Kether, False Authority, and the Kings of Edan in the Tower Card

The Tower card in the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Tarot is an unmistakable image of divine disruption—a cosmic lightning strike collapsing a towering structure, casting two figures into freefall. Amid the chaos, a crown is seen being violently cast from the top of the Tower. This image, often overlooked in its Qabalistic depth, holds an initiatory key: the fall of false authority and the reclaiming of true sovereignty.

The Crown and Kether: “I Will Be” vs. “I Was Told to Be”

On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, Kether, the first Sephirah, corresponds to Eheieh (אהיה)—“I Will Be”. This is the root of self-conscious divinity, the undivided Spark of Identity as Will. Kether is not a static crown of inherited power, but the inner flame of Becoming—the divine seed of the individualized “I AM.”

However, in the RWS Tower, the crown at the top of the structure symbolizes not the radiant fire of Kether, but the distortion of it: the false crown—a man-made construct of externalized authority. This represents the ego’s illusion of control, societal conditioning, institutional power, and any belief that sovereignty can be given or revoked by something outside oneself.

To wear such a crown is to live under the laws of “I was told to be,” rather than “I Will Be.”

False Crowns: The Illusion of External Power

The Tower strikes at the heart of false sovereignty—the borrowed ideas of selfhood and worth defined by nations, churches, cultures, or ideologies. These are the “crowns” we wear without questioning—education systems that define intelligence, religions that define virtue, governments that define freedom, and social roles that define identity.

But none of these are the Divine Crown of Kether. They are masks of power, not the essence of it. And when lightning—the sudden illumination of divine truth—strikes, these constructs cannot withstand the force.

The crown flying off the Tower shows that true sovereignty cannot be built atop a foundation of external validation. Only that which arises from within—the “I Will Be”—can endure the divine storm.

The Kings of Edan: Consciousness and the Unconscious Cast Down

A lesser-known but profoundly revealing detail is Arthur Edward Waite’s naming of the two falling figures as the Kings of Edan. In Biblical symbolism, Edom (or Edan, a poetic transliteration) is the land of the descendants of Esau—often used in mystical texts as a symbol of the outer man, the ego, or the unrefined soul. Esau, the “man of the field,” is contrasted with Jacob, the inner aspirant who wrestles with the Divine.

The Kings of Edan, then, represent the dual aspects of the uninitiated self:

• One figure represents consciousness: the rational, ego-based mind that clings to the Tower—constructs of belief, logic, reputation, and control.

• The other represents the unconscious: the dream-world self, built from shadow, emotion, trauma, and ancestral programming.

Both are crowned. Both are falling. Why?

Because in the Hermetic path, both must be purified. The Tower does not destroy one aspect of self—it cleanses the totality. Both the solar mask of the conscious mind and the lunar mirror of the unconscious must be dislodged from false thrones so that the true sovereignty of Tiphareth—the Redeemed Self—can arise from the rubble.

The Divine Crisis of Rebirth

This destruction is not evil. It is liberation. The lightning bolt is the creative Logos. The Tower is the ego-structure built without divine proportion. The falling kings are the fragments of the self that must reassemble in truth.

In this moment of collapse, the aspirant is invited to shed all imposed identities. The false king dies. The true sovereign awakens.

This is why in the Thoth deck, Crowley’s Tower shows the Eye of Horus casting down the fortress of illusion. And in the RWS deck, the scene is not merely destruction, but the burning away of false divinity—a necessary prelude to real illumination.

Conclusion: Reclaiming the True Crown

The Tower card is not about chaos for its own sake—it is about the sacred fire that destroys illusion so that the Real Face, the True I AM, may emerge. The crown that falls is not lost—it is revealed to be unworthy. And when the ego surrenders, when both the Kings of Edan fall, the aspirant reclaims the hidden Kether within.

This is the path of “I Will Be.” This is the fire of awakening.

The Striking of the Crown from the Tower also refers to an older, more complex Hebrew mystery of the Circumcision. This is a most secret meaning of the Tower card, which is supported by Gematria as the Hebrew word for circumcision is the same value as the number 85. We also know that in numerology 8+5=13 which is the Death Card and that 13 in numerology is 1+3=4 which is the emperor who is the Authority of Mars and/or the Father as avenger and protector. There is much to research here so I would advise the curious student to do so.

The Hebrew mystery of circumcision is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and spiritual symbolism. It is primarily derived from the covenant between God and Abraham as described in the Torah. Here’s a detailed explanation of its mystical and religious significance:

Historical and Religious Context:

1. Biblical Origin:

   • The practice of circumcision (Brit Milah) is first mentioned in Genesis 17:10-14, where God commands Abraham to circumcise himself and his descendants as a sign of their covenant.
   • It is performed on the eighth day after a male child's birth, symbolizing his entry into the Jewish community and the covenant with God.

2. Spiritual Significance:

   • Covenant (Brit): Circumcision represents a physical sign of the eternal covenant between God and the Jewish people. It signifies dedication and commitment to the divine commandments and the spiritual heritage of Israel.
   • Purification: The act is seen as a removal of physical impurity, reflecting a deeper spiritual cleansing and alignment with divine will.
   • Holiness and Separation: Circumcision marks the Jewish people as distinct and holy, set apart for a unique relationship with God.

Mystical and Kabbalistic Interpretations:

1. Symbol of Unity and Completion:

   • In Kabbalistic thought, circumcision is viewed as completing the human form, symbolizing spiritual wholeness and the union of the physical and spiritual realms.
   • The foreskin is often seen as representing the barriers or veils that separate the physical world from divine light. Its removal symbolizes the unveiling of spiritual truth and the removal of obstacles to divine connection.

2. Sefirot and Divine Emanations:

   • Kabbalah/Qabalah teaches that the body is a microcosm of the divine structure, with different parts corresponding to the Sephirot, the ten attributes through which God interacts with the world.
   • Circumcision is connected to Yesod, the ninth Sephirah, which represents foundation, covenant, and the channel through which divine energy flows into the physical realm.

3. Rectification (Tikkun):

   • The act of circumcision is seen as part of the process of Tikkun, the rectification and repair of the world. By performing this mitzvah (commandment), Jews contribute to the spiritual restoration of the universe.
   • It also signifies personal rectification, helping the individual align more closely with divine will and purpose.

4. Shekinah and Divine Presence:

   • The ritual is associated with inviting the Shekinah, the divine presence, into the life of the individual and the community.
   • It symbolizes a deepening of the relationship between the Jewish people and the Shekinah, fostering a closer connection to God’s presence in the world.

Conclusion

The Hebrew mystery of circumcision is a profound blend of physical, spiritual, and mystical elements. It serves as a powerful symbol of the covenant between God and the Jewish people, reflecting themes of purity, holiness, divine connection, and spiritual completion. Through the lens of Kabbalah, it is seen as a key act in the ongoing process of Tikkun, the rectification and elevation of both the individual soul and the collective consciousness.

To carry on, the fore-stated inner conflict of man-made values and spiritual values, is why Authur Waite and Aleister Crowley subtitled THE TOWER as WAR and the Archeon Tarot Tower card is a scene of war. But this is not a new perspective on the inner conflict of survival persona and the Higher Self, as throughout esoteric literature are depicted these moments of "inner- and outer war". For instance, in the Bhagavad Gita, there is described symbolic battle of self-perspectives, and/or component parts of Self: The Higher Genius is portrayed as Krishna (Solar Logos), guiding Arjuna (lower personality) onto his inner, and personal field of conflict.

We also have the storied example of the destruction of the Tower of Babel illustrating the fact that those who are locked behind the bricks and mortar of any system, culture, words, institutions of man and/ or religion, are unable to see beyond that system to the Divine Unity and purpose which is the Light of all True Self. This is easily seen in today's academia, where tenured professors are unable to accept new discoveries by the untenured "upstarts" who dare to discover outside of academia.

In Western literature, we also have Christ, going through his days in the desert, solitary and alone, while being continually tempted by the lower personality of Satan, (false ego) which relates to the survival-based ego/mind virus, trying to usurp the Rule of the True Ego/Soul/Psyche

Also, I previously mentioned that this card is about the destruction of the old order.

Primarily, the flash of Super consciousness turns all perceptions of personal consciousness upside down and destroys these false conceptions. The 22 Yods (flames) on the RWS Key 16-The Tower card represent the 22 basic modes of consciousness as symbolized in the TAROT KEYS.

The Archeon Tarot-Key 16-The Tower illustrates a cataclysm. However, it is not about the cataclysm, but rather about how you handle it. When cataclysm falls, the temptation to cower in fear is often great and by succumbing recovery is less than a sure thing and one may spend their days in a hollow existence.

The message here is that while grief maybe unpleasant, it is a necessary part of life. To love is to lose. So rather than fear loving, grieve when you must and then learn from it. It is far better to love and lost, than to not love at all. Love fills life. To not love because of fear of loss, denies life.

Religion's god is man-made, and a control mechanism designed to control the minds and actions of others by the few who rule definition. Whereas the Divine Creative is not man-made but has made man and given humans the "freedom to choose" what they do with their mind and self-identity. Therefore, the primary meanings of the Tower Tarot card -key 16- are courage, upheaval, and change.

In Medieval Europe the Tower was called the "blasted tower" or the "house of god".

Often severity visits us because we refuse to change, which is a form of entropy and will not be favored by the Soul. Thus, salvation falls from the Heavens, the lightning and wipes out the obsolete ego, to allow us further progress.

The Love of Spirit (Agapé) demands we stand in our power and not kneel to our weakness. That Power, the ability of our Soul to do work, in the material world, requires adaptation, change, flexibility and often, complete personality self-reconstruction. Attitudes no longer adequate for the situation shall be swept away by the Spiritual motion within for the material world is transitory, as is the personality, but the soul/solar self is immortal in its forward movement of I AM.

Overall, both Tower Cards force us to consider the source of negative life experiences, such as loss of job, illness, and other disasters that arbitrarily befall us. Are these accidents, or are we "reaping what we sow" by using the "false ego" as identity? Such questions must be addressed towards this Archetypal image of the Greater Self: Therefore, scrying this card is recommended.

When the Key 16-The Tower, is thrown in a divination, it implies:

• The instinctive destruction of form.
• The upheaval of values.
• Overcoming one's self-setting the soul free.
• The truth and enlightenment of perception that strikes like lightning and destroys false and/or rigid ideas.
• Breaking open encrustations. 
• Passing through pain to new birth.
• Sudden, massive, and painful change is on the horizon. 
• The need for significant change.
• Releasing belief systems that no longer work.

When reversed:

• Blind destruction.
• Stagnation.
• Lack of insight.
• Unable to make changes. 
• Caught in a negative situation. 
• Imprisonment.

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