Visconti-Sforza Tarot (Pierpont-Morgan Bergamo 1451): The Tower
Chaos. Sudden change. Impact. Hard times. Crisis. Revelation. Disruption. Realizing the truth. Disillusion. Crash. Burst. Uncomfortable experience. Downfall. Ruin. Ego blow. Explosive transformation. Disaster. Upheaval. Sudden change. Revelation.
The Tower, which is depicted in some older decks as Fire, or Lightning, is a symbol of catastrophe. It harks back to the story of the Tower of Babel, in which God destroyed a tower built by humankind to reach the heavens. The catastrophe depicted by The Tower can be physical, or it can be a metaphorical or spiritual crisis. The Tower represents chaos in the questioner's life, and this may be as great as a crash or a downfall, or as small as an uncomfortable experience or a blow to the ego. The Tower card is not wholly negative, as it can also depict a revelation or a sudden realisation of the truth, along with explosive transformation.
Reversed Meaning: Avoidance of disaster. Fear of change.
This card can represent an avoidance of disaster, or a crisis narrowly averted. It may also represent a fear of change in the questioner's life.