First Week of November: The Tower

The fall season first brings the excitement and exhilaration of change, then a phase of death and dying. It culminates in a relinquishing of attachment and a time of letting go. In the metaphor of harvest, it’s when we separate the fruit, and then the seeds, from the plants, taking what’s important from all that has grown and letting the rest go. Symbolically, this is the time to separate living essence from dead form.

The deepest weeks of fall are about moving away from physicality—the physicality that was birthed in the spring and grew to fruition in the summer. This fall phase obviously clears the way for another growing season to one day occur, but there’s more to it than simply preparing for the next crop of physical achievements. Attachment to the physical world needs to be released if we’re ever to perceive the true reality of spirit. The death of fall prepares us to receive the spiritual rebirth that comes at the winter solstice.

Loosening our attachment to all that’s old, solid, and familiar isn’t easy. There’s an image in the Tarot that aptly represents this uncomfortable phase of the growth cycle that doesn’t seem to be about growth at all. It’s the “Tower” card, depicting a lightning-struck tower collapsing, with flames shooting out of its windows and people falling to the ground.

The Tarot is an ancient set of images that form a spiritual text of sorts—one made of pictures rather than words, and portraying universal experiences of our human journey. This particular image represents things that may look strong and solid, yet are dead within because they’ve outlasted their time—things that are, as a result, more vulnerable than they appear, like a dead tree ready to blow over in the next big storm. The Tower is an image fraught with crisis and catastrophe, not because letting go has to be disastrous, but because when our human egos have to cope with the uncertainty of releasing what’s familiar, we universally resist, not accepting change until the metaphorical tower crashes down with us still clinging to it.

The falling tower of the ancient Tarot is an image hauntingly similar to the one now so indelibly imprinted into America’s collective awareness since September 11, 2001. The events of 9/11 had an almost a mythic quality, and since then much has tumbled down in this country along with the Twin Towers. Years of war, a shaken economy, floods that had been long predicted but never prepared for—these and more have contributed to the new, bone-deep fear that has shaken our American sense of invulnerability. In a very profound way, we’ve all collectively been drawn into the archetypal myth and the spiritual work represented by the Tower.

Is it necessary to go through extreme crisis to achieve growth? Is this why we so fear change, because it invariably brings bricks and debris crashing down on our heads? Though this is often the case, I don’t believe pain and gain have to go hand in hand. Yet, what would spare us pain is often the hardest action to take—not the most painful, just the most abhorrent. Change without crisis requires a willing deconstruction of our “towers” at the first detection of weakness, before they crash down on us. It requires stepping out of complacency and comfort to work hard when we don’t absolutely have to. It even means being willing to surrender that which has felt like our safest sanctuary.

Following the fall of the Twin Towers, there was hot political debate in the United States. Some argued that George W. Bush’s preemptive war on terrorism was a way of taking down something dangerous before it crashed in on our heads. Others argued that this kind of aggression and defense is itself the anachronistic Tower that’s falling on us. But this debate isn’t relevant to the point of our work here, which is spiritual, not political.

To effect healing through spiritual means, determining the “right” political position isn’t necessary. Spiritual healing only requires creating the essence of healing internally and projecting it outward through conscious intent. It sounds too simple, yet is, perhaps, the most difficult work of all. We create the intangible “essence” that will heal the world by finding and healing the matching wound within ourselves—by bringing down our own personal “towers.” In our lesson work several weeks ago we recognized the villains we most love to hate as being reflections of our own hatred. We can never hope to truly do away with the political evil-doers of the world as long as there are so many of them left, all around us, embedded within each individual.

Perhaps a way to understand this collective abstraction in the context of personal experience is to consider the Tower as a symbol of everything that keeps us in a state of isolation: separate from our highest good, separate from our wisdom and power, separate from other people, from nature, from God. The Tower represents things that separate us from our conscience and from knowing our interrelatedness to all life as dramatically as a skyscraper separates us from the earth.

Bringing down this Tower doesn’t just create destruction and ruble; it creates space. The death of physical form creates space for something spiritual to fill. Our work this month is all about letting go of what’s no longer essential, and as we go about this activity, we’ll also give attention to the intent behind it: to create sacred space for spirit to enter.

Exercise I: Identifying and Bringing Down Your “Tower”

This exercise works through the randomness of synchronicity to give you a glimpse into the workings of your own shadow. The shadow is a part of us that’s semi- or completely unconscious, and synchronicity, set in motion through ritual and spiritual intent, is a helpful way to bypass the filters of ego and see things our conscious mind might miss or dismiss. Consequently, to receive the full benefit from this exercise, it’s important to complete each step before reading ahead to the next.

Questions for Thought
What change do you most want to bring into your life at this time?
How have you been resisting change? Specifically, how have you been avoiding taking a next step that’s been calling to you? How are you not letting go of what you no longer need? Are there ways you’re choosing comfort over growth? How are you controlling too tightly out of fear instead of trusting the process of life?
The Ritual

In a room where you can have some private, undisturbed time, create five stations around the edges of the room, with a lit candle at each one. Mark them clearly with 3×5 cards or post-it notes as stations one, two, three, four, and five. Create a comfortable seat for yourself in the middle of the candles where you can do the following meditation. (Be sure not to drift off to sleep with lit candles.)

Meditation

Relax your body and quiet your thoughts with some deep, slow breaths. Turn your attention inward and let your sense of identification shift from the small self of your personality and body to your spiritual Higher Self. Imagine yourself as more than your body, thoughts, emotions, and personal history. Recognize yourself as a beautiful, radiant being of light and see the Higher Selves of other students in this program now joining you. We’ve all gathered, beyond the illusionary limits of space and time, in a magnificent, sacred arena in the spiritual realm. Together we form a powerful circle for spiritual awakening. First you see those who are currently in this program, and then, because in the spiritual realm time is an illusion, you also see the lights of all the souls who have in the past and will in the future gather in this circle created by our intent.

Recognize how much stronger we are together than separately. It’s not necessary that we ever meet face to face. Our joined intentions are enough to quicken our growth, awaken our intuition, and amplify our healing power. What has seemed difficult in the past will come more easily now. Take a moment to feel the energy of the circle building.

We’ve joined in power today to help in the important work of bringing down the Towers of our world and to heal the painful illusions of separateness. We’re not alone in this work; many souls are committed to it and our intent to serve the highest good links us to forces of love much greater than our own personal power. Picture our circle of light linking to a much larger network of souls, creating an unstoppable force for good.

Yet, while we do this work of preparation with so many others, the next step is one we must take alone, because the Towers of separateness that plague our world have their roots within each of us.

So, let yourself go into darkness now: imagine the darkness of the season surrounding you, the dimming light making the darkness within yourself easier to see. Look deeply into the dark and see aspects of your personality that you’ve denied and hidden in the shadows. Take out and examine the part of yourself that clings to self-righteous anger and being right at the expense of being at peace; the side that would rather win than love and be loved.

Now look at your cheating, greedy side: the part that will grab a bit more for yourself at someone else’s expense if you think you can get away with it. How have you taken something, even though it felt wrong? A little fudging on taxes? Failing to correct a mistake at the cash register? Cheating on a spouse? Leaving others to do your work?

Now, take a look at the fearful, controlling side of yourself. How are you overly critical of others? (If you believe you’re only critical of yourself, look deeper.) How do you try to control and manipulate others to get your way? How do you try to control the events in your life? How do you even try to tell God what to do?

Next, look at the miser that lives within you, the part that fearfully hoards what you have, be it material or emotional, and finds excuses not to share. Do you give materially so you don’t have to give love? Do you give time so you don’t have to share your money? Look at all that you withhold out of fear.

Now see the side of yourself that prefers to do nothing at all. This is the part that doesn’t take a stand for what’s right; that looks the other way; that waits for someone else to do it and convinces yourself that you can’t make a difference anyway, so why bother. How many important decisions have you made by making none at all?

Look at all the parts of yourself that are too shameful to bring out into the light of day: your lies and secrets, the things you don’t want anyone to know about you, your hidden fears, petty acts, and shameful thoughts—all of it. Let the opportunity of this darkening season help you see more clearly than ever before what you’ve kept hidden in the shadows of your own being.

For the moment, it’s enough to simply face yourself. This in itself is a courageous act. Let go of judgment, shame, and blame and just be with yourself. Let go of explanations and justifications and just be. Let your body relax and your mind become still. Breathe. Be with yourself and be at peace.

Let all your walls of defense fall to pieces; you don’t fight it or try to control it. Let go of trying to hide your secrets and imagine just letting people see. Let go of working to be who you think you should be. Let go of everything you feel you must manage and hold together. Let go of blaming. Let go of guilt and shame.

Now, imagine letting go of everything you think you are: being good, being bad, being right, being afraid, being angry, being not good enough, being special, being a victim, being in control. Let them all fall away. Let go of knowing who you are for certain. Just let go and be with the person who’s left.

With all that you’ve released, who are you now free to be? What’s possible that wasn’t before? Open your mind to the higher plan Spirit may have for you when you let go and make space.

Preserving your meditative state, gently rise and slowly walk around the room, taking in the five stations. Taking as much time as you need, allow yourself to be drawn to one of them. Whatever station you pick will have an important message for you. Know that you can’t pick the wrong one, so there’s no need to think as you do this. Simply walk peacefully, being in the surrendered place of your meditation until you’re ready to choose a station. When you’ve found your place, read on.

Some of the Towers Common to Us All

For anyone ready to undertake the courageous work of bringing your own inner Tower down before it collapses, the following is an articulation of some of the more powerful Towers that drive our world, and the seductive messages they scream in our heads. Each one is followed by the quieter whisper of Spirit that always offers another option precisely where we’re sure none exist.

As you read through these, notice which Towers have the strongest hold on you and ask yourself what it would take for you to bring this construction down willingly without it taking a life crisis to motivate you to action.

The Tower of “Judgment and Blame” offers a seamless debate. It says, “My way is the right way! I know I’m right, why should I be the one to back down? Forgiveness needs to be earned. It’s their fault. I’m justified in putting those who’ve hurt me out of my heart.”

(What would I do differently if I loved peace as much as I have loved being right? If world peace depended upon my forgiveness, would I be willing?)

The Tower of “Complacency,” the great procrastinator, lulls us to sleep: “It’s easier not to. I can do it later. I’m comfortable where I am. If I look the other way I won’t have to get involved.”

(What would I do differently if I valued joy and fulfillment even more than I value comfort?)

The Tower of “No Faith” buries us in self-pity: “Good things happen to other people, not me. God is far away/doesn’t exist/doesn’t listen. It’s too late/too hard/too impossible. One person can’t really make a difference.”

(What would I do differently if I believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that everything I do and think makes a difference?)

The “Control” Tower disguises fear and self-loathing behind a mask of perfectionism and tells us, “If I control everything, I’ll be safe. No one can do it as well as me. I don’t trust people/God to be there when I need them. If I can’t know and control all the details of my next step, I’m not moving.”

(If I just let everything fall to pieces and found that I had survived, that the world had survived without me, who would I be then, and what would I be free to do?)

The Fear-ridden “Greed” Tower warns us of imminent scarcity: “There’s not enough of anything good to go around so I need to hold on to what I have and amass more. I need to think of myself first because nobody else will.”

(If I understood that I only get to keep what I’m willing to lovingly share, what would I do with the material and intangible riches I have held the tightest?)

Your Tower

Each of the stations you made in your room corresponds to one of these five Towers. If you didn’t read ahead in the exercise, your conscious mind didn’t know which station represents which Tower, but your intuitive mind did and you’ve been guided to the one that most stands in the way of your highest good at this time.

If you chose station 1, the Tower of “Judgment and Blame” is the one that most need’s your attention.

If you chose station 2, it’s the Tower of “Complacency.”

Station 3 is the Tower of “No Faith.”

Station 4 is the “Control” Tower.

Station 5 is the Tower of “Greed.”

Action

Review what’s written about this Tower and honesty reflect on how this expression of separateness is currently driving your life. Feel our circle of light and the greater network of souls still present with you, amplifying your insight, courage, and power to change. Read the healing option of spirit that corresponds to your Tower and find a way you’re willing to act in this manner in the coming weeks.

Closing the Ritual

Complete your ritual by thanking the souls in our circle, the greater network of souls, and all the invisible forces of love and light that have been with us. If you’d like, make an affirmative declaration related to healing your Tower of separateness. For example: “All that I have I share in love because I know love comes back to me multiplied.” Or, “I now choose love over blame.” Or, “I now trust God, myself, and the process of life.” When your experience feels complete, blow out your candles.

More Questions for Thought
What physical structures of your life that once seemed solid have fallen apart in your most recent history? This would include unexpected changes in circumstance that resulted in loss, such as losing a job, losing a relationship, loss of health, death of a loved one, or any kind of disruptive change in the solid predictability of your life.
Assume that whatever fell apart created a sacred space for something important to enter. What do you imagine that is?

Exercise II: Creating Sacred Space

Every day of November see if you can find something nonessential to let go of, with the intention of creating space for what is essential. Begin with your material things, letting go of things you don’t want, don’t use, don’t need, have too much of, or are just willing to share. If your home is filled with clutter and trash, you may have a lot to choose from. If you’ve streamlined your material possessions down to the basics, look in the back of your refrigerator or medicine cabinet. If you feel there’s nothing left, then pare down your activities, your words, your habits. As you do this, imagine that you are creating sacred space.