I Carry The Tower Card Around In My Purse | Inner Alchemy
An intro into meaning making systems and why they matter in our self discovery journeys
I’m not exactly sure when I pulled the Tower card. I know it’s been in my wallet for over a year now. Originally, it didn’t have much meaning, or maybe I should say, it’s meaning felt fairly generic.
The Tower represents a significant and abrupt change that might just take you out and crumble your life down to the basics.
The meaning I applied to this card at the time of pulling it was related to a big life change I had chosen for myself. I left a job that I loved, with coworkers I adored, and a six-figure salary that made life… comfortable.
Leaving this job wasn’t the lightning striking my Tower — no that was me leaping to safer ground as my “perfect” castle crumbled beneath my feet. Burnout had been progressively chipping away at the foundations for 18 months when my lightening moment came — it was 11PM on the yoga mat. I was trying to follow the workout plan my amazing trainer1 made me. I had been investing in all the practitioners to make me feel better, while ignoring the deeper knowing that my tower could fall at any moment and that I was yearning for more…
More time for creative pursuits.
More autonomy over my energy.
More innate recognition in my work.
I am now ✨ recovered ✨2 from burnout and I’m actively building the new era of my life… so why do I carry the Tower Card around with me still??
The thing about meaning making systems — from the Tarot, to strengths assessments, to human design — is the meaning comes from us. Sure, they bring structure, logic, methods, frameworks, and even thought provoking wisdom; but we are the ones that add the meaning.
This ability to create meaning is one of the most beautiful things we do as humans, it’s the foundational magic we’ve been practicing since childhood.
Think of your childhood stuffed animal, that’s ratty and tired… that you’ve stored away in your closet, under your pillow, or maybe in a box somewhere. You might not remember when you first received a shinier version of this childhood staple, yet I’m sure you can feel it’s meaning to you as you read this.
Even as children, we attached energy and meaning to these inanimate objects.
My childhood stuffed animals represent comfort, safety, and security. They were my sleeping companions and sometimes they still are. They are signals that I am safe, my inner child, Pumpkin, is safe, and I can sleep.
They have meaning, because I choose to infuse them with meaning.
We have the power to see & attach meaning to anything. What’s even cooler about this power is that when something has meaning to someone, we can feel it — even if it doesn’t have meaning to us.
To all the sensitive souls out there, you’re exceptionally good at this; you have the ability to see and sense meaning in the most mundane things.
Creating meaning is a gift.
Seeing and understanding meaning is a gift.
So that’s the meaning part of meaning making systems. Meaning comes from the heart — our magnetic monopole that operates on the frequency of love.
Systems, on the other hand, come from our minds. The left brain stimulating frameworks that we can sink our cognitive teeth into.
I LOVE A SYSTEM.
From natural systems we learnt about in 4th grade science, to complex and integrated systems like Human Design, to the many systems we have running in our bodies; we live in a systematic world — it’s extraordinary!
Systems are a cognitive way to understand the world around us. Meaning is the energy we attach to things, ideas, places, and anything else.
So, meaning making systems are systems that help us use our meaning making power and direct our energy.
The Tarot is one such system. If you know one Tarot deck, you know the system, so you’d likely be able to pick up any Tarot deck and get the jyst. Each card is assigned a generic meaning, bought to life by the artwork, written description, and the reader but at the end of the day it is the querent or seeker who creates meaning from the cards that get pulled. The Tarot is fun, because it is not whether a person believes or not that the Tarot has magic unseen forces “making” a card come out; No, it’s our willingness to allow meaning to be made, regardless of the card that appears.
The same goes for personality tests, Astrology, Human Design, and even the human nervous system and our bodily sensations. It’s not about the tool, it’s about us.
So, back to the Tower Card, whose edges have softened from the opening and closing of my wallet. The meaning that card holds for me has shifted. Before it was a reminder to give myself grace in the face of burnout. Now, it is a reminder of the grief, pain, anger, shame, and sadness I’ve overcome. It’s a reminder of how strong I am. It holds the energy I need to keep going when shit is hitting the fan and I find myself crying on the bathroom floor again.
The Tower card says, “Girl, get the fuck up. No way are you dishonouring your past selves by letting this take. you. down.”
Suddenly, a card whose classic keywords are “chaos”, “change”, “uphevel”, “destruction”, and “crisis” has become a symbol of perseverance, hope, and compassion.
All because I created that meaning for it.
It’s a reminder.
It’s a signal of chaos & change.
It’s a token of my spirituality.
It’s just a simple piece of paper.
All are true AND the things we choose or subconsciously attach meaning to tells us a lot about ourselves.
I invite you, over the next week or month, to notice what you attach meaning to. Whether it be ideas, objects, even the people in your life.
Are they things intentionally designed to help you make meaning? Are they objects that hold your memories? Are they people who hold specific roles in your life? Are they words and symbols? Are they abstract? Are they logical?
Again, you are the one who decides what has meaning to you.
Self discovery, at the end of the day, is just a journey of meaning.
And tools created with the intention of helping us find meaning and direct our meaning making powers are, arguably, essential to our Self Discovery pursuits.
I don’t believe one system is the greatest, but if I get curious, every system reveals or affirms a truth within me.
All systems are just attempts for us to understand this world, this life, and our place within it.
None is correct because correct is absolute.
And with the vast and nuanced world in front of our eyes, how can we believe in absolutes?
That said… here are my current favourite meaning making systems that I’ll be continuously exploring, studying, and sharing:
Tarot (and Oracle) Cards
Human Design
Values Frameworks
Genekeys
Astrology
Matrix of Destiny
Strengthscope
Embodiment (Nervous System Mastery)
Emotional Consciousness
The Chakra System & Other Yogic Wisdom
Chinese Medicine
The Scientific Method
And of course, the frameworks I am currently forming: The Multidimensional Self™, The Multidimensional Cycle™ and The Multidimensional Self Journey™
Ready to experiment with some of these meaning making systems yourself?
In an effort to stay connected with this amazing community throughout the summer season, I am offering 1:1 sessions for 40% off.
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Embodied Coaching 1:1
1 hour 30 minutes @ CA$250.00 CA$150.00
My absolute favourite thing is when my clients feel comfortable enough to swear at me, usually because they had an epic realization, a mindset shift that reframed their existence on this planet, or simply because I held the space for them to come to the conclusion that is truly aligned. Clients I work with manifest pregnancies, overcome relationship challenges, and up-level their careers in ways they couldn't even imagine before. You get to have your dream life, and I'm here to help you find the path to it.
Intuitive Tarot Reading
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Curious what messages and meanings will come through your cards? In this intuitive session, Selena will help you set intentions and get clear on your inquires. Then she'll pull and intuitively read your cards. Get curious and be ready to explore how the messages of the cards are showing up in your life!
Strengths Assessment & Coaching
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Knowing and understanding your strengths can be a transformative tool as you make decisions and direct your career aspirations. When you say yes to this session, you’ll receive a strengths assessment from Strengthscope which will help you identify your significant 7 strengths and unique strengths fingerprint. In your 1:1 Session with Selena, you’ll debrief your report and set intentions to take a strengths based approach to your work.
Human Design Reading — 1:1 Session
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This embodiment system allows you to take your power back, starting with how you make decisions all the way into your unique gifts and purpose in this lifetime. Whether you're just dipping your toes in or you're ready to dive down, down, down the epic rabbit hole, I am here to be your guide. Customize this reading to meet your unique needs and glean exactly what you need from this beautiful and logical system.
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As of writing this, I am not convinced I’ll ever fully recover from burnout. The experience was transformative and the residue stays.