🌿 This week in Sage Leaves… 🌿
As the days shorten and the long nights gather around us, the world enters its quiet descent toward Winter Solstice, that deep pause where the dark stretches to its fullest. This time of year often mirrors the energy of the Tower, the card that shatters what is brittle and reveals what is real. In the stillness of early winter, old structures within us begin to crack, not out of malice but out of necessity, making space for what must emerge. This week’s tarotscope echoes that theme, reminding you that insights can rise in the very moments when things seem to break apart. Together we will explore the Jungian layers of the Tower, and how its fierce clarity can guide you through both the outer season and your own inner thresholds.
The Tower Card As Jungian Archetype
The Tower is one of the most feared cards in the tarot, yet in Jungian terms it is one of the most important. Jung believed that every person carries both a conscious self and a shadow self, and that true growth happens when the old structures of the ego break apart so that deeper truth can rise. The Tower shows this exact moment. It is the sudden collapse of the old story, the outdated belief, the false identity, or the defense mechanism that can no longer hold. The lightning bolt strikes because something has reached its limit. What once protected you now traps you, and a deeper part of the psyche knows it.
In daily life, this card often feels disruptive. It points to events that shake your sense of control and force you to see what you avoided. Jung taught that the psyche pushes toward wholeness, sometimes gently, but sometimes with force if the ego refuses to listen. When the Tower appears, it suggests that you have outgrown something, and the collapse is not punishment. It is a release. The ego may react with fear or anger, but the deeper self recognizes that the structure was already cracking.
The imagery of people falling from the tower represents the fall of the old self. Jung believed that growth often begins with disorientation. When the familiar breaks, you may feel lost, confused, or exposed, yet these states open the door to new consciousness. The Tower pushes you into the unknown so you can discover a stronger and more truthful foundation. In Jungian language, it is an encounter with the shadow that brings insight. When the old mask breaks, the authentic self finally has room to breathe.
The lightning at the top of the card represents illumination that arrives suddenly. Jung often wrote about breakthrough moments where unconscious material rises so quickly that it feels like a jolt. You see something you never saw before. You understand a truth you once resisted. You cannot return to the way things were because your awareness has changed. The Tower is not gentle, but it is honest, and honesty is vital for real transformation.
In the Heroine’s Journey, the Tower marks the turning point when the old life can no longer continue. The heroine cannot keep pretending, performing, or carrying what is not hers. The collapse forces her to step into her power and to make choices based on inner truth instead of outer approval. Jung believed that many people resist this stage because it asks them to surrender old patterns that helped them survive. Yet survival is not the same as living. The Tower tears away what is false so the heroine can finally become whole.
This card also speaks to collective experiences. Jung taught that societies have shadows just as individuals do. When the Tower appears during times of social unrest or cultural change, it reflects the collapse of systems that can no longer support the people within them. It is the breaking of illusions, the exposure of corruption, or the sudden confrontation with truths that were ignored for too long. Although this can feel frightening, it is also the moment when new structures can be built with greater integrity.
“The Tower does not destroy your life. It destroys the lie you were forced to live.”
Emotionally, the Tower asks for courage. It encourages you to pause, breathe, and recognize that destruction and liberation sometimes arrive together. You may not have chosen the break, but you can choose how you meet it. Jung believed that when you face your shadow consciously, you reclaim power that was once locked away. After the Tower, you have a chance to rebuild with awareness instead of fear.
Spiritually, the Tower prepares you for insight. Many traditions describe the moment when the old self breaks open so that a deeper truth can enter. The card symbolizes that moment. When the walls fall, the light can finally reach you. The ground beneath you may feel unsteady, but it is honest ground, and honesty is the beginning of healing.
The Tower is difficult, but it is sacred. It is the storm that clears the air. It is the truth that will not be denied. It is the beginning of a new path, one you can walk with greater strength and authenticity.
Reflection Prompt:
Where in your life are you holding on to a structure that no longer supports you, and what truth might break through if you allowed that structure to fall?
🌿Sage Leaves Weekly Tarotscope
Tarotscope for December 9-15, 2025
This week opens with the sense of something quietly shifting beneath the surface. You can feel movement gathering, not in a dramatic rush, but in a steady rise of awareness and direction. The presence of The High Priestess, The Magician, and The Emperor gives the week a strong structural arc: intuition, intention, and authority. At the same time, the minor cards lean toward the future, and the movement of Neptune, Mercury, and Mars signals a change in inner clarity, outer communication, and practical ambition. This is a week about aligning what you sense, what you choose, and what you pursue. You are asked to move with purpose.
The Cards of the Week
Tuesday: 3 of Pentacles | Moon in Leo Trine Mars in Sagittarius
Wednesday: The High Priestess | Neptune Direct in Pisces
Thursday: The Magician | Mercury Enters Sagittarius
Friday: 6 of Wands | Moon in Libra Trine Pluto in Aquarius
Saturday: Queen of Swords | Mercury in Sagittarius Sextile Pluto in Aquarius
Sunday: The Emperor | Mars in Sagittarius Trine Neptune in Pisces
Monday: 8 of Cups | Mars Enters Capricorn
Tuesday: 3 of Pentacles
The week begins with cooperation and grounded effort. The 3 of Pentacles encourages you to look at your skills and notice where collaboration or support can strengthen what you are building. The Moon in Leo trining Mars in Sagittarius adds enthusiasm and confidence. You may feel recognized for your contributions or ready to take a leadership role in a shared effort. This day sets the tone: you are laying foundations that matter.
Wednesday: The High Priestess
The energy shifts inward as The High Priestess takes center stage. With Neptune turning direct in Pisces, intuition becomes clearer. Fog lifts. What felt uncertain begins to take shape. You may receive quiet insights or feel drawn to trust your inner knowing more than external advice. The Priestess faces you directly, inviting reflection, contemplation, and attention to subtle signals. This is not a day for action. It is a day for understanding what lies beneath your choices.
Thursday: The Magician
With The Magician, intention and skill rise to the surface. Mercury entering Sagittarius encourages open expression, bold ideas, and a willingness to experiment. You have tools available to you now that you may not have noticed before. The Magician recurred from a previous week, reminding you that you are still learning to use your voice with precision. This is a day to set intentions that feel aligned with your deeper purpose, especially those informed by yesterday’s intuition. Thought becomes action.
Friday: 6 of Wands
Momentum builds as the 6 of Wands brings recognition, success, or encouragement. The Moon in Libra trine Pluto in Aquarius supports transformative connection. You may receive positive feedback or see progress in something you have been working toward. This is not about ego. It is about acknowledging your effort and allowing yourself to feel proud of how far you have come. The card faces the future, suggesting that your victories carry you forward.
Saturday: Queen of Swords
The Queen of Swords sharpens your clarity. Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Pluto in Aquarius encourages truth telling. You see what needs to be said, cut away, or clarified. This Queen looks back at the week’s major arcana, as if reviewing what you have learned. She asks you to apply discernment. She invites you to use your voice honestly and without apology. This is a day for decisions made with a clear mind and steady heart.
Sunday: The Emperor
Authority and structure arrive with The Emperor. Mars in Sagittarius trining Neptune brings both drive and vision. The Emperor recurred from a prior week, reinforcing the lesson: step into your leadership. You are being asked to create order, define expectations, or take responsibility for a path that is becoming clearer. This is not rigid control. It is intentional direction. The Emperor looks straight at you, reminding you that you are capable of choosing the shape of your life.
Monday: 8 of Cups
The week ends with a quiet but powerful turning. The 8 of Cups shows a figure turning its back to the viewer, walking into the future and leaving behind something that no longer fulfills. Mars entering Capricorn strengthens discipline and long-range focus. You may realize that it is time to release a pattern, project, or role that has served its purpose. This is not an escape. It is an evolution. You walk toward deeper meaning.
Themes of the Week
This week follows a clear arc:
Intuition leads to intention; intention leads to strategy; strategy leads to change.
The three major arcana create a storyline of inner wisdom (The High Priestess), deliberate action (The Magician), and structured authority (The Emperor). These energies do not contradict each other. They build upon one another, guiding you toward choices that are both inspired and grounded.
The minor cards support this narrative. The 3 of Pentacles lays groundwork. The 6 of Wands rewards your progress. The Queen of Swords clarifies your thinking. And the 8 of Cups opens the path toward change.
The forward-facing minors show movement, while the majors looking at the querent show accountability. You are not drifting through this week. You are participating wholly.
Numerology and Recurrences
The recurrence of The Magician and The Emperor signals an ongoing lesson: use your agency and claim your authority. You are learning to choose consciously rather than react instinctively.
There is one Court: the Queen of Swords, whose singular presence highlights the need for honesty, boundaries, and clear thinking.
Conclusion
This week asks you to blend intuition with action, confidence with clarity, and effort with purpose. You begin by grounding your skills, move through deep inner knowing, choose your direction with intention, celebrate your progress, and then refine your focus before stepping into your authority. By the time you reach the 8 of Cups, you are ready to walk toward what truly matters. Trust the process. Trust the movement. Trust that you are leaving in order to grow.
Reflection:
What truth have you uncovered this week that invites you to step forward with greater clarity, and what are you now ready to walk toward with intention?
As we move toward the Winter Solstice, the nights grow longer and the world settles into its deep exhale. This is the season of quiet reckoning, when the darkness invites you to sit with yourself and listen for truths that are softer than daylight allows. Let these long evenings become a gentle companion as you prepare for the longest night of the year, when the sun pauses before returning. In this stillness you may discover insights that could not surface in brighter seasons. And as you tend your inner hearth, keep an eye out for the Yule Cat, who is said to roam in search of those who have not finished their winter work. Consider that your reminder to rest with purpose, reflect with honesty, and welcome the returning light with a clearer heart.
Until next week, may the cards guide you gently,
—Dr. Winkler
That’s it for this week! Look for Sage Leaves in your inbox on Tuesday afternoons (North American time.) We look forward to exploring more about Tarot, Healing and more! Take care, be well, and good-bye for now!