Cracking the Crown

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Tower; from the Rumi Cards, "Dazzle:"

          Oh look, another cheerful card from the Albano-Waite. But before I roll my eyes too far up in my head, let me take a closer look. Besides the obvious - the burning building and people tumbling down - there is large crown that is falling from atop the tower. This design is known as a closed crown; rather than simply circling the head, it has bands of metal that cross over the top. It is a wonderful symbol for a power that operates with a closed mind. Such minds can be vulnerable to a rude awakening when what they've invested their stability in (education, money, status, relationships, etc.) suddenly falls apart. But these spiritual experiences aren't meant to crush a person to dust or elevate them to sainthood. As Julia Cameron explains, "Far from making me feel different and special, my [spiritual] experiences made me feel the same, ordinary, and interconnected." We descend from the tower and find ourselves on common ground with all other beings. The Rumi quote describes the time required for the formation of a ruby and implies internal change that occurs over an extended period of time. The Tower can get our attention and redirect our focus, but ongoing growth will move at its own pace.

Most of our experiences are what the psychologist William James calls the "educational variety" because they develop slowly over a period of time. Quite often friends of the newcomer are aware of the difference long before he is himself. He finally realizes that he has undergone a profound alteration in his reaction to life; that such a change could hardly have been brought about by himself alone. What often takes place in a few months could seldom have been accomplished by years of self discipline. With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves.

~ AA "Big Book"