The Meaning of the Castle and its Presence in the Tarot Deck
In its simplest form, it represents a goal, an ideal of progress, usually after a long search. When we take a quick look at all the cards in the Rider-Waite deck that feature a castle, we often see it in the background, off in the distance.
Seeing the castle from afar, at a distance, ends up feeling like a reward or prize for what awaits us after we’ve been on a quest for greater knowledge or advancement.
Cards where we can find castles include:
- The Chariot
- Ace of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Nine of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
- Eight of Swords
- Five of Cups
- Seven of Cups
In almost all these cards, the castle appears in the distance, far from the main character of the card. It’s a kind of reminder of our reward (a deferred gratification), and whether this prize is monetary, spiritual, romantic, or something else, the castle represents the ultimate result of the investment made in the journey of life. Even when it takes a more prominent position in the image, like in the Seven of Cups, the castle still alludes to goals that need to be reached, something to focus on.
In the Seven of Cups, the castle is an option to be chosen among other offerings, but what kind of option is it? This is where we can expand our intuitive ideas about the castle as a Tarot symbol. This is a great thing because a broader view of castles helps us realize they symbolize much more than just reaching a goal.
Other symbols we can associate with castles include:
- Protection
- Wealth
- Strategy
- Defense
- Structure
- Strength
- High idealism
- Dreams / Fantasy
- Comfort
- Sanctuary
Simplifying the Meaning of the castle to something basic and elemental, we find that it’s essentially a home, a dwelling, and in its golden era in history, the castle was a grand symbol of protection. Everyone, from royalty to animals, would take refuge within its thick stone walls.
So, when castles appear for you in a Tarot reading and call to your awareness, consider all these possible symbolic meanings in connection with the rest of the cards in the spread.
All these meanings likely relate to you and your life, whether in your past, present, or future. Don’t forget that you surely have a goal to achieve, a reward, something you want and need, which the cards show as far off in the background of the image, but also in the hallways of that mysterious and infinite castle that is your own mind.
