Post-Traumatic Growth: The Star Card After the Tower

BY NICOLE LAU

The Tower falls. Everything you knew, everything you built, everything you believed—destroyed in an instant. You're in the rubble, devastated, broken.

And then, after the dust settles, after the grief, after the long dark night—The Star appears. Hope. Healing. Renewal. A different kind of strength.

This is post-traumatic growth: the profound positive change that can emerge from the struggle with trauma. Not despite the trauma, but because of the deep work you did to heal from it.

You don't just survive. You transform. You become someone you couldn't have been without going through the fire.

This is your complete guide to post-traumatic growth and the journey from Tower to Star.

Understanding Post-Traumatic Growth

What Is Post-Traumatic Growth?

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is positive psychological change that occurs as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances.

Coined by psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun, PTG is NOT:

• Toxic positivity ("Everything happens for a reason!")
• Minimizing trauma ("It wasn't that bad")
• Spiritual bypassing ("Just be grateful")
• Denying pain ("Look on the bright side")

PTG IS:

• Real, measurable positive change
• Growth that comes FROM the struggle, not instead of it
• Transformation through deep healing work
• Becoming stronger in broken places

The Five Domains of Post-Traumatic Growth

1. Greater appreciation of life: Deeper gratitude, savoring moments, not taking things for granted
2. Warmer, more intimate relationships: Deeper connections, more authentic relating, increased compassion
3. Greater sense of personal strength: "If I survived that, I can handle anything"
4. Recognition of new possibilities: New paths, new identities, new purposes that wouldn't have emerged otherwise
5. Spiritual or existential development: Deeper faith, new meaning, connection to something greater

The Tower Card: Trauma as Destruction

The Tower's Symbolism

Traditional Tower card imagery:

• A tower struck by lightning
• People falling from the tower
• Destruction, chaos, collapse
• Everything falling apart

The Tower represents:

• Sudden trauma or crisis
• Destruction of old structures (beliefs, identity, life)
• Forced change
• Loss of control
• The moment everything falls apart

The Tower as Necessary Destruction

The Tower destroys what was false, unstable, or no longer serving you.

• False beliefs about safety
• Illusions of control
• Identities built on shaky foundations
• Relationships or situations that needed to end

The Tower is brutal. But sometimes, things need to fall apart so something truer can be built.

The Star Card: Hope and Renewal

The Star's Symbolism

Traditional Star card imagery:

• A woman kneeling by water
• Pouring water onto land and into water
• Stars shining above (one large, seven small)
• Peace, hope, renewal

The Star represents:

• Hope after despair
• Healing after trauma
• Renewal and rebirth
• Connection to something greater
• Faith restored
• The light after darkness

Why the Star Follows the Tower

In the tarot's Major Arcana, The Star (17) comes immediately after The Tower (16).

This is not coincidence. It's the journey:

1. Tower: Everything falls apart
2. Star: Hope emerges from the rubble

You can't skip the Tower to get to the Star. The Star's hope is only possible because you survived the Tower's destruction.

The Journey from Tower to Star

Phase 1: The Tower (Impact)

The trauma happens. Everything falls apart.

• Shock, disbelief
• Acute crisis
• Survival mode
• World turned upside down

What you need: Safety, stabilization, basic survival

Phase 2: The Rubble (Aftermath)

The immediate crisis passes. You're left in the wreckage.

• Grief, anger, despair
• PTSD symptoms
• Loss of meaning
• "Why did this happen?"

What you need: Support, therapy, time to grieve

Phase 3: The Rebuilding (Processing)

You begin the hard work of healing.

• Therapy (EMDR, somatic work, etc.)
• Processing trauma
• Challenging old beliefs
• Slowly rebuilding

What you need: Professional help, patience, self-compassion

Phase 4: The Integration (Transformation)

You integrate the trauma into your life story. You're changed, but whole.

• New sense of self
• Deeper wisdom
• Changed priorities
• New meaning

What you need: Continued practice, community, purpose

Phase 5: The Star (Post-Traumatic Growth)

You emerge transformed. Not the same as before, but stronger, deeper, more alive.

• Appreciation for life
• Deeper relationships
• Personal strength
• New possibilities
• Spiritual growth

What you need: To share your story, to help others, to live your new truth

Practices for Cultivating Post-Traumatic Growth

Meaning-Making Practice

Find meaning in your trauma (not "it happened for a reason," but "what can I make of this?").

1. Journal: "What have I learned from this experience?"
2. "How have I grown?"
3. "What matters to me now that didn't before?"
4. "What new possibilities have emerged?"

Gratitude Practice (Post-Trauma)

Not toxic positivity—genuine appreciation for what survived or emerged.

• "I'm grateful I survived"
• "I'm grateful for the people who supported me"
• "I'm grateful for the strength I discovered"
• "I'm grateful for the clarity about what matters"

The Star Meditation

Connect with hope and renewal (15 minutes).

1. Sit with The Star card
2. Visualize yourself as the figure in the card
3. You've survived the Tower. You're here, by the water, under the stars.
4. Feel the peace, the hope, the renewal
5. Pour water (symbolizing healing) onto the earth and into the water
6. Look up at the stars (connection to something greater)
7. Affirm: "I have survived. I am healing. Hope is returning. I am renewed."

Sharing Your Story

When you're ready, sharing your story can deepen PTG.

• Write about your experience
• Share in support groups
• Help others going through similar trauma
• Create art, music, or other expression

Important: Only share when YOU'RE ready, not because you feel pressured.

Living Your New Values

Trauma often clarifies what truly matters. Live accordingly.

• If relationships matter more now, invest in them
• If time feels precious, stop wasting it
• If authenticity matters, stop pretending
• If purpose matters, pursue it

What Post-Traumatic Growth Looks Like

Greater Appreciation of Life

• Savoring small moments
• Not taking things for granted
• Deeper gratitude for being alive
• Awareness of life's fragility and preciousness

Deeper Relationships

• More authentic connections
• Less tolerance for superficiality
• Deeper empathy and compassion
• Willingness to be vulnerable

Personal Strength

• "I survived that. I can handle this."
• Confidence in your resilience
• Less fear of future challenges
• Trust in your ability to cope

New Possibilities

• Career changes aligned with new values
• New relationships or communities
• Creative pursuits you wouldn't have tried before
• Advocacy or helping others

Spiritual Growth

• Deeper faith or spirituality
• New understanding of life's meaning
• Connection to something greater
• Acceptance of mystery and uncertainty

What Post-Traumatic Growth Is NOT

• NOT erasing the trauma: The trauma still happened. PTG doesn't undo it.
• NOT being glad it happened: You can grow from trauma without being grateful for it.
• NOT constant happiness: You can have PTG and still have bad days, triggers, grief.
• NOT required: Not everyone experiences PTG, and that's okay. Survival is enough.

When Post-Traumatic Growth Doesn't Happen

Not everyone experiences PTG. And that's okay.

Reasons PTG might not occur:

• Trauma is too recent (PTG takes time)
• Ongoing trauma (can't grow while still in danger)
• Lack of support or resources
• Severe mental health issues
• Personal factors (some people are more prone to PTG than others)

If you don't experience PTG:

• You're not doing anything wrong
• Survival is enough
• Healing doesn't require growth
• You're still worthy and whole

The Tower and Star Spread

A tarot spread for understanding your journey from trauma to growth (5 cards).

1. Card 1 (Center): The Tower—What was destroyed?
2. Card 2 (Left): What I lost
3. Card 3 (Right): What I gained
4. Card 4 (Bottom): Where I am now in the journey
5. Card 5 (Top): The Star—What hope/growth is emerging?

The Deeper Truth

The Tower destroys. The Star renews. Both are necessary.

You don't grow from trauma by denying the pain. You grow by moving through it, processing it, integrating it, and allowing it to transform you.

Post-traumatic growth is not about being grateful for trauma. It's about refusing to let trauma be the end of your story.

The Tower fell. But you're still here. And from the rubble, something new is growing.

The Star is rising. Hope is returning. You are being reborn.

Next: Forgiveness Work—when and how (and when not to).