Quitting Your Job as a Spiritual Initiation: The Tower Moment

BY NICOLE LAU

In the tarot, The Tower is the card everyone fears. Lightning strikes. The structure crumbles. People fall. Everything you built collapses in an instant.

But The Tower isn't punishment—it's liberation. It destroys what was never meant to stand. It clears space for what's real.

Quitting your job—especially when it's been your identity, your security, your entire adult life—is a Tower moment. It's not just a career change. It's a death and rebirth. An initiation into a new version of yourself.

This article isn't about whether you should quit (only you know that). It's about understanding quitting as a spiritual initiation—and how to navigate it with consciousness, courage, and grace.

The Anatomy of The Tower Moment

The Tower comes in two forms:

The Forced Tower (You're Fired, Laid Off, or Pushed Out)

The universe makes the decision for you. You didn't choose this—it chose you. You're in freefall before you even realize the ground is gone.

The gift: No decision paralysis. The path forward is clear because there's no going back.

The challenge: Processing the shock, grief, and identity loss while simultaneously figuring out what's next.

The Chosen Tower (You Quit)

You see the cracks in the foundation. You know it's time to leave. But you have to pull the trigger yourself—and that requires immense courage.

The gift: You're claiming your agency. You're choosing yourself.

The challenge: Doubt, guilt, fear of making the wrong choice, and the weight of responsibility for what comes next.

Both are initiations. Both are sacred. Both will transform you.

Why Quitting Your Job Is a Spiritual Initiation

1. It's an Ego Death

Your job is often your identity. When someone asks "What do you do?" you answer with your title. Your ego is built around this role.

When you quit, you lose that identity. You're no longer "the marketing manager" or "the lawyer" or "the teacher." You're just... you. And you have to figure out who that is.

This is ego death—the dissolution of the constructed self. It's terrifying. It's also necessary for spiritual growth.

2. It's a Trust Initiation

Quitting requires trusting something you can't see yet. You're leaving the known for the unknown. You're betting on yourself, on the universe, on the possibility that there's something better waiting.

This is faith in action. Not blind faith—but the kind of faith that says: "I don't know how this will work out, but I trust that it will."

3. It's a Worthiness Test

Staying in a job that drains you is often a worthiness issue. You don't believe you deserve better. You don't believe you're capable of more. You don't believe you're allowed to want something different.

Quitting is the moment you declare: "I am worth more than this. I deserve alignment. I am capable of creating what I need."

That's a radical act of self-love.

4. It's a Surrender Practice

You can plan your exit, save money, line up your next move—but ultimately, you have to surrender to the unknown. You can't control what happens after you quit. You can only trust the process.

This is the spiritual practice of letting go.

The Three Phases of the Quitting Initiation

Phase 1: The Reckoning (Before You Quit)

What's happening: You know you need to leave, but you're wrestling with fear, doubt, and logistics.

Spiritual work:

• Get honest: Why are you really staying? Fear? Money? Identity? Obligation? Name it.
• Clarify your why: Why do you need to leave? What's calling you forward? Write it down.
• Do the practical work: Save money, research options, build a plan. Spirituality doesn't replace strategy.
• Seek signs: Pay attention to synchronicities, dreams, tarot pulls. The universe is speaking—are you listening?
• Set a deadline: Don't wait for the "perfect" moment. Choose a date. Commit.

Tarot practice: Pull cards asking:

• "What happens if I stay?"
• "What happens if I leave?"
• "What does my soul need?"

Phase 2: The Leap (The Moment You Quit)

What's happening: You've made the decision. You're giving notice or walking away. The ground is crumbling beneath you.

Spiritual work:

• Ritualize it: Don't just send an email. Mark this moment as sacred.
• Grieve: Even if you hated the job, you're losing something. Let yourself feel it.
• Protect your energy: People will have opinions. Don't absorb them. Your decision is yours.
• Stay grounded: The adrenaline and fear will be intense. Breathe. Move your body. Touch the earth.

Quitting ritual:

1. Write a letter to the job/company/role. Thank it for what it gave you. Release it for what it couldn't.
2. Burn the letter (safely) or tear it up and dispose of it.
3. Say: "I release this chapter. I honor what was. I step into what's next. I am free."
4. Take a ritual bath or shower to cleanse the old energy.
5. Light a white candle for new beginnings.

Phase 3: The Void (After You Quit)

What's happening: You're in the in-between. The old is gone. The new hasn't arrived yet. You're in the void.

Spiritual work:

• Resist the urge to fill the void immediately: Don't rush into the next job just to escape discomfort. Sit in the unknown.
• Rest deeply: You're likely exhausted from years of misalignment. Rest is not laziness—it's recovery.
• Reclaim yourself: Who are you without the job? What do you actually want? What lights you up?
• Trust the timing: The void is where transformation happens. Don't skip it.

Void practices:

• Daily meditation or journaling: "Who am I becoming?"
• Creative expression: Paint, write, dance—let your soul speak
• Nature immersion: Walk, hike, sit by water—reconnect with natural rhythms
• Divination: Tarot, astrology, oracle cards—ask for guidance

The Emotional Landscape of Quitting

Expect to feel all of this (often simultaneously):

Relief

"I'm finally free. I can breathe again."

This is the first feeling—euphoria, lightness, liberation. Savor it. It won't last forever, but it's real.

Terror

"What have I done? How will I survive? Did I make a huge mistake?"

This usually hits a few days or weeks after quitting. It's normal. Breathe through it. You didn't make a mistake—you made a choice.

Grief

"I'm mourning the life I thought I'd have. The identity I built. The version of myself who believed this was the path."

Let yourself grieve. Cry. Rage. Write. This is part of the death process.

Emptiness

"I don't know who I am anymore. I feel lost."

This is the void. It's uncomfortable, but it's sacred. You're being emptied so you can be refilled.

Excitement

"I can do anything now. The world is open. I'm creating my life."

This comes in waves. When it arrives, ride it. Take action. Dream big.

Doubt

"Maybe I should have stayed. Maybe I'm not cut out for this."

Doubt is the ego trying to pull you back to safety. Acknowledge it. Don't let it run the show.

All of these feelings are valid. None of them are permanent. Let them move through you.

The Practical Realities (Because Spirituality Doesn't Pay Rent)

Financial Preparation

Ideally, before you quit:

• Save 3-6 months of expenses (minimum)
• Pay down high-interest debt
• Research health insurance options
• Have a rough plan for income (freelance, new job, business, etc.)

If you're quitting without savings (forced Tower or emergency exit):

• Apply for unemployment if eligible
• Cut expenses to bare minimum
• Take any ethical work to bridge the gap (gig work, temp jobs)
• Ask for help (family, friends, community)

Identity Reconstruction

You need a new answer to "What do you do?"

Options:

• "I'm in transition." (Honest, no explanation needed)
• "I'm exploring [field/interest]." (Forward-looking)
• "I'm a [new identity]." (Claim it even if you're just starting)
• "I'm taking time to figure out what's next." (Vulnerable, real)

Practice saying it until it feels natural.

Social Pressure

People will ask questions. Some will be supportive. Some will project their fears onto you.

Responses to unhelpful comments:

• "That's risky." → "I've thought it through. I'm ready."
• "What's your plan?" → "I'm figuring it out as I go."
• "I could never do that." → "Everyone's path is different."
• "You should just get another job." → "I appreciate your concern. I'm good."

You don't owe anyone an explanation. Your decision is yours.

When Quitting Is the Wrong Choice

Not every urge to quit is a Tower moment. Sometimes it's:

• Burnout that needs rest, not exit: Take a sabbatical or medical leave first
• Avoidance of a solvable problem: Can boundaries, communication, or a role change fix it?
• Impulsive reaction to a bad day/week: Don't quit in the heat of emotion. Wait.
• Escapism from deeper issues: If you're running from yourself, a new job won't help

How to know if it's a real Tower moment:

• The knowing is deep, consistent, and won't go away
• You've tried everything else and nothing has worked
• Staying is actively harming your health, integrity, or soul
• You feel called toward something, not just away from something

Trust your gut. It knows.

The Spiritual Practices for the Quitting Journey

Daily Grounding

The Tower energy is chaotic. Ground daily:

• Feet on earth, visualize roots
• Breathwork (4-7-8 breathing)
• Movement (walk, yoga, dance)
• Touch physical objects (stones, wood, your body)

Weekly Divination

Pull tarot or oracle cards asking:

• "What do I need to know this week?"
• "What energy should I embody?"
• "What's trying to emerge?"

Monthly Reflection

Journal on:

• What have I learned this month?
• How have I grown?
• What am I grateful for?
• What's my next step?

Ongoing Ritual

Create a "New Beginnings" altar:

• White candle (new beginnings)
• Clear quartz (clarity)
• Citrine (manifestation)
• Symbol of what you're calling in (image, word, object)

Tend it weekly. Light the candle and say: "I trust the path. I am becoming. I am ready."

The Gift of The Tower

The Tower destroys what was never meant to last. It clears the foundation so you can build something real.

Quitting your job is painful. It's scary. It's disorienting. But it's also:

• An act of self-respect
• A declaration of worthiness
• A leap of faith
• A reclamation of your life

You will not be the same person on the other side of this. That's the point.

The old you—the one who stayed too long, who played small, who prioritized security over soul—is dying. And that's okay. That version of you did the best they could.

The new you—the one who trusts, who risks, who chooses alignment over comfort—is being born.

Integration: Life After The Tower

Months or years from now, you'll look back at this moment and see it for what it was: the beginning.

The beginning of living on your terms. The beginning of trusting yourself. The beginning of building a life that's actually yours.

The Tower didn't destroy you. It freed you.

And now, you get to build something new. Something real. Something that can't be shaken—because it's built on the foundation of your truth.

Welcome to the other side.

Next in this series: Integrating Your Spiritual Practice with Professional Identity—coming out of the broom closet at work.