What does the tower card mean in tarot card readings?

with mars as its ruling planet, the tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. this is a card about anything we believe to be true, but later learn is false. this realization usually comes as a shock, hence, the violent image. it is, quite simply, that moment in any story where someone finds out a shocking truth, one that shatters their perceptions and makes them reassess their beliefs.