The Fool is the very first card in the Tarot Deck. The Fool is a fascinating archetype of daring, risk and trust.
Lets look at the picture below. The picture is from the Rider Waite Tarot deck which was first published in 1909. It is a great deck for beginners because every card has a picture describing its meanings. It is also a ‘deep’ deck because the creators of it put multi layered meanings inside it.
We see a young person walking, looking upwards. He seems cheerful and optimistic. He carries a staff in one hand with a bag on the end and a white rose in the other hand and a dog accompanies him. His clothing is colorful and decorated. The sun is shining. He seems to be walking and coming towards the edge of a cliff. Is there actually a cliff? Perhaps its a perception that we have that there is a cliff?
He is travelling, moving, doing something. He is not standing still or stagnant. He choices to move, to act.
He is not looking at where he is going. Is he stupid or is he trusting?
SYMBOLS
White rose
The innocence of trusting
Staff
A sense of power
Bag on Staff
Bringing his past experiences with him. Notice how small the bag is. He only brings what is essential and meaningful with him. The character on the bag is an Eagle – indicating wisdom.
Feather in Cap
Freedom. The feather also represents the feather of MAAT, the Egyptian goddess of truth
Dog
The dog is trying to get its masters attention. The dog is an animal. All animals have instincts, but a dog has been domesticated. Their instincts are not as strong as their ancestors, the wolves. The dog is a good companion who tries to speak reason and perhaps warning, but perhaps the instinct of The Fool is the right choice here
Mountains
Journeys. The ups and downs of life experience. The Fool is choosing to take a journey (where ever it may lead him) and not stay stagnant
Number
The number of The Fool is 0. Zero. Nothing. 0 has unlimited potential. From nothing comes everything. The Fool represents the energy prior to actual manifestation. As Paul Foster Case likes to say, ‘…the cosmic life breath about to descend into the abyss of manifestation…’.
Astrology
The planet Uranus is associated with The Fool. Uranus represents the trans-personal and its energy is about breaking free from society boundaries.
Kabbalah
The creators of the Tarot deck were members of the Golden Dawn, a group that had many teachings based on the mystical Kabbalah of the Jewish nation. Inside the Rider Waite deck is a multitude of Kabbalistic meanings. I will briefly explain a few of the Kabbalistic meanings within The Fool card.
The Fool wears the Hebrew name for ‘God’ on his shirt. In Kabbalah God is neither male nor female.
יהוה
The name is never pronounced out loud as it is too holy and it means, ‘I AM THAT I AM’. If The Fool wears this name it must indicate he is God inspired or that God is always with him.
There are 10 spheres on The Fools clothing indicating the 10 Sephiroth. I guess you could call them different levels of consciousness on the Tree of Life which is used to describe how God (immaterial) brings creation into being (material).
KEYWORDS / KEY PHRASES
Take a risk. Jump. Try something new. Move forward. Trust your instincts. Make a choice based on gut feeling. Choose to put the rational mind aside and go with what feels right
MESSAGE FROM THE FOOL
Is there something in your life that you really want to do. Is there a decision you want to make where your heart says yes. Then jump! Do it! Try! You will never live life fully if you come from a place of fear. If you fear the consequences of your decisions how can you ever live fully?
We often worry about what other people will think about our decisions.
It would be a pity if on the day you die you realized you lived life for others and not for your soul wisdom.
THE FOOL REVERSED
When I see a reversed card I simply see the energy blocked or inhibited in some way.
How would The Fool be inhibited?
Perhaps the lack of spontaneity or risk taking. The inability to move forward. The belief that one cannot make a choice. A sense of constriction and lack of freedom. Difficulty in trusting what is next.