“The Tarot card deck begins with the Fool, but this is no foolish idea!”
In my previous post about the tarot, called “Your Inner Archetypes Revealed,” I explained to you that there are both ‘Major Arcana’ and ‘Minor Arcana’ cards.
If you missed that one, please check it out before continuing here, because in today’s Tarot Card blog post, we’re going to dive into the meaning behind the very 1st card of the Major Arcana: the Fool.
Now, lest you think the Fool is foolish, please allow me to illuminate the deeper meaning of this delightful card…
Don’t Be Fooled!
In our world today, we think of a fool as someone who makes bad choices. Someone who is not too bright, or (excuse the pun) someone not playing with a ‘full deck’. But the archetype of the Fool is much more positive and complex.
Represented by the number 0 (zero), the Fool is about the beginning of our human journey through life. This makes the card more representative of a newborn baby than an idiot. The Fool embodies the qualities of one who is trusting, innocent and feels protected in life.
The image of the Fool is often a carefree young vagabond who appears to be stepping off a cliff. This symbolises his/her absolute trust in the Universe to hold him up, even when there seems to be nothing there.
So when you pull the Fool in a tarot reading, the message is often related to issues you may have around trust and security, taking the ‘next step’, making an important decision that feels scary or unsafe, trust in your self or in the Universal support for you.
If you are inquiring about a decision, the Fool suggests that you can trust things will work out, as long as you choose what makes your heart feel light and free.
Born Under a Star
Have you ever met someone who seems ‘born under a star’? You know, those folks whose lives just flow: Opportunities come there way easily, and they have a relaxed relationship with life.
If your answer is yes, then you have a good feeling for the high qualities of the Fool card: Divine Trust and an innate sense of Security. This is because when people are easy in their relationship to life – when they have a sense of trust that all will work out – then life ‘shows up’ for them easily. And this, in a nutshell, is the essence of the Fool.
Other Qualities of the Fool
Here are some other qualities (positive and negative) associated with the Fool card:
- Curiosity
- Trust
- Divine Child of the Universe
- Spontaneity
- Fool-heartiness
- Leaping before looking
- Irresponsible
- Court Jester (sarcastic advisor to kings and rulers)
The Fool in Numerology
If your Life Path number adds up to a 22, in the tarot, this is associated with the Fool Card. Why? Because there are 22 major arcana, numbered 0-21, making Master Number 22 the direct link to the Fool.
When you understand this, you can see how, actually, the Fool card also embodies a degree of mastery and wisdom. A mastery of trust and divine connection is the highest essence of the Fool.
Master Builder?
A Life Path number 22 reduces to the number 4: 22/4. Thus in the tarot, if you are a 22 (the Fool) you are also connected with 4, (the Emperor). And while these two archetypes seem to have nothing to do with each other, they share a dynamic related to trust: one let’s go of control or insecurity in order to trust intuitive guidance; the other builds solid structures to establish boundaries for greater trust and security.
You’ll learn more about the Emperor in another post, but for now just know that he represents Mastery of the material plane, a Master Builder and someone who has the capacity for stability, structure and reliable expansion.
How to Find your Fool
When life gets too serious and burdensome, it’s time to call in the Fool to help lighten your heart :) Not sure how to bring in a little tom-foolery? Try these fun activities:
- Learn to juggle
- Watch 3 comedies in a row
- Play with your kids or a kid
- Put sprinkles on your ice cream
- Ride a roller coaster and scream like crazy!
- Make up goofy songs and serenade your pets (or human loved ones ;D)
- Open your arms wide, lift your Heart Chakra to the sky and sing from the top of your lungs: “I am Loved! I Trust Life! I am Love! I Trust Life! Thank you Universe for ALL THAT I AM!”
Sound Foolish?
Do my suggestions sound foolish? Do you know a better way? Let me know how the Fool is showing up (or desperately needed!) in your life these days. Just share you thoughts with me below!
Many blessings,
Dawn
