Card number 0
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Card number 22
Life, our evolution is really a spiral, a never-ending infinity loop that we progress through, over and over. We learn lessons, some we complete, some we revisit with new eyes full of experience, and new knowledge and perspective.
The Fool card, shows us ourselves-new, untethered, undomesticated, and ready for new things-ready to take that leap! Or we may be ready for the next lesson! You see then why this card could be at the beginning or at the end of this chapter in your soul’s journey-it can lay at the beginning or the end of the Major Arcana.
When we look at the Fool in the Smith-Waite deck we see his face towards the sun, almost dancing, ready to take the leap, with his faithful pup encouraging this, and accompanying him. The dog lover in me loves this image. Some see this little white pup as a familiar, as an animal guide - like the dog in the Disney movie Coco-a little spirit guide that knows what’s best for us and is helping us get there! I have read some that say this little pup is also caution I will leave you to decide I have always seen him as unconditional love and friendship
The Fool is unfettered, and carries just what he needs, a small bag of experiences, and supplies (some say he carries the tools of the tarot which we will see later in the deck with the magician and the suits) which makes me think of the idea of non-attachment, and moving through life without baggage- sometimes our emotional baggage can hold us down, can get in the way of our lessons, since we come with preconceived ideas and wounds-he/she is free of this. Open-hearted, open-minded. Innocent. Ready to leap.
A conversation with a friend today made me think of this Fool energy as a young child-many authors remark on this aspect of the fool. Her words today were basically ‘kids are always fun-they are still kind and not a**h*les yet. They are always the fun ones at a party!’ So true! Kids are much more in tune with the present moment, much more in tune with if something makes them uncomfortable, and their bodies - there’s no shame in them yet-this is that innocent fool energy.
So what does this mean in a reading? And how do we harness and cultivate this energy?
When this guy shows up in a spread, he/she is an invitation to take the leap-go for it fearlessly. Much like the aces in the deck, the fool is a reminder to be open to new beginnings, to be aware of them coming so keep your eyes open and don’t miss the opportunity.
Depending on where the fool shows up in a reading of course can affect this meaning, but see how the card plays out with the cards around it, and what position it is in the spread you have chosen. Look at his position in the spread in respect to the other cards, is the Fool moving towards/embracing the card next to it, and the energy it represents, or is the Fool moving away from and releasing the lesson in the card next to it?
When it shows up reversed? Take some time to think about the next step; it may not be the right time, or it may not be the right move in this situation-take your time and do your due diligence and investigate the choice fully. After all one of the most important things the fool shows us is that there is always choice. Life is all about our free will and how we approach choice. Tarot helps us by showing us where we are in this journey with its symbols and history and even the story that is played out in our spreads.
And how do we embrace this energy? We keep our hearts and eyes open, we look within our hearts to heal any baggage that may be weighing us down (again the tarot is a road map of self, to make us a better human-more conscious and in turn able to contribute to the greatest good from that perspective). We find that childlike glee of a young child…deep belly laughs, skipping in puddles and puppy cuddles come to mind.
Allow the Fool’s energy to remind you to see life from unclouded eyes and embrace your life.
