(Tarot Prompts for Writers)
Here’s a compilation of my notes on reading The Fool. If you’re just learning tarot, use the deck that most appeals to you, and spend some time looking at your card. What does it say to you? (See my description of The Fool as I see it.)
Tarot is personal and open-ended. There are traditional meanings — and yes, you should know them if you want to read tarot cards — but it really only “works” if you follow what the cards mean to you personally. Your fool and my fool may not mean quite the same thing.
Number
The Fool has no number. Some decks give the card a “0” but I think it’s numberless, eternal and ever-present, the place we always are, at all stages of life. We are always on a journey, carrying things from our past, pursued by things we ignore, walking in the dark, about to step off the path, thinking we know where we’re going.
Name
Historically, the Fool was seen as folly, extravagance, blindness. Now we romanticize innocence; we see foolishness as faith, purity, brave steps into the unknown. A long tradition links the Fool with mental illness, and just as long a tradition links madness with spiritual knowledge, the cracked mind letting in light. The Fool may be wise.
Placement
The Fool begins the deck and begins our journey through life and is ever-present in that journey.
Traditional interpretations
The card can warn of folly and extravagance or it can advise brave leaps into the unknown. (I lean toward the latter, unless the card is reversed.)
Traditionally, The Fool is said to hurry to his destruction unawares. In some decks, he’s shown about to step off a cliff. In others, there is no evident danger ahead but there’s an animal attacking from behind. Either way, the Fool is in for a hard time that he’s not prepared for.
He is said to carry his follies and vices — but we can’t see what’s in that little pack.
The card signifies beginnings; decisions; innocence; folly. You are about to step off the path. Be sure it’s where you want to go. You face a choice; it may seem minor but it will change your life, so don’t take it lightly. Watch where you’re going. Carry things you need. But go. Don’t linger here. Start a new chapter in your life. Be brave and walk.
Reverse interpretations
Your folly, childishness, and rashness will lead you astray. Look where you’re going. Don’t be a fool. There is imminent disaster ahead unless you wise up. Do not act impulsively or make choices based on your vanity. The path is uncertain and you are not prepared. Be careful and pause to think. Open your eyes.
Thematic readings
- In love, the card tells of beginnings for a new and exciting love. Lay some groundwork if you want it to last; if it’s all fun and games, it will be fleeting, a stop along the way, soon forgotten. Remember that love blinds; keep a toe in reality.
- In work, the card tells of beginnings for an exciting chapter in your professional life. Use your wits and don’t jump blindly. There is unlimited potential for a creative project if you make sensible choices. Don’t dream it; be it.
- In general life, the card tells you to remember that you’re always on a journey; make sure you’re going where you want to go. You should not stop here; go somewhere, anywhere. Be brave. Go now, while there’s still a chance. Adventures await. They’ll run the gamut and pose risks, but there’s nothing to stay for. Step off the path and change your life.
Specific positions
- Current situation: You have a choice to make and it will have farther-reaching consequences than you realize. Don’t linger long; you must choose and go, move toward a destination. (Surrounding cards will indicate whether the choice is good or bad.) It’s not too late to change direction. You are the one walking; the path is not walking you. Be brave and attentive and open to change, cautiously optimistic.
- Past influence: You’ve walked blindly to where you are, pursued by problems you won’t deal with. You’ve left the path and you’re walking in the dark – but it’s okay, we all are. You’re always “finding yourself” doing things as if you have no control over it. You’ve grown used to things and don’t see them as they are. Check your baggage.
- Outcome: You will start a new and exciting chapter in your life; where it will lead won’t be obvious at first. Keep an open mind and heart, and keep your wits about you, and all will be well. Unexpected opportunities await. Be open to self-discovery; embark on journeys. Just remember that sometimes when we feel most certain, we are most wrong. There is always the possibility of error and we are always stepping into the unknown. Your next step could be soaring or falling.
- Blocked: Your rash decisions have hindered you, and your irresponsible attitude bars your progress. Your blindness is deliberate. You need to cultivate beginner’s mind, look past your assumptions, and see where you are and where you want to be. Harness your powers; don’t be childish and aimless. You need to grow up a little.
Questions for the Querent
- Do you see the fool as ridiculous or brave?
- Are you aware of being on a journey?
- Do you have any reaction at first sight of this card? What do you focus on?
- Can you perceive where you are as the start of a new chapter?
- What are you carrying?
- What pursues you?
- Do you feel prepared for where you’re headed?
- Can you seen where your current path leads? Are there other options?
- Have you ever left your path? Regrets?
- If you could go anywhere, on your own, a fresh start, where would you go?
Keywords to aid Memory
- Beginnings
- Choices
- Casual folly
- Journeys
- Cautious optimism
Images on this page are by the following artists: Banner, left to right: Marseilles deck engraved by Nicolas Conver; Dragon Tarot illustrated by Roger and Linda Garland: Tarot Balbi by Domenico Balbi; Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti; Radiant Rider-Waitedeck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith; Druid Craft deck illustrated by Will Worthington.
Catherine Austen 