Exploring the Tarot: The Fool Card

I had mentioned previously that I would use this blog to discuss the tarot and magik and other “witchy” things including information on the individual cards themselves. So, I thought I would go ahead and start with that. These tarot entries will include “book” meanings, but will also include commonly shared interpretation and my personal interpretation of what they have come to mean to me as well. So, to start this series, I’ll begin with the first card in the deck, The Fool.

The fool card is number 0 in the tarot deck. Though I don’t usually include number meanings in my readings personally, in this case, I feel like this is rather fitting for the fool. To most people, zero represents a lack of anything, it is nothing. But then there are others who believe there is never “nothing”. In ancient Egyptian culture there was no zero in their system because they believed there is always something. They did not believe in non-existence. So, to me, zero is a bit of a wild card. It is lack of physical “things” but there is still potential and energy. This is fitting for the fool card because he, himself, can be a wild card. In some ways he is the fool as in being foolish. But he is also very often that “leap of faith” moment. He is the potential for new things and new beginnings. And in this way, I believe this card fits very well with the number zero and it’s potential.

When it comes to the book definitions of the card, you can see that The Fool still has the possibility of going either way. Some of the meanings given to this card in pamphlets and books include the potentially negative aspects such as “Thoughtlessness”, “Not paying attention”, “Head in the clouds”, “Folly”, “Missteps” and the like. But at the same time, there are also the positive meanings such as “Beginning a new adventure”, “Initiative”, “Unlimited possibilities”, “Carefree”, “Joy and celebration”. So you can see how this card does embody the potential for pretty much anything. That is part of why when I read the cards, The Fool is a “leap of faith”. He is untapped potential. To me, he represents setting off on your own path and making it your own. And though there are dangers to be mindful of, it is still not what I feel to be “negative”. It is that moment of striking out on a new adventure and following your dreams, but with at least some caution so you don’t walk off the cliff. It is being mindful of potential troubles on the path, but still having the faith to go out and do it. This is not to say that there aren’t times when The Fool can be a warning or “negative” in some readings. As I’ve mentioned before, the same card can be pulled in three different readings in a row and could mean something entirely different in each one. But for each reader (whether reading intuitively only or by the book), there are generalized meanings to each card that act as a spring board for receiving the specific message the client is needing. And for me, The Fool is, at his core, potential energy and a leap of faith.

That’s all for this entry. If you would like to learn more about the tarot and intuitive reading in the way that I practice it, feel free to check out my products and services