advanced tarot interpretation

The Meaning of "The Fool" Tarot Card

The Symbolism of the Tarot Card:

A well-dressed youth sets off on a long journey, pack on his back and dreaming of the times ahead. He is focusing so much on his dreams that he is about to miss the fact that he is going to step off of the edge of a cliff. A small dog yipping at his heels is trying to warn him off of the danger. A stark landscape rises in the background, but the skies are sunny and bright. He holds aloft a single white rose, and his bag bears the image of an eagle's head. His bag is carried not on a stick as it seems at first glance, but a majestic wand.

The Meaning of the Tarot Card:

The Fool's Journey is the story that the cards of the Major Arcana of the tarot tell, and the Fool is where it all starts. This individual or situation is filled with endless potential and promise, and is completely optimistic about everything. The "Fool" tarot card represents freedom of spirit, and the start of new adventures. The Fool is about to step into the world of the Major Arcana, and he is fully aware that he is doing so. We call him "The Fool" because on the surface, it looks like he is just about to walk off of a cliff because his head is in the clouds - we as a society just don't like to look "over the cliff" to see where it leads. In The Fool's case, it is leading him on a journey through the fantastical.

In Shakespeare and other medieval fiction, The Fool or "court jester" was often the only one allowed to speak plain truths, as satire, to the rulers of the day. The Fool is not stupid - on the contrary he is rather wise. However, he is "foolish" to tempt fate the way that he does with treading into areas that no one else would dare to. The white rose that he holds in his hand symbolizes both passion and purity. He holds it aloft, elevating his passions to a higher level. The wand that he carries his pack with is black, the color of spirit. The potential that he carries in his wand is limitless, but rather than using it as a symbol of power, he is just using it to carry something. This minor act actually shows that he is much wiser than the other wand-bearing cards in the Major Arcana, who cling tightly to their wands as symbols of power.

A journey begins with this card, and its importance will be very high in the individual's life. An optimistic, youthfully minded person. Being in control of one's life and faculties enough to take managed risks.