The Fool Tarot Card

How many of you read tarot cards? Today, I wanted to take a closer look at the first tarot card of the Major Arcana, The Fool.   When I first started learning the tarot, I must confess I really didn't care for this card, purely because of its name. Today, I think most of us equate the word "fool " with someone who is foolish, i.e., someone who makes poor decisions.  However, the name actually comes from the early court jesters of the royal kingdoms, otherwise known as the royal fool.  In Medieval times, the fool was employed by the King or by aristocratic households to entertain.  Some actually held the viewpoint that the Fool was touched by the divine.  Helps one to see this card in a bit of a different light, huh?  

When I just started learning the tarot so many moons ago now, I was given a copy of the Fool's Journey, and I honestly loved it.  It's been quite a while since I looked at it, but I was happy to see it's still available. http://www.learntarot.com/journey.htm  The Fool has an innocent nature, blessed by the divine, but his beautiful soul has not been scarred by life's issues.  When you go through things in life, it may make you afraid to try again.  However, when you are not scarred by life, you are unafraid to venture out on your own and try new things.  This is part of why it is so important that we let go of pain in our lives, so that we can always maintain the innocence of our souls as we progress through life.  

The Fool is all about new beginnings and having the strength and courage to make leaps of faith.  The world can indeed be a scary place; sometimes, we just really need to have faith that everything will work out and make that leap.   In the story of the Fool's Journey, this card represents the fool leaving the safety of everything he knows and venturing out into life.  As he goes on his journey, he will have life experiences with each of the cards of the Major Arcana.   The Fool is divinely guided and is following his intuition into the unknown with the hopes of a better journey.  As he steps out on that ledge, he has faith that the Divine will continue to extend that ledge under him so that he will never fall.  

When this card appears in a tarot spread, it represents new beginnings and taking a leap of faith.  It can also represent something unexpected coming your way.   He corresponds to the zodiac sign Aquarius, the planet Uranus, and the element of air.  He also corresponds to our crown chakra.   When the Fool appears, look at your life path and see if the divine is guiding you and you have been called to change your life and start anew.

Much Love and Many Blessings,

Jasmeine Moonsong