The Fool in Jean Noblet's Marseille Tarot, 1650

Images and Symbols

The Fool is often shown blissfully unaware that he is about to take a step over a cliff edge. He is carrying his few belongings over his shoulder and a dog appears to be trying to get his attention. Sometimes a white flower is shown, a symbol of innocence.

Numerology

The Fool is usually numbered zero or not numbered at all (though in some decks The Fool is number 22). Zero is nothingness, the vacuum inside which anything is possible. To arrive at zero always requires subtraction, deduction, letting go of everything to create the empty space of zero - sometimes losing everything is what makes you the most free.

Interpreting The Fool

The Fool may have figurative or literal significance for the querent. It could signal that a new and exciting chapter is beginning in the querent's life. Perhaps they are moving away, embarking on a new career, a new relationship. Perhaps they are literally about to "travel light" with no clear destination or end date. Or perhaps they have let go of all that no longer serves them and they have found blissful freedom.

The querent is invited to take a chance. To quote Martin Luther King Jr.: "Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."

But there's a catch. If we have our head too much in the clouds, we miss the beauty of the journey. And if we do not bring ourselves back down to earth at some point, gravity will bring us back down to earth in a far less convenient - and far less comfortable - way. Being blissfully unaware makes us vulnerable. In the card above, The Fool's genitals are exposed, as if to further demonstrate his vulnerability.

Is the dog barking to warn the Fool? Or is the dog about to bite?! Either way, the Fool must balance his blissful wonder with some caution and an awareness of his situation. A leap of faith is often necessary to move forward, but this should be a calculated risk.

The Fool will meet The Magician first on his journey, and he will have to choose a tool. It had better be the right one, as each has pros and cons, each will be more or less suited to the unique challenges of his journey.

Whether read upright or reversed, (I tend to integrate both significations, regardless of how the card appears, and invite the querent to search themself for which aspects apply to them) this card has both positive and negative connotations for the querent. With liberty comes responsibility.

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