Thursday, June 6, 2013

~ Tarot Cards ~ 0 The Fool

 
Reflections on the Fool by Zenefertiti
 
The Fool is somewhat significant for me for now, since the last two times I have asked the Moon to choose a Major Arcana card which best suits my journey right now, The Fool appears.
 
At first I think.. The Fool? And I used to consider it meant folly, someone being careless and walking off the cliff of adventure, not worrying about anything. For me it was the beginning of an adventure, and I didn't really take it as anything different, but as a cosmic joke. The Universe is funny like that :)
 
But now, after these months of being the Fool and reading about the Fool - I find that the Fool is telling me to 'let go, and let God' .. to take that leap of faith... and that every step in the journey is meant to be.. and leading me to my destiny. I worry about things, and I constantly think about ways to improve my life and myself and make the kids happy in the long run... The Fool is telling me that this is a time in my life where I need to believe. I need to have faith in the Universe and know, that if I follow my heart and my intuition, I will find my way.

So I wonder... what is my cliff? What am I about to jump into?

My life has changed tremendously since I found the Fool, though then again, it has stayed the same. People have come and go, I've had the guts to make some changes ... and I have an idea that I am ready to jump into. It's scary. It's challenging. But it is also worth the risk :)

I think the darker side of the Fool is to not jump into too many things at once... and this is definitely something I do. I start projects, I start books, I have ideas... and don't seem to follow things through. I really need to pace myself, but it is like if I don't do everything now, what if I run out of time? The Fool tells me it doesn't matter :) To enjoy the Journey - smell the roses on the way.. he still has the rose with him :) It is at a distance, so I agree with others that he is telling us that he is not just day dreaming.. but he carries those dreams with him, and he remembers to take it all in and live in the moment.

I've been the Fool. Literally :) It also reminds me of when I went backpacking around Germany as a 20 year old. All my belongings were in a backpack... I travelled from place to place, exploring and finding myself. That was a happy accident. I became self-sufficient and I trusted the Universe to guide and look after me :)

I've also been the Fool in love. It happens. And it happens to all of us - in love it is an exciting time :) For any Fools in love, enjoy the newness and giddy heights and crushing lows while it lasts!

I find the Fool a happy card. And at the moment, it makes my heart feel warm when I see it. He is an old friend, this Fool. Where will he take me next?







The Fool begins his journey

We begin with the Fool (0), a card of beginnings. The Fool stands for each of us as we begin our journey of life. He is a fool because only a simple soul has the innocent faith to undertake such a journey with all its hazards and pain.

At the start of his trip, the Fool is a newborn - fresh, open and spontaneous. The figure on Card 0 has his arms flung wide, and his head held high. He is ready to embrace whatever comes his way, but he is also oblivious to the cliff edge he is about to cross. The Fool is unaware of the hardships he will face as he ventures out to learn the lessons of the world.  The Fool stands somewhat outside the rest of the major arcana. Zero is an unusual number. It rests in the exact middle of the number system - poised between the positive and negative. At birth, the Fool is set in the middle of his own individual universe. He is strangely empty (as is zero), but imbued with a desire to go forth and learn. This undertaking would seem to be folly, but is it?

http://www.learntarot.com/journey.htm

Other opinions on the meaning of the Fool


Image from: http://enchantress-lele.deviantart.com/art/The-Fool-303783161

Some believe he is at the beginning of the Major Arcana, some believe he is at the end – in this way I think he represents the full circle. We at least have to revisit the archetype more than once in our lives as we take risks to find or explore happiness and other endeavours on our life’s journey. 

When looking at a card, take note of what makes sense to you – impressions, gut feelings. What confuses you? What intrigues you?

The Fool’s key phrase to remember him by is the limitless energy of the spirit. He encourages you to take risks, be impulsive, be yourself and true to your own nature. Also known as the God Self, he is open, unbounded, and doesn’t take life too seriously. He shows us how to seek the truth in situations, having faith in the Universe.

Through him we are learning, acting spontaneously, opening to and trusting love, and exploring mysteries and fantasies. His shadow is the inability to commit to tasks or relationships, being psychologically and spiritually rigid, reluctance to admit own foolishness, difficulty in being spontaneous.

Depending on where in the layout – if the fool appears:
• Take more risks
• Take a deep breath, be brave and embrace the next adventure
• Realise there is cosmic knowledge and hidden depths to be gleaned from your situation (light and shadow)
• Examine your attitude for insight into obstacle you are encountering. Stop being naïve.
• Seek the highest qualities in yourself and others. If you find them in other, they must be inside you too.
• Open your eyes, mind, and heart. The time for unfolding has arrived or is at hand.

(Echols, Mueller and Thomson, 1996)



Angel Paths
 
 
The Fool is the first card of the Tarot and is generally unnumbered, or numbered zero. The Fool is at the start of our journey and is the initiator. Seen by many as the innocent, he has an eagerness and freshness about him. He is young and carefree, entering the World without preconceptions.
The Fool trusts in life and expects his path to be a happy and rewarding one. There is faith in the gods to see him through and a complete absence of fear.
Sometimes the Fool is seen as too carefree - certainly a good dose of other people's more negative reality could damage him. However, for as long as the Fool has faith in his own purity and innocence, others will not be able to take advantage.
This is the child within. This is how we were before the many experiences of life forced us to build up so many walls. The Fool does not shade himself from the light - here we are born and from here we walk the path. It's time to jump off the cliff...
 
 
The Fool is a joyous and exciting card - combining both perfect trust and self reliance.
As the very first card in the Tarot deck, it marks the moment upon which we embark on a new phase in our spiritual journey.
When we explore new terrain, we are bound sometimes to encounter danger or challenge. The Fool's energy gives us the power and self-confidence to move through challenges with an open heart, to recognise friends and to gather experiences to us as the true treasures that they are.
Innocence is a devalued quality these days. We forget that to approach life with eyes that are new each morning reveals to us more of life's mystery than anything else. We cannot substitute the sheer growth permitted by trust and innocence with cynicism nor prior knowledge.
So, on a day ruled by the Fool, we need to lift our hearts upwards and open them to the richness and beauty of life. We need to regard ourselves as travelling through a land of wonderment and joy. We need to encourage excitement and exhilaration, and to look constantly for that which is new and bright and hopeful in every step we take.
We also need to trust to the life process, and to remember that, by and large, the gods have no need of our suffering, and every need of our joy, laughter and celebration.

Affirmation: I tread the path of life with joy in my heart and a smile on my lips. 
 
 
 
 
Tarot of Color - The Fool 


Number: 0
Card Title: The Fool
Esoteric Title: Spirit of Aether
Astrological Atttribution: Uranus (modern)
Elemental Attribution: Air (hot, wet)
Dates & Timing: Season of Spring
Hebrew Letter: Aleph Ox 1
Color: Pale Yellow
Intelligence: Scintillating Intelligence
Esoteric Function: Air of Reconciliation
Qabalistic Path: Path 11: 1 Kether to 2 Chokmah
Translation of Path: The Crown of Wisdom
 
Keywords:
Choice, Beginning, Fresh Start, High Ideals, Crossroads, Neophyte, Intuitive Sense, Seeking New Experiences, Beginning, Innocence, Spontaneity, Carefree Innocence, Independent, Rebellious, Trickster, New Chapter, Openness, Innocence, Faith, Beginners Mind
 
Ill-Dignified: Apparent Fool, Naiveté, Foolish, Foolhardy, Blundering, Pollyanna, Indiscretion, Faulty choice
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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