Divinatory meaning: A new phase of life begins, a risk must be taken, a need to abandon the old and start something new.
THEFOOL
The Fool starts off the procession of the Major Arcana and his journey through the Trumps is not unlike the archetypal journey through life which we all make. The Fool, therefore, stands for each of us as we embark on a new stage in our lives. The god Dionysus, who personifies the Fool in The Mythic Tarot, was an ambivalent character. His dual parentage, mortal and divine, is reflected by the eagle of his heavenly father Zeus, and by the goat horns of earthly nature. We share in this same duality as we seek to find spiritual understanding and purpose while still partaking of earthly life, pain and pleasure.
When the Fool appears in a reading he often suggests that the time for change is nigh. The ‘sane' rational voice within may suggest it would be wiser to stay put, but the spirit of change which the Fool embodies is often stronger. For example, I once did a reading for a woman who had the Fool in the centre of her spread. She told me she was in the process of selling the house she had lived in for well over forty years, which had been her mother's home too. There was nothing particularly wrong with the house and her friends all told her she was mad to uproot herself. But she told me that she simply could not help herself. Amidst all her uncertainties and doubts as to where her_ move might lead, she nevertheless felt a strong irreversible need to cast aside her old life and start something new. Psychologically, it implied cutting final ties with her mother. Thus the Fool is depicted leaving the safety of the maternal womblike cave. In order to stand alone, we need to have the courage to leave behind the safety of the nest.
As you colour the image dwell on the feelings evoked by the figure dancing gaily on the cliff's edge. Does it bring feelings of adventure and excitement, or fear and dread? Make sure you choose colours which echo your feelings. Can you find a key colour to associate with this card? Explore the relationship with the Fool in you. Is it an easy or uneasy one? When have you found yourself poised on the edge of change? Did you happily take the plunge or did you hold back and cling to the status quo? Does the Fool evoke memories of the risks of youth? He does, after all, reflect
something of the child in us, and the carefree way he dances on the edge of potential danger is evocative of the lack of fear typically displayed by children. The imocent trust in life gradually turns to suspicion as we get older. To be in touch with the Fool is to be in touch with trust in life's goodness; and somehow those who truly trust seem to be well rewarded.
As you embark on your guided fantasy exercise imagine yourself to be standing in the landscape of the Fool. Feel the watery warmth of the early morning sun as ou leave the cool darkness of the cave. See the barren desert-like valley below. Now turn to meet the Fool who stands beside you. Imagine the conversation and record your impressions.