The Fool card shows a youth walking along, gaze turned skyward, not looking where he’s going. He is on the edge of a precipice, just about to step off into space. His little dog is jumping towards him, possibly trying to warn him of his impending fall. The Fool has a white rose held delicately in his left hand. He holds it lightly. This is a symbol of purity and innocence. He carries his belongings in a bag hung on a staff. His belongings are few. He doesn’t carry much baggage.
The Sun is white, the color symbolizing purity. His tunic reminds me of the Coat of Many Colors worn by the biblical figure Joseph – the Dreamer of Dreams. There is a red feather in his cap. Does this symbolize happiness? This feather appears elsewhere in the deck, for example in Death, the Sun, Page of Wands. What does it mean – why is this symbol found in these places?
He’s not looking where he’s going. A fool indeed, he’s heading straight for a fall… or so it seems.
It is also possible that the Fool trusts in God or Life or whatever, that he is willing to go where he is led, without worrying too much about the risks. Maybe he knows he’s stepping off into space, yet trusts that this will turn out OK in the end. Maybe he looks up to Heaven. Or maybe he’s just a knucklehead…
At any rate, there it is. He’s going to fall. Whether he’s caught is uncertain.
One interpretation is that the Fool is a soul in Spirit – that is, in Heaven, unembodied, not yet brought into the material world. The fall, in this case, would be this spirit’s descent into the material world to live there as a human. And while it would still be a fall, it would also serve a purpose, to experience the human life.
In readings, the Fool can represent new beginnings, trusting in the Universe or in Spirit, innocence, even naïveté. It suggests going ahead without dwelling too much on reasons not to do so.
This card is number 0 – zero. It begins the deck, but it also could fit in anywhere else in the deck. It won’t change the numbering.
The Fool can symbolize new beginnings, especially ones that might seem risky, perhaps things that only a Fool would try. Taking a leap of faith. Rushing in where angels fear to tread.
Sometimes the Fool might represent a person who in some way is foolish – possibly immature, or a person who takes unnecessary risks. It could be someone who is frivolous, irresponsible, superficial.
Keywords: Trust in the process; willingness to take risks; leap of faith.