TAROTThe Fool
Upright
Breaking the shackles of the 'Ordinary World' to enter the new. Birth and rebirth.
The start of a new journey or adventure. New beginnings.
Moving in a new direction.
The infinite potential of youth and the spark of the divine.
Intuition
The Fool in the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot does not see the cliff edge. In the Torch deck, the Fool sees the precipice and intentionally leaps. The jump is dangerous not because of the fall, but because of a lack of readiness or belief in the leap itself.
The Fool is starting to form the pose seen in The World card.
Reversed
Foolhardiness or unreadiness that will result in a fall. Gullibility or a lack of skill.
Unpreparedness that will result in a fall from grace. Childishness rather than innocence; a refusal to grow.
Re-assessment required for a badly planned or naïve venture.
Astrologia
Independent and non-conforming. Driven by a strong sense of freedom and social justice. Represents transformation and advancement, though he can be impulsive or rebellious, risking isolation.
The Fool
The Fool represents the spark of a new journey, new knowledge, or an unplanned event that triggers self-actualization. Reversed, it denotes desire held back by a lack of skill, belief, or perseverance. It is the failure to jump or a hesitation at the threshold.
The Fool card takes its design from two popular literary motifs:
The Hero in the Hero’s Journey or Monomyth
The Monomyth suggests many stories follow a well-defined story arc. The first act of this arc is illustrated in the Fool card - the start of the real adventure, or Crossing the Threshold.
The Fool has so far lived in a safe but unremarkable environment called the Ordinary World. He receives a Call to Adventure (an inciting incident, magical artifact, or previously secret knowledge, possibly via a mentor) causing a leap out of the Ordinary World into the threshold of a new world of risk, adventure, growth/rebirth, and eventual reward.
Upon crossing the threshold, the Fool embarks on a descent that involves overcoming challenges and tests, meeting new allies and adversaries, and ultimately leading to his transformation into the story's Hero. This process of descent and rebirth is symbolized by the leap and associated fall depicted in the Fool card.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
In this allegory, the Fool is a prisoner in a cave, chained so he cannot see the outside world. He is aware only of shadows cast on the wall. He believes these shadows are reality; they are his 'Ordinary World'.
If the Fool were to escape into the daylight beyond the cave, he would initially experience pain as his eyes adjusted to the brightness, causing blindness and a desire to retreat back to the familiar surroundings of the cave. Upon returning he might convince other inmates that the world outside was evil, full of pain and blindness, reinforcing the belief in the Ordinary World of the cave as more desirable.
To embrace the truth, the Fool must ignore the pain of awakening and maintain inner belief despite his fear. This leap results in a fundamental change. For real growth, the Fool can never go back.
The broken chains in the card symbolize this freedom from previous confinement. The torch symbol above the Fool represents the light from the real world that illuminated the shadows within the cave.
Description and Symbology
It is dawn. A high cliff faces the sea. The Fool, dressed in a red loincloth (symbolizing passion), leaps toward the Torch, displaying the courage to embrace the unknown. Broken chains trail from his wrists, providing evidence of his newly gained freedom. His limbs reflect the pose seen in both The Hanged Man and The World, symbolizing that the end of the journey is encoded in its beginning. Behind him lurk a wolf and a raven; their allegiance is ambiguous.
This scene represents the transition from the confinement of the 'Ordinary World' into the light of consciousness.
Fool Symbol
The Fool is denoted by a circle representing zero or ‘start’.
The circle has far deeper meanings. It can represent the self, the soul, or the infinite circle of life. In this deck, the circle represents the Major Arcana. The cards from The Fool to the World represent a continuously repeating inner journey of the self as it moved towards greater knowledge and self awareness.
Early Morning
The card is set in early morning; a fresh start.
Significant Task with infinite possibility
The cliff edge is much higher than the cloud cover around the sea, meaning that when he takes his leap, he hangs midpoint between the heavens and the earth below. The Fool's task may test his resolve to the limit, but the gains may be massive.
The Fool's Pose
The Fool starts to take the pose of The World card. He is already learning the path towards enlightenment. His pose resembles the Hanged Man, alluding to sacrifice and seeing differing perspectives. He faces away from us, making him anonymous yet capable of representing all or any of us.
The Fool's clothes
The Fool wears red, signifying his passion and intent. Apart from the red loincloth, the Fool is naked, denoting his innocence, idealism, honesty, and rebirth into a new world.
Broken Chains
The Fool wears broken chains on his wrists. To get to the cliff, he has had to first break from the Ordinary World.
Torch
The Torch represents previously hidden knowledge, skills, or belief that are the Fool's Call to Action. They begin him on his adventure. On a deeper level, the Torch represents an ancient symbol of immortality, denoting the Fool's mission as one of rebirth to a higher plane.
Animal Companions
The Fool has a Wolf and Raven with him. The wolf traditionally represents natural inner intuition, and the Raven is a messenger from the Gods and intelligence. They are also well known as Tricksters, so it is not clear if they are here to help or hinder.
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
Expect a new romantic connection or a fresh starts in an existing relationship.
Lead with your heart and be confident and positive even through setbacks; you will have the strength to see them through!
You may be feeling lost in a relationship and/or a fall from a place you once felt secure.
Avoid becoming resistant to change or resistant to growth within a relationship; things must and will change.
You may be guilty of childish or immature thoughts. Stop and think how others see you, and consider their feelings as well as yours!
Expect a new career or a change in an existing job. Taking risks and embracing change will work out.
You will gain the most success by being open to opportunities and exploring new avenues (or even old avenues – if you look at them with new eyes!).
You are in a rut. You are in this trap because you are resisting opportunities or change. Avoid inertia that is keeping you in an Ordinary World.
Take a leap!
Watch out for injuries caused by a sudden spurt in youthful energy or carelessness whilst trying anything you are not practiced in.
Success will come, but don’t break your back trying!
Lack of focus on yourself is causing poor health. You may be on a new journey and looking to new horizons, yet are ignoring the tired feet carrying you!
Take care to sleep properly, and enjoy the scenery on the way instead of concentrating on the destination.
Expect a spiritual awakening causing a new journey. This may be a new way of thinking that allows you to deal better with past issues, or a new you that moves you forward in a different direction.
You are in danger of losing your way, and may be rooted in a boring, Ordinary world rather than forging ahead.
Avoid inertia, disconnection with what you really want, or accepting boredom by resisting growth.
Expect financial gains by being open to new opportunities, or by looking at old problems in new ways. Calculated risks in new ventures will pay off.
Avoid impulsive behavior and any failure to consider consequences. A lack of planning for the future (or ignoring obvious pitfalls) may be your undoing.
Do your homework and look carefully before you leap!
Yes, through new potential and youthful energy.
No. You are unprepared or lack commitment.
Reading the card
Like most archetypes, the Fool is gender-neutral; the card can refer to anyone.
The Upright Card
This card represents a new journey or acquiring new knowledge. It signifies a fresh start, a new direction in life, or a new phase within an existing process.
If you are considering something new (a career, a relationship, a project, or training), this is a powerful card: in fact, it is the best card to draw.
As depicted in the imagery, the Fool literally means taking a leap of faith in a new direction. Embrace changes you see in your life, as this card signifies the potential for profound transformation.
The Reversal
The Reversed card signifies a situation similar to the Upright, but you are not committed, not ready, lack self-belief, or are simply prevaricating regarding the leap you need to take.
The card warns against jumping unready into anything. Step back and consider what is missing, or whether this is the right change for you.
The saying Fools rush in where angels fear to tread is one to bear in mind here. This is not to say you are no angel, but you need to earn your wings first.
Animal Archetypes
When interpreting card combinations, the animals depicted often indicate the relationship between cards. This is especially true when specific animals match across a spread.
For example, the Fool and The High Priestess includes wolves and the Torch symbol. With an Upright High Priestess, the double Torch tells us that the Fool’s intuitions are correct. The wolf is there as a helper, bringing animal intuition and inner resourcefulness. Reversed, it means that intuition and delusion are often indistinguishable to a fool. The wolf is there in his guise as trickster and will deceive.
Similarly, the raven appears in both the Fool and the Magician. Upright, it implies the Fool may lack the necessary learning and resources, but the raven, acting as a messenger from the gods, will provide the required knowledge. Reversed, the raven acts as a trickster and will deceive.
The Torch
The Torch serves as both a literal and metaphorical call to action for the Fool, who is embarking on a journey toward consciousness and self-discovery. It represents previously hidden knowledge, skills, or beliefs that inspire the leap into the unknown world beyond the cave.
On a deeper level, the Torch symbolizes an ancient concept of immortality (used similarly in the Eleusinian Mysteries), signifying the Fool's mission as a rebirth to a higher plane. Leaping toward the Torch represents a willingness to let go of the old self and embrace transformation.
As the Fool takes his leap of faith, we are reminded that we are not merely bystanders watching from outside the cave. We are among the inmates remaining inside Plato's cave, seeing only faint shadows of the Fool's departure from our own 'Ordinary World'. The real fool is the one who does not leap, for he remains the Fool.
The real fool is the one who does not leap, for he remains the Fool.
Our path to transformation is not about searching for occult secrets, but recognizing our own chains and identifying what prevents our leap of faith. It may be fear, complacency, societal norms, or self-doubt. The journey always starts by acknowledging these obstacles and working to overcome them, embracing change just as the Fool does.
Card design process
The specification for the Fool was by far the hardest of the deck. Relying on several mythical or literary characters to fully describe the Fool created a weak archetype..
Only after realizing that the Fool is a philosophical archetype could strong sources be investigated. The visual design proceeded rapidly after this insight.
Final Words
This card encourages embracing change, taking risks, and stepping out of your comfort zone for the sake of growth. It reminds us to confront our fears and uncertainties to truly understand ourselves, making the leap to reach a higher plane of consciousness.
