The Fool (0) – Meaning of the card

Teresa Francis-Chong, Terry Silvers. “Tarot for Beginners.”

The Fool

The Fool, or The Madman, is just about to step off a cliff into the unknown—the unknown representing an uncertain future—but he is completely unconcerned about it. Never underestimate The Fool. He may seem carefree and reckless, but he can be exceptionally insightful.

We all know that every joke contains a grain of truth, albeit hidden in a certain way. You arrive late to a morning class, and the teacher sarcastically greets you with “good evening,” but have you noticed that he smiles while doing so?

His goal is to point out your mistake with humor, so it doesn’t become traumatic. If The Fool appears in a reading, he is trying to tell you something in a joking manner, so that the information doesn’t weigh heavily on your heart.

There is hope that you will grasp the essence of the joke, and then you won’t have to reach the same goal through a difficult path. The Fool wants to convey that it is time to lay the foundation for your future life. This doesn’t mean you should stop enjoying life; it simply means that it is no longer sufficient to just react to what life throws at you and continue with the old ways that you still adhere to now.

It’s time to think about what you want from life.

If You Draw The Fool, Ask Yourself the Following Questions:

• Are you close to starting something new, such as beginning a relationship or taking up a new subject of study?
• Do you know what will make you happy?
• Is it time now to do what you must, rather than what others expect of you?
• Are you ready for changes?
• Maybe you should pay more attention to the call of your heart and less to reason?
• Do you think you might be acting a bit recklessly?
• Perhaps now is the perfect time to seriously reflect on something?

Key Ideas:

• Learn the difference between foolishness and stupidity.
• Is it not cool to make an effort and achieve what you desire?
• What’s wrong with being interested in something in life?
• What sparks your interest might become a source of happiness, your most beloved activity.

Friends:

• Upright Position (Upright Card): You will make new friends.They have many new ideas, and you might be in for an exciting social life.
• Reversed Position (Reversed Card): Yes, new friends, but approach them with caution.Time spent with them may harm you because they will not care about what is truly important to you and do not genuinely share your interests deep down.

Studies:

• Upright Card: You will put effort into studying new subjects, and it will turn out to be much more interesting than you expected.
• Reversed Card: You tend to lose interest quickly in many things, despite the promises you make to teachers and even to yourself that this time you will be diligent.Try to complete at least one task this week. The result will be worth the time spent.

Dating:

• Upright Card: The start of a new romance.You have met or will soon meet an exciting, vibrant person who will captivate you for a long time and play an important role in your life for many years.
• Reversed Card: You are presented with a convenient opportunity to get close to someone you find interesting, but who is actually an irresponsible egotist.Avoid this person. They are not needed in your life.

Family:

• Upright Card: Significant changes in your family circumstances.These changes, in particular, open up new opportunities for you to become closer to a family member.
• Reversed Card: Think about the consequences of your actions.If you seek strong impressions, find a new hobby. Don’t upset the people who love you—it’s a poor way to entertain yourself.

Interests:

• Upright Card: You will find a new unusual hobby or interesting activity.This is likely to be the beginning of a life change, as the interest seems to be long-lasting.
• Reversed Card: Be cautious with any unconventional manifestations in everyday life.They may provide temporary pleasure but will likely ensure many problems in the long run.

Health / Appearance:

• Upright Card: You feel that your appearance suits you.You like how you look, and others’ opinions about it do not concern you. Congratulations—this is the right approach!
• Reversed Card: Are you spending too much time in front of the mirror?There is a difference between “I like myself” and vanity.

Money:

• Upright Card: Money is more of a problem for you, but you don’t consider it a reason for despair.You find a way to enjoy life without getting into debt.
• Reversed Card: Recently, you have been careless with money.Try to save a little each week instead of buying unnecessary things.

Half-Minute Reading:

Melissa found herself in a difficult situation. She had completed half of her history assignment and then lost her notes. She was involved in many activities besides studying, such as judo and participating in a cheerleading group at competitions, constantly letting everyone down.

When she did a Tarot reading, she drew The Fool. The best approach in this situation is honesty, acknowledging to people that her thoughts are in disarray and she is confused. Melissa should have informed all her teachers and groups that she needed time to sort herself out and determine what she can handle and what she cannot.

The Fool sometimes loses his goal and direction, and his appearance in a reading suggests the need for organization, structure, discipline, and wise choices.

Annie Lionnet. “Tarot: A Practical Guide.”

The Fool

The dog symbolizes instinctive forces in your subconscious, ready to assist or warn you of danger. The Fool moves to the right, thereby symbolizing the development of consciousness. The beginning of a new phase. A leap into the unknown.

Open to life. The Fool is the only card from the Major Arcana that has survived in modern playing cards. In a deck of cards, he acts as the “wild card” or joker, for whom there are no rules and who scorns conventions.

In the Tarot system, the Fool card has no number and does not fit into the ordered sequence of other cards. He symbolizes the spirit of freedom—a wanderer living within each of us who refuses to conform to the ranks and meet the expectations of others.

He is often depicted as a court jester or a holy fool, but in reality, he is a dual figure with a highly contradictory character.

Symbolism

The Fool is often portrayed as a carefree and generally harmless youth, whose next step might take him to the edge of a cliff.

He embodies the start of a new chapter in life, but to begin it requires the willingness to leap into the unknown, which involves a certain risk. This need arises in us when our old habits become outdated and no longer contribute to our growth.

Sometimes this is a conscious process, but usually, something needs to happen to remind us that we have already outgrown the old ways. Rejecting the call for unknown adventures can stifle the spirit of creativity and creation within us, as the thirst for new experiences is a powerful driving force for every person.

However, such a strong desire for change might appear reckless to others; nonetheless, the anticipation of unlimited opportunities ahead drives us forward.

Ultimately, the Fool embodies our inherent drive to fully develop our abilities and prevents us from becoming stagnant and rigid.

Interpretation

If you draw the Fool in a reading, it means unexpected opportunities are lurking just around the corner, and your desire to seize them is stronger than the fear of the unknown.

We all possess the innate ability to move forward and take risks, regardless of the final outcome. This is a case where taking risks is a noble pursuit. This card evokes the feeling that life is full of promises.

You are at the start of a new cycle of discoveries, and however risky it may seem, you feel an irresistible urge to follow your intuition. When you choose the Fool, you get the chance to look at life with an open visor.

You do not wish to think about your own safety and firmly believe that whatever happens will be beneficial and meaningful to you. As soon as you feel a surge of fresh energy and the desire to move forward, a new path in life opens up before you.

Stuart R. Kaplan. “The Classic Tarot: Origins, History, Reading.”

The Fool

Description:

A young man in a jester’s cap and bright clothing wanders aimlessly, ignoring the dog barking at his feet. He is alone. He wears a collar with bells, signifying frivolity.

In his left hand, he holds a staff resting on his right shoulder; it symbolizes his desire and will. Attached to the staff is a bundle in which he carries his past life experience, which he values as valuable assets to be used in the future.

The Fool has broken away from his previous dependence on family and friends. His face expresses innocence and naivety. In his right hand, he casually holds a wand and, paying no attention to details, wanders aimlessly.

Bushes grow in front of him, symbolizing favorable opportunities. The Fool enters a new world of unlimited possibilities and self-expression. The sack that the Fool carries may also symbolize his shortcomings, which he refuses to acknowledge, while the animal behind him represents the guilt and conscience that haunt him.

The Fool embodies the spirit and enthusiasm of youth, which embraces anyone at the sight of an infinite spectrum of opportunities when embarking on any new venture. The Fool is active and entrepreneurial.

Meaning in Divination:

This card signifies folly. In the range of interpretations, much more can be found. Frivolity. Extravagance. Immaturity. Recklessness, inconsistency. Unreliability. Fickleness.

Directness. Pleasure. Inconstancy. Lack of discipline. Carelessness. Actions for show. Hastiness. Madness. Unrestrained lack of restraint or actions. Rash promises.

Neglect of important details. Beginning of an adventure. Obsession. Carelessness. Fixed idea. Passion. Mania. Inclination to start something without thoroughly thinking through all the details. Initiative. Enthusiasm.

Reluctance to listen to the advice of others. Inclination to rely on one’s own intuition. A person drawing this card must be careful not to succumb to the temptation of what seems better than it actually is.

One should strive to avoid folly and make the right decision instead of seeking an easy way out of the situation.

Meaning of the Reversed Card:

Wrong choice or bad decision.

Indecision. Apathy. Hesitation or vacillation, instead of tirelessly moving forward.

Lack of confidence.

P. Scott Hollander. “Tarot for Beginners.”

The Fool

The Fool (also known as The Fool or The Madman) personifies a person blindly moving towards their destiny, oblivious to warning signs.

The Fool, also referred to as The Fool or The Madman, corresponds to the number zero and the ancient Hebrew letter Shin.

Note:
Waite places The Fool between The Judgement (XX) and The World (XXI). Paul Case, like many others, places The Fool at the beginning of the Major Arcana. MacGregor Mathers places it here, at the end.

Regarding this card, possibly the most important among the Major Arcana, you definitely need to form your own judgment, decide where it belongs correctly.
I placed it at the end because to make the right decision, you need to determine the correct interpretation of this card.

At the moment, having learned enough about the Tarot cards, you can do this.
Allegory
Inevitable mistakes caused by our own (often intentional) ignorance.
Complete recklessness.

Description:
A figure of a man, situated over a precipice.
He moves towards the edge of the cliff, but does not look where he is going.
He might be looking back over his shoulder or up at the sky; his next step will send him over the edge, but he is unaware of the danger.

In some decks, The Fool is dressed in a colorful costume and a cap with bells – the attire of a court jester.
In others, he wears a simple, sometimes worn-out wanderer’s costume.
In most decks, The Fool carries a bundle on his shoulder with his possessions and may lean on a staff (similar to The Hermit, the Ninth Arcanum).

In many decks, a small dog is also depicted on this card, either barking at the figure or grabbing The Fool’s clothes to pull him away from the edge of the cliff.
Either way, the dog tries to warn him of the impending danger.

However, The Fool is so absorbed in his own thoughts that he pays no attention to the warnings.
Looking at this card, it is not always clear whether the young man is truly foolish and ready to take a dangerous step without knowing what he is doing, or if he actually knows the danger but simply does not fear it.

In any case, the next step is extremely radical.
It should be noted that his recklessness is deliberate.
Even the beginning of the Tarot path requires blind faith.
No one and nothing will tell you what lies beyond this faith.

Inner Meaning:
One should not underestimate The Fool.
Perhaps his figure seems laughable, but one must understand the lesson he can teach.
The obvious symbolism of this card is absolute recklessness.

Like The Hermit (Ninth Arcanum), The Fool is a wanderer.
But he does not use reason or other means to illuminate his path and deliberately refuses to look down.
Note the similarity in imagery to The Wheel of Fortune (Tenth Arcanum), where a figure falls from the Wheel; but whereas in that case the fall was caused by blind and indifferent Fate, here it is your own blind recklessness.

From a worldly perspective, The Fool card describes a person who has decided to go a certain way, ignoring that he has gone astray, ignoring warning signs, and not even looking down.

With such an attitude, the Zero Arcanum tells you, will you (can you) do the same?
Meaning in a Reading:
Upright or positive: recklessness, thoughtlessness, extravagance, lack of discipline, madness, insanity.

Reversed or negative: carelessness, negligence, apathy.
Hesitation, instability.
If this card describes a situation, you are warned that it is foolish to throw yourself into such a situation or to spend effort resolving it.

If this card is close to a person, this person is foolish or has embarked on a foolish enterprise.
If this card represents the querent, then a choice of great importance for you and your future lies before you.

If you continue on your path, there is a huge risk of almost inevitable catastrophe.
But if you pay attention to the warning signal, there is still a chance to avoid this catastrophe.
In fact, if this card appears, you are advised to watch every step, use your head, and stop deliberately being foolish.

Note:
In most cases, the querent who draws The Fool knows very well that they are behaving foolishly but refuses to admit it simply because they do not want to notice anything.

Mary Greer. “The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals.”

The Fool

The card represents the Spirit right before manifestation, when all possibilities are open before it.
You are standing on the edge of a springboard, ready to take the leap.
Travel light!
Perhaps you are starting something new but know very little about it and haven’t bothered to think things through.

The Fool is about being present in the moment and having the ability to view things with a fresh, unspoiled perspective.
This card speaks of flights of fancy, imagination, and openness to new exciting opportunities, but by itself lacks confidence and the ability to follow through.

Chased by their instincts (usually symbolized by a dog or lynx), the person is capable of whims and caprices.
They feel an inner impulse pushing them towards ever more foolish antics, infusing a thirst for the new and driving them towards adventures.

Cast off the burden of responsibility and rush after that which you cannot name or describe.
You (or someone you know) are behaving like a pure child with all its enthusiasm, freedom, and joy of life.

You may appear foolish or act with divine serenity, willing to take risks that might plunge you into an abyss or elevate you.
Your actions now are characterized by irrationality and gullibility, and perhaps even complete recklessness.

You might be bringing destruction through your own irresponsibility and disorder, or you could be a breath of fresh air for someone.
The Fool symbolizes absolute trust in the Spirit or the ravings of a madman or idiot.

This is consciousness that knows little but dares to learn.
Sometimes The Fool is seen as a wanderer, a person without a certain occupation, homeless, and thus a target of society’s persecution.
Perhaps your goals and viewpoint do not meet someone’s expectations, exposing your ignorance and lack of professionalism.

You have the right to do what you want, but you possess no real power.
You are being pushed around, mistreated, or left to someone’s mercy.
The spontaneity of your actions may go hand in hand with a lack of judgment, and you unintentionally reveal to the world what should remain a secret.

However, on the other hand, without a goal or route, it is impossible to get lost and know the bitterness of defeat.
Traditional meanings: madness, insanity, foolishness, recklessness, folly, foolish antics, whims, extravagance.

A person with a dubious reputation.
Intoxication, frenzy, ecstasy.
Blindness, reckless infatuation, blind passion, deception, illusions.
Betrayal, treachery.
Lack of reason, recklessness, irrationality.

Innocence.
Unbridled sensuality, immorality.
Delusion, nonsense.
Pacify, calm down, make amends.

Reversed Fool
The reversed Fool speaks of an unwillingness or inability to take risks, on one hand, or a tendency to reckless risk on the other.

Sometimes it warns of the need to exercise caution or suggests that it is time to grow up and take responsibility.
It limits or denies inner freedom.
It suggests that you lack adventure in your life or that you are rejecting the chance to finally leave the house and embark on a journey.

Modern interpreters ascribe to the upright Fool divine protection and support in innocence, while the reversed Fool clearly loses ground underfoot.
Perhaps you do not want to look foolish and are too concerned about not saying or doing something stupid.

You might distrust what is happening – either for good reason or completely without basis.
Used to safe and conventional problem-solving methods, you take limitations as absolute maxims and look to the future with fear and distrust, not expecting anything good from it.

Or you may now be prone to laziness and apathy.
You do not know where to start, are worried, and feel abandoned to fate and harassed by others.
You feel that the Spirit has left you and are filled with regrets about the past.

At the same time, your remorse and attempts to make amends are not taken seriously by those around you.
Perhaps you want to review the decisions already made and look for other opportunities.
You fail to notice warnings in time, do not listen to your own intuition, are overly careless or inconsistent.

In old decks where a dog or cat is biting the Fool’s pant leg, it indicates that you are trying to “cover your ass” so as not to be caught in some inappropriate action, or you are trying to hide your mistakes from others.

It’s also possible that you are carrying around some fruitless and useless endeavor like a burden, clearly wasting time, although you are willing to go to any lengths to ensure your enterprise succeeds.

If you project this reversed card onto other people, there is a high chance that you see them as innocent, trusting, but irresponsible, careless, and negligent, and unable to grow up and mature.

Their meaningless clowning around annoys you – obviously, you cannot trust them.
In a psychological sense, this card points to your inner child.
If you refuse to acknowledge it and its needs, it will manifest in the most unexpected, inappropriate, and untimely way.

However, if treated with proper respect, it will give you the ability to vary situations and remain open to new opportunities.
Literally, the card may indicate that a child you know is having some problems.

The reversed Fool may also indicate a sudden change of opinion or intentions regarding people or ideas you recently considered foolish and ridiculous.
From a shamanic and magical perspective, the reversed Fool means a person who has surrendered to God or Spirit, similar to Indian wandering sadhus with their begging bowls and guileless simplicity, or a holy trickster achieving any goal thanks to their innocence.

It also means the ability to find magic in everyday life.
This is the very beginning of the path of initiation, of which neither the end nor the edge is visible.
Traditional reversed meanings: negligence, carelessness, inattentiveness, bad decision, inappropriateness, ineptitude, thoughtlessness, distraction, foolishness.

Stupidity.
Unreasonableness, rashness.
Absence.
Apathy.
Exhaustion.
Insignificance.
Triviality.
Emptiness.
Mistakes.
Hesitation.
Lack of material means.
Abandonment.
False remorse.

Larisa Moon. “All the Secrets of Tarot.”

The Fool

Description of the Card and Its Inner Meaning

Among mountain peaks surrounded by fog, on the edge of a steep cliff, stands a solitary human figure.

It’s evening.
Although the sun has not yet left the sky and brightly illuminates the surroundings, down below darkness is already gathering.
A hush prevails.
Nature stands silently, observing the actions of a person dressed in a jester’s costume.

And he, the madman, has one foot raised over the abyss, looking not ahead but somewhere to the side.
It’s as if he is playing with death.
It seems this game has completely consumed him: the Fool does not notice the crocodile lurking by the precipice nor the dog trying to warn him of danger.

Looking at this card, it’s not always clear whether this person is truly foolish and ready to take a dangerous step or if, knowing the risk, he is utterly fearless.
Or perhaps he has such profound faith in the protection of Higher Powers?

In any case, his action can be called reckless because no one knows what lies behind this faith.
According to the Tarot philosophy described in the “Book of Thoth Tarot,” the system of the Major Arcana is a doctrine about God, the Universe, Nature, and Man.

The Unified Reality and the First Cause of everything that can exist around us is the incomprehensible “Not That,” and the teaching about it is the essence of the Zero Arcana.
The Fool card is the most mysterious in the Tarot deck.

It has no number, and this is not accidental.
Anyone who becomes acquainted with the system of the Major Arcana must make their own decision about the position of this card in the deck.
The symbolism of the Zero Arcana is absolute recklessness.

Like the Hermit depicted on the card numbered nine, the Fool is also a wanderer.
However, he uses nothing, not even reason, to ease his path and deliberately refuses to look where he is going.

He blindly moves towards Fate.

The Card’s Connection with Other Occult Sciences

The planet Uranus, associated with the Fool card, reminds us of unpredictable phenomena that defy human logic.
Behind the Fool’s spontaneity lies reason—in Kabbalah, this is the “closest to the source” reason, in the face of the First Cause.

The Zero Arcana reflects the most significant deviation from the original equilibrium, hence there is a great need for balance, one of the symbols of which is the balance scale.
But the Madman is depicted not with it but with a bundle over his shoulder on a stick, containing what drove him to set out on his journey.

And although this card is interpreted as a warning against dangers and madness, the Fool carries a broader meaning of higher creativity.
The corresponding letter (Shin) — The letter — Sh/Sch, number — 0/22, Ruled by planet — Uranus, Correspondence in the Book of Changes — Hexagram 4 (“Youthful Folly”), Correspondence in runes — blank rune (the rune of Odin), Time of day — any, Weather conditions — rain, Corresponding color — indigo, Corresponding chakra — Ajna Tap (the third eye chakra), According to Kabbalah — connects the sefirah Keter with the sefirah Chokmah.

Meaning of the Card

Upright Position
In this case, the Fool will warn of encountering an inexperienced person.
The situation described by the Zero Arcana can be expressed in the following words: recklessness, unscrupulousness, inexperience, mad views and actions, danger, foolish ideas, delusional thoughts, excessive gullibility.

Reversed Position
In the reversed position, the Zero Arcana will tell of meeting a person who does not learn from their mistakes, living in their irrational world.
They cannot adapt to reality and confuse those around them with their judgments and actions.

If the card describes a situation, prepare for anxiety, various kinds of fluctuations, and instability in affairs.
It warns of excessive carelessness and frivolity, ignorance, tactlessness, and vanity.

Advice to the Querent

“In the near future, you will face a choice of great importance.
But you might not take it seriously, and as a result, you could make the wrong decision, worsening your life.

Gather yourself and focus.
Review your behavior, pay attention to warning signs, and then you can avoid erroneous views and judgments, wrong actions, and dangers on your path.

Then you can save your situation and, by choosing the right line of behavior, come under the protection of Divine forces.”

Daniela Chris. “The Magical Book of Tarot: Fortune Telling.”

The Fool

Correspondences

• Thought-form: Recklessness.
• Number: Zero.
• Ancient Hebrew letter: Shin.
• Color: Black.
• Stone: Aventurine.
• Astrological analogy: Moon in Scorpio.
• Other names: “The Fool,” “The Blind Man,” “The Joker,” “The Simpleton.”

Description

The color of this card is as misty-black as that of “The Hermit” (the ninth Arcana).
The character depicted here is also a homeless wanderer.
However, the mood of the card is entirely different.

Unlike the wise hermit, this young character steps lightly and cheerfully, carrying a staff that resembles a large spoon over his shoulder, with him he has taken not the light of knowledge but a red bundle of his desires and mistakes.

His clothing is blue and green, with a red belt, indicating that he is driven by dreams and hopes.
The bridge on which the Fool walks is about to end, and he might fall into the abyss, where a dreadful crocodile is lurking, ready to devour the careless traveler.

But the youth does not look down at his feet.
He is engrossed in his thoughts and walks merrily forward into danger.
The appearance of an unnumbered Arcana at the twenty-first position in the Tarot sequence, with the name “The Fool,” might feel like a slap in the face.

Especially since the preceding Arcanas symbolize the highest stages of spiritual development and life achievements.
You have walked the Tarot path for so long, asked yourself so many questions, received so many answers, learned, pondered, and felt so much—and suddenly, there it is, “The Fool” again.

Your confusion is probably justified.
This peculiar zero Arcana constantly changes its position and even jumped into the playing deck under the name “The Joker.”
Different researchers place it in different positions and interpret its lessons accordingly.

Many experts place the zero Arcana at the beginning of the deck.
If other cards are laid out in a row from left to right, one can see that “The Fool” approaches the other characters, seemingly passing through the Arcanas.
Like a naive neophyte, he is ready to embark on the most complex journey, leading through the gates of Divine Wisdom.

In this case, the character’s foolishness is explained by his ignorance, youth, and spiritual blindness.
He has not yet embarked on the path of spiritual self-improvement.
From raw material, unprocessed ore, he must become a true warrior of spirit, consistently passing through the Tarot’s path through all the Arcanas.

Furthermore, attempting to walk this path without looking down, that is, using the Tarot without understanding, could end in disaster.
Other researchers, on the contrary, place the unnumbered Arcana at the end of the deck, and then its interpretation becomes quite different.

The Fool moves away from the viewer, heading towards the rising sun in the east.
The zero Arcana is already seemingly out of the game, reminding us of another, irrational side of things and people.
This Arcana already lives by the laws of the Cosmos, which are often different from earthly ones.

From a worldly perspective, the card describes a person who has decided to go a certain way, ignoring the fact that they have strayed from the path, ignoring warning signs, and not even looking down at their feet.
This inevitably leads to a serious mistake or even to their demise.

Looking at this card, it’s not always clear whether the young man is truly foolish and ready to take a dangerous step, unaware of what he is doing, or if he knows about the danger but is simply unfamiliar with fear, and his recklessness is intentional.

When the “The Fool” card lies at the end of the deck, his figure does not look so foolish anymore.
Perhaps he is inviting you to take a step, relying only on blind faith, to reach the final stage on the path of self-improvement.

However, we leave the zero Arcana in the traditional twenty-first position, not removing it from the game.
Right here, one step away from the summit, it is necessary to learn the main lesson of the Arcana.
These words are attributed to Socrates, repeated by hundreds of other wise men, and possibly spoken even before Socrates: “Scio me nihil scire” (Latin) – “I know that I know nothing.”

The higher a person climbs on the path of knowledge, the wider the horizons that open up, the more unexplored areas they see, and the more questions arise before them.
Perhaps, everything you have already studied is worth revisiting—and you will see each card again from a new perspective.

Moreover, the Fool’s grin may be aimed at you as well.
Do you take yourself and your knowledge too seriously?
Can you imagine a wise person without a sense of humor?
This is the second question of the Fool.

Remember: “It has always been the way, that fools find the treasure.
But here, even if you break your forehead, you won’t find even three rubles.”
It is also known that cold reason has never created anything remarkable.

Is there not in this card that “madness of the brave” and that “intoxication in battle, and the edge of a dark abyss” that poets sing about?
Perhaps, following Virgil, we should exclaim: “Hail to you, noble youth, this is the way to the stars!” They say that one fool can ask so many questions that even a thousand wise men cannot answer.

However, you will have to answer.
Taking the unnumbered Arcana in your hands, you must decide where to place it and which path to take.

Meaning in a Spread

In the Upright Position
The “Fool” Arcana symbolizes unexpected turns of events, surprises—both pleasant and not so much.

It indicates the possibility of the strangest coincidences that can turn the current state of affairs upside down.
It represents an important decision and a favorable opportunity.
You stand before an extremely important choice that can change your entire life.

Listen to the voice of your heart as you turn a new page in your life.
There is energy and optimism here.
It can signify the beginning of a new life cycle.
It represents an innocent, inexperienced person, just starting on the path of life.

Open to all kinds of knowledge, joyful like a child, and not yet able to distinguish good from evil.
Advice.
The Fool is always cheerful.
Try not to take what happens to you too seriously.
Learn to laugh at yourself—and you will resonate with your own destiny.

In the Reversed Position
The “Fool” Arcana symbolizes madness and carelessness, a waste of energy, time, and effort.
Sometimes it means a person who starts many things at once but never finishes anything.

Or someone who is constantly seeking new experiences and new surroundings.
It may warn against rash actions, impulsive decisions, and negligence in very important matters.
You have apparently made the wrong choice.

It is necessary to reassess previous values and understand what you want from life.
Advice.
If this card has appeared for you, try to watch every step you take, use your head properly, and stop deliberately acting like an idiot.

Original Meanings of Cards from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

The Fool

The Fool

• Upright Position: Folly, mania, extravagance, intoxication, delirium, madness, involuntary revealing.
• Reversed Position: Negligence, absence, distribution (dispensing), carelessness, apathy, triviality, futility (vanity).

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Hajo Banzhaf. Tarot Self-Study Guide

The Fool

The Fool

• Astrological Significance: Uranus/Mercury in terms of open character, curiosity, spontaneity, and a touch of madness; with Neptune, it indicates a sense of being guided by a higher power.

The Fool
The Fool is our inner child.
It signifies the spontaneous beginning of something new, impartiality, and openness.
It represents carefree play, the most elemental joy of life, a period when we step into the unknown with joyful wonder and without any specific expectations.

However, it can also signify infantilism with all its attributes—frivolity, naivety, recklessness, and sheer foolishness.
Alternatively, it may represent wise simplicity, modest desires, and humility, which we usually reach only at the end of a long and difficult path.

The Fool can also be a trickster, a mischievous character.
In any case, he lives only in the present, being a candid, sincere, and mobile person.
Is this good or bad?
Whether this card represents our persistent refusal to grow up or, conversely, a simplicity gained through long experience, will depend on the overall layout of the spread.

The Fool always warns of something completely new, ready to burst into our lives, causing chaos, and we ourselves might get a few bumps from it, but there is nothing truly dangerous in this.

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Rider-Waite Tarot: Theory and Practice. Series “Secrets of Divination”. Publishers: AST, Astrel, 2002

The Fool

The Fool

• Astrological Significance: Uranus
• Zero Card, THE FOOL (another name – The Jester) is akin to the material Universe.
  But like the mortal human body, it is nothing more than a garment, a colorful costume fitting for the Fool, under whose clothes lies divine substance, for which foolishness is merely a shadow.

The Tarot cards were entrusted by enlightened priests to foolish, ignorant people who turned them into playing cards, and even an instrument of vice in many cases.
The devilish habits of man have thus become the unconscious keepers of its philosophical teachings.

If THE FOOL is placed at the beginning of the deck and the other cards are laid out in a row from left to right, it can be seen that THE FOOL moves towards other characters, as if passing through all the cards.
He is like a spiritually blind neophyte, ready to embark on the most complex journey, leading through the gates of Divine Wisdom.

Uranus embodies the principle of initial motion.
In Tarot, this principle is associated with the concept of “living nature” and the image of the Fool, symbolizing divine power before manifestation.
This is the divine genius capable of creating and destroying the Universe, but…

The Universe does not exist yet, and therefore the Fool is just a zero, nothing, absolute emptiness that can become anything, and the absolute freedom of this becoming: in this nothingness, in potential, everything is contained.
The planet Uranus suggests that God creates the Universe easily, accidentally, and not deliberately, and so is the spontaneous Nature of human genius.

The Fool is most often depicted carrying a bundle on a stick over his shoulder and balancing with it (the bundle) on the edge of a precipice.
In this bundle is the “everything” and “nothing” that compelled the Fool to set out on his journey.
In a narrow practical projection onto human life, this card is interpreted as a warning against dangers and all things unexpected, fundamentally new, and unknown.

But behind this unknown lies a broader meaning of higher creativity – creation in an empty place, from the fullness of one’s being.
And although creation is a violation of the primordial order of existence – hence the precipice before the Fool – it is nevertheless dictated by higher moral laws and therefore simply cannot be true creation if it does not carry the original essence within.

Upright Position: The position of the Fool card can indicate the beginning of a new life cycle, any new endeavors.
There is energy, optimism, strength, and happiness.
The card points to unexpected, unplanned circumstances that can overturn the current state of affairs.

It also indicates the need to make important decisions: you are free to choose any direction, go wherever you want, do what you wish.
Reversed Position: The position of the Fool suggests restless, impulsive activity, thoughtless actions.

It symbolizes madness and recklessness, a waste of energy, time, and effort.
Problems are not being solved.
You are very careless in something important.
Your choice may be bad, your decision fateful.
Sometimes this card symbolizes a person constantly seeking change in surroundings and activities, starting many things but never finishing anything.

Additionally, the card may indicate thoughtlessness, whims and caprices, extravagance, lack of discipline, immaturity, irrationality in thoughts and behavior, exaltation, defenselessness, and inability to calculate consequences, in extreme cases – frenzy.

“A symbol of the blind man who has enslaved himself to matter.
His bundle is filled with his delusions and meaningless actions.
The broken obelisk signifies the demise of his deeds.
The crocodile (in Papus’ cards, instead of a dog, a crocodile is depicted) symbolizes relentless fatality and…

the inevitable atonement and payment for actions, because nothing in life is done ‘just so’ – and for everything, one must pay.”
Papus

Evgeniy Kolesov. “The ABC of Tarot”

The Fool
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The Fool

The Fool, sometimes also known as the Madman or the Idiot.
In Egyptian Tarot, it is represented by a Crocodile as a symbol of wisdom and hidden knowledge.
This card is often not included in the main Major Arcana.
In some cases, it is assigned the number XXII. Etteilla considers it the last card and assigns it the ordinal number 78.

In games, however, it was considered the highest trump card, which more accurately reflects its significance.
We will also proceed from this.
The card depicts a person in a fool’s costume.
In the Middle Ages, it was called “furca” – a yoke placed around the neck of a slave.

The mountains surrounding the Fool and the shining sun are so beautiful that he returns here again and again to start anew.
The small bundle he carries on a stick contains only the essentials.
He holds a rose in his hand – a symbol of purity, a “blank slate,” with the unwritten pages of the future.

He is accompanied only by a faithful friend – a white dog.
The white color, dominant on this card, symbolizes emptiness, but also fullness at the same time, as it encompasses all the colors of the solar spectrum.
Emptiness here is “shunyata,” an emptiness as a receptacle: “Thirty spokes and a hub make a wheel, But it is the space between them that makes the essence of the wheel.

Clay is shaped into a jar, But it is the space inside that makes the essence of the jar.”
— Tao Te Ching
For the Fool, the game has not yet begun: all possibilities are open before him, and they are all equal, and he is mad enough not to prefer any of them.

Of course, he is a fool, a player, a madman; but he is also the Lord God, beginning some game unknown to us.
Astrologically, this card, having the value of zero, corresponds to Uranus, the planet of surprises and the pursuit of freedom.

If assigned the value of XXII, it corresponds to Pluto, symbolizing cosmic intelligence.
Meaning of the card: Don’t miss the opportunity to venture into the unknown!
Think about how it will end later.

Step forward with a light heart and don’t regret the past.
The unknown is actually not as frightening as the familiar.
Go forward and don’t be afraid to fall into the abyss – you will fall not down, but up.
The Fool is always cheerful; don’t take seriously what happens to you either.

Learn to laugh at yourself, and you will realize that life, essentially, is just a game.
In a reading, the Fool may signify: everything is according to God’s will, that is, do not interfere with the course of events, do not try to “jump out” of the cosmic flow, but rather, listen to where it carries you and trust the current.

Be simple, do not complicate the situation with constant thinking, and everything will be fine.
In a more “earthly” sense, the Fool represents inner freedom or the advice to give yourself more freedom, to rid yourself of previous behavioral and thought patterns.

The Fool’s second name in French (le Mât) means “mast” and symbolizes support, and the only reliable support for us in life is the sense of our own freedom.
Sometimes, especially in combination with other cards (remember – “important information is always repeated twice or thrice in a spread”?), it is indeed an unexpected turn of events, a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant.

In reversed position: Unwillingness to open up to the future, clinging to the past, lack of freedom, or if a surprise, it is certainly an unpleasant one.
In the simplest sense – an indication of a nervous disorder or that the querent is simply foolish.

(Although it might be a joke: Tarot cards sometimes like to joke.) In combinations with unfavorable cards, the upright Fool can signify “complete detachment,” i.e., a person who does not bind themselves to any obligations, while the reversed one – a mental illness (neurosis, psychosis).

For businessmen: The Fool, in any position, is rather unfavorable, and the recommendation he can give is simple: leave, disappear for two to three months.