“First you jump off the cliff and you build your wings on the way down.”
-Ray Bradbury

New beginnings, Innocence, Spontaneity, Leaps of faith into the unknown. A carefree, childlike spirit.

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Overview

Starting Brand new

The first card in the deck, but not number one; The Fool starts our Tarot journey and every journey after that. It stands for nothingness, lack of consciousness and new beginnings. Feel it in the excited energy you experience during the first steps of a new undertaking. Awaken the realization you march to the beat of a different drum; the sometimes-uncomfortable reality that you aren’t the same as everyone else. It’s true, your universe is a different color than your peers, where they see green you see indigo. The things you notice other people often can’t conceive. The rhythm you march to is the beat of your heart. It is as authentic as you are. Follow the tempo to places far away from the bland reality you face today.

Symbolism

Beneath the sun with mercury close by, blue snow-capped mountains meet a yellow horizon. The Fool is androgynous, wearing colorful, decorative clothing. Their belongings are wrapped in a bindle stick over their shoulder, in the other hand holds a white rose. With their eyes closed and head tilted to the sky, their stride leads them to the edge of a cliff. At their heel a white dog tries to warn him of imminent danger, before it is too late.

Astrological Insight

Mercury is the planet closest to the sun. In astrology, Mercury is the planet of communication, and intellect. It is associated with agility, dexterity, perception and reason. It can also influence expeditions, means of transportation and is said to protect travelers.

Meaning

The Fool is the card the symbolizes a situation that will be essential to your ultimate journey. It will have an impact on you as a person, spiritually or on your resume. Whatever this new endeavor is, you are full of hope, and have faith that things will work out for you. This new journey or lifestyle you’re starting is essential for your Souls development.

New Beginnings

This is the card of new beginnings or lifestyles. Right now, you are a novice again, and full of enthusiasm for your new quest. There may be some naivety of the troubles ahead, and you may feel like the odd one out for a little while. Find your niche, and work with it. While you may not be prepared as you could be, or at all in fact; you are venturing out against everything you know.

Immaturity, ignorance

Negatively, it can be seen as acting immature, or ignorant. You could be living life too light-hearted, causing rational thinking to elude you. Consider whether you are throwing yourself at this venture and what you can do to better prepare.

Influence on Minor Arcana

During a reading, pay attention to the majority of the cards that are present. Depending on the number of Tarot cards of each suite, the meaning of the card can take a different shape.

A reading with The Fool and a lot of cups There is a warning against love. Everything you know maybe sacrificed in its name. Something may emotionally impact you in such a way that you abandon everything to find yourself.

A lot of wands in a reading with The Fool advises you to keep following your muse where ever it is leading you. This endeavor will provide you with the knowledge that is essential to your journey.

If a reading with The Fool has a majority of pentacles, you should expect a new business venture to be unique, inventive and have potential to make you wealthy or increase your social status

A lot of Swords in a reading with the Fool is a warning that you may face criticism for following your unique path and not conforming to societies standards.

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The Fool Reversed

“You have it in your power to merge everything you have lived through- false starts, errors, delusions, passions, your loves and your hopes- into your goal, with nothing left over.”  

Buddha

Recklessness, Foolish risks, Hesitating out of fear, Impulsiveness, irresponsible actions, lack of self-belief, ignoring intuition.

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In the Reversed position, you can turn the meaning of The Fool upside down and inside out, or it can be perceived as something else. Reversed cards can be read a few different ways. If you want to know the source of the concept of why this card is defined the way it is, check out the article “Reading Reversals” in Chapter 6 of this knowledge base.

If you simply want to know the reason and not the method of deciphering, here are some possible ways to read the card in reversed.

Meaning

Acting a Foolishly / Childishly

The fool reversed can indicate you, or someone else is acting immature in their dealings. It can say that you are being childish, naive, or simply playing someone else for a fool.

With The Six of Cups present, you maybe reliving a nostalgic part of your childhood.

Letting loose

If you’re someone who always seems to have it all together keeping yourself to a strict structure; this card can show that for once you’re letting yourself go. Stop taking yourself so seriously for a few moments, and be willing to make light of a situation with a little bit of laughter.

If the Three of Cups presents itself in the reading, this is a good indicator that your time with friends will be a much needed release you’ve needed. With the Justice and King of Swords, it could indicate your good time could end with you in legal hot water. The Devil presents a situation where substances are involved.

Missed Opportunity

The chance to start something new has passed you by. This may not necessarily be conceived as something negative, you may have consciously allowed it to do so. Whether because that opportunity didn’t seem right for you, or undertaking more tasks at the time would have overwhelmed you; The Fool reversed indicates that a chance to start something new was passed up— whether consciously or unconsciously.

In the event the Three of Wands Reversed, it would mean that it was more of a failure to launch. Any of the Aces reversed this would show that the opportunity was missed or passed up. With the Wheel of fortune reversed it could be seen that you were too impatient to wait for the proper divine timing, especially if any of the ending cards are present (Death, The World, Judgement). If The Tower is hanging around, it would mean that you missed a critical stepping stone that could have released you from a situation that was already ending prior to it’s conclusion.

False start

One Of the more positive forms of the missed opportunity trope can be seen in something being a false start. Not all is lost, but it wasn’t how it was supposed to unfold. Keep working hard at your goal, and you will likely see success. This isn’t a completely missed opportunity, just something that needs more work. Especially if the Eight of Pentacles or the Eight of cups reversed are involved. This isn’t over, yet. Look to the other cards to determine how you can reclaim your position.

Uncertain Relationships

When the talking stage just never seems to go anywhere, or the situationship is doomed from the start; the fool in revered can indicate you are setting your heart on something that didn’t ever have a foot hold in your reality. Whether the timing wasn’t there, you or the other party weren’t healed enough to undertake anything serious.

In this sense, this card could go either way. If the both of you so desire, there is the opportunity to to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work. Whether in business or in love, if you both are willing to work in tandem there is a chance it could still work out. Your indicator is in the presence of the cards surrounding The Fool reversed, or the spread as a whole. If the Two of Cups reversed, Two of Swords, The Lovers Reversed or The Hermit are present, this would most certainly be indicative of that.

Being perceived as a fool

Have you ever had that one friend who just never fully became involved in the gang? Or that one person at work who just doesn’t quite get it? This could be an indicator that it’s you, or someone else. The card in this position, especially when surrounded by a plethora of pentacles can indicate someone who think they’re a welcomed part of the party; without realizing their presence wouldn’t be missed.

As harsh as it sounds, take a look at your personal relationships and determine if you always find yourself out in the cold or feeling like you’re doing too much to try and fit in. If so, there’s no shame in walking away and finding yourself true tribe. This is especially true if the Three of cups reversed, the Hanged Man, or the Five of Pentacles are within the surrounding cards.

Fear of Taking Risks

Imagine The Fool reversed as someone staring over the edge of a cliff, afraid to take a leap. In this position, you are being overly cautious of the result of your new journey. In the reversed, especially with a spread washed out with wands, this could be the case.

You aren’t allowing yourself to be fully unbridled into the version of you which you know is in there. Whether it is from previous trauma, negative feedback or otherwise: This Fool is being foolishly cowardice, and refusing to be brave. This is especially true in the presence of the Strength card.