The Fool / Jester

The Fool always warns of something completely new that is ready to burst into life, creating chaos, yet usually there is nothing dangerous about it (except when other cards indicate otherwise). The beginning of a new life cycle, any new endeavours, a radical step. A crossroads of life's paths, a new turn of development, pure, unspent energy. A person senses that the road they have taken is not easy, with troubles and dangers, but something still suggests that these will somehow be bypassed and everything will turn out well and for the better.

The presence of the Fool in a reading is always a powerful sign, and the person often cannot even imagine what it brings. An unexpected turn of events, a surprise. Anything can happen. The card points to unforeseen, unplanned circumstances that can overturn the current state of affairs.

It also indicates the need to make important decisions (it can point to past positions on a choice already made, and now the person is dealing with the consequences).

We are free to choose any direction, go anywhere, do what we want. This is a fortunate opportunity! Such freedom is not often granted to us in life, and the Fool as an indicator of the present is a kind of blessing – there is indeed some chance, a "clean slate".

The Fool shows the very beginning of some new project in life (the goal is still far away). It often indicates a specific person in a reading (and the querent can usually easily guess who it is).

A journey.

Impulsive, thoughtless actions. It can be said with confidence that the Fool has a light heart. There is vigour, spontaneity, vitality and freshness in him – a state well known to enthusiastic tourists and pilgrims. He is young, inspired, and open to life. The difficulty of interpretation lies in figuring out whether this is a wise fool or, so to speak, a natural one. This card can show both a stubborn unwillingness to become an adult and, conversely, the wise simplicity and lightness acquired through long experience, which we usually only achieve at the end of a very difficult path.

Sometimes (and according to the spiritual meaning of the Major Arcana, it should be so), this is a very wise Fool, like a jester at the court of a medieval monarch. The person does not possess great knowledge but is capable of deep understanding of what is happening ("out of the mouths of babes comes truth"). A wise Fool is very perceptive, incorruptible, and almost impossible to deceive (he will outplay anyone). He is characterised by energy, optimism, idealism, originality, and an unusual perception. A touch of madness, a sense of being guided from above (worldly conventions are not a guide for the Fool). The desire to spend time on inner journeys, receptivity to the heights of mystical experiences. Carelessness regarding one's own safety.

The Fool can also be a trickster, a mischief-maker. In any case, he lives only in the present, being open, sincere, spontaneous, very mobile, and sometimes prone to escapism, avoiding life's problems and contact with reality. And here he crosses the line where he becomes a fool with a small letter or even a complete idiot.

To understand whether the Fool is right in his behaviour, one must look at the cards around him. They show the result. One thing can be said with certainty – whether this person is reckless and foolish, or wise and fearless, he behaves radically! Fearlessness in the face of the unknown, readiness to jump into any abyss.

For a person, the Fool shows qualities such as naivety, sensitivity, sensuality, reckless courage. Immaturity, infantilism. Readiness to be open and curious, cheerful and carefree, enjoying life rather than pondering – to do foolish things and rejoice wholeheartedly.

Impulsiveness, recklessness, the ability to become frantic. Irrationality and carelessness. Frivolity and eccentricity (partly a mask). Unexpected escapades. "Going crazy" is his normal state. A free spirit and disregard for consequences. Intuition and insightful vision. "Normal routine" is not even hinted at in his life. He is flighty, undisciplined, intemperate, a lover of pleasures, ready to recklessly get involved in adventures. Sometimes he acts absurdly and foolishly, "like a fool".

In the worst case, the card can mean thoughtlessness, whims and caprices, absurd extravagance and exaltation, and in extreme cases – frenzy, abnormal excitement about something, an idée fixe, complete eccentric inadequacy. Confusion of thoughts, a complete absence of logic and discipline, chaos, inscrutable paths.

The Fool is not only the "inner child" but also the inner hero! The Fool embodies the Hero, recklessly moving towards his destiny. Yet it is he who receives the World at the end of the journey. He does not use reason or other means to illuminate his path. But what seems to an outside observer as a blind movement into the abyss, into the grave, is actually a path to transfiguration, so far beyond the limits of this world that all the wise cannot imagine it.

Initiation, and the beginning of a new path. A stage in spiritual development that symbolically corresponds to the beginning of a great adventure and the corresponding inspiration. A period of entering the unknown – with cheerful wonder and without any specific expectations. This is one of the cards of karma, being guided ("obeying fate"), Uranian walking under God. Those with a strong Uranus in their horoscope know what this means. The dominance of a higher planet in the horoscope always gives a too intense rhythm of fate. The Fool does not exude well-being in a way that flatters the ego. But he exudes the well-being of the soul, not bound by conventions and dwelling in free wandering, as it should be in this world (according to Christ's word – "be as passers-by").

In the occult sense, the Fool embodies the Archetype of the Soul – unsettled, reckless, blessed in its own way, naked and poor, and going wherever the eyes look (to the horror of the reasonable and selfish ego). A kind of return to true spiritual health, perhaps not looking like social well-being. The Fool is Uranian and asocial. But at least he is on the path, as it should be. He has a jester's outfit; "decent people" laugh at him, but he is not at all afraid of this. He himself will laugh at anyone, and barking does not disturb him.

In principle, the Fool is capable of anything (that's what a joker is), but he realises very little in practice. He is a divine genius capable of creating the Universe and destroying it, but... the Universe does not yet exist, and therefore the Fool is only zero, nothing, absolute emptiness that can become anything, and the absolute freedom of this becoming: in this nothing, in potential, everything is contained. Uranus says that God creates the Universe easily, accidentally and unintentionally – and such is the spontaneous nature of human genius. Most often, the Fool is depicted carrying a bundle on a stick over his shoulder and balancing with it on the edge of a precipice. In this bundle is the "everything" and "nothing" that made the Fool set out on his journey. Ideally, it contains the combined life experience of all humanity, relating to the collective unconscious.

Ancient interpretations considered the card terrifying: "A symbol of a blind man who has turned himself into a slave of matter. His bundle is filled with his delusions and meaningless actions. The broken obelisk is the ruin of his deeds. The crocodile (in Papus's cards, a crocodile is depicted instead of a dog) is the emblem of inexorable fatality and... inevitable redemption and retribution for what has been done, since nothing in life is done 'for nothing' – everything must be paid for." Another reference to astrology and Uranus, the planet of untamed demiurgy, creation (according to myth, Saturn had to cut off father Uranus's creative organ with his sickle to finally stop the chaos and establish at least some stability). Uranus rules Aquarius. We live in the age of Aquarius, in a very "Uranian" time, and are adapted to the manifestations of Uranus and the Fool much better than our ancestors, who lived in more predictable and dense times. Therefore, interpretations have changed to more positive and creative ones compared to the old. And let creation be a violation of the original order of being – and therefore before the Fool is an abyss – but still, it is dictated by higher laws.

In the occult sense, the zero card of the Fool is likened to the material Universe. But it, like the mortal human body, is nothing other than a garment, a motley costume suitable for a fool, under whose clothes, however, lies a divine substance for which foolishness is just a shadow. The number of the Fool is 0. Legend has it that in ancient times, people gave their lives for the "secret of the number zero." Multiplying any number by zero gives zero – why is this so? 0 was defined as the number of perfection, where "DUALITY COMES INTO EXISTENCE." This is the duality of androgyny. The Fool is an androgyne; he has both the male and female in him, and neither one nor the other EXISTS (in the World, both exist, but they did not give their lives for the secret of the number 21). According to the Kabbalistic book Zohar, God is where a man and a woman are found simultaneously. Perhaps He finds them inside the person themselves – "created man, male and female created He them" – and it is about a single being. The Fool is the one whom God created and "found."

The very beginning of some venture, and rather "by chance" than a detailed sober calculation (with great faith, if not in ultimate success, then at least in meaning). Difficulties with planning, analysis, forecasting the objective situation for the future. But certainly activity and enterprise.

According to the Fool, the process of spontaneous unfolding of creative abilities is underway, and a person is usually not at all in control of it, unable to hold it, direct it into some narrow channel, or limit it within frameworks. He creates "as God puts it on his soul." Problems begin when the result of creativity must look a certain way (for example, when commissioned). So for people earning a living through creativity, the appearance of the Fool can turn out, oddly enough, to be a difficult test. One should work, the client is waiting and tapping their foot, but the worker, fearing nothing, absolutely "inconsistently" dances on the rooftops of the world, outside the system. To act against this flow is practically impossible. There is absolutely spontaneous "foolish" behaviour, a lack of discipline. The Fool knows no restrictions and lives by inspiration. Reliability, discipline, consideration of consequences – this is not for him at all. He seems possessed, driven by a kind of passion, an idée fixe, in which he is not afraid to behave absurdly and foolishly, disregarding limitations. Avoiding responsibility.

Sometimes it means unprofessionalism, lack of preparation and knowledge, but usually good receptivity. In principle, this is a "from scratch" card. It deprives all claims to possessing knowledge and life achievements, and also deprives any clinging to proven methods and familiar ideas of meaning. Complete (sometimes creative) chaos of a beginner. In work, this means many ideas but irresponsibility, ignorance, chaotic plans, and a clear lack of professional experience (with an unwillingness to listen to others' advice). Scatteredness, dissipation of forces. There is still much to learn.

Many abilities but weak realisation ("a person with great potential" from whom nothing came due to lack of discipline and consistency – order, as is known, beats class). Promises given carelessly, and there may be problems with fulfilment. The Fool symbolises not particularly reliable (though not malicious) partners. In the worst sense – flagrant frivolity, unreliability, infantilism and immaturity, negligence and carelessness. Sometimes one has to remember that the Fool's favourite pastime is playing the fool, and his favourite ritual is doing nothing (in a pragmatic sense).

For business, the Fool is not particularly favourable. For a businessman, it is better to temporarily disappear in an exotic country than to immerse themselves in affairs. With unfavourable surrounding cards – a foolish venture.

The Fool is one of those who can exist for twenty years without means of subsistence and outlive everyone who had these means, practically without noticing any of this. Well, what can you say... He is an eagle! Birds do not need money. "Love in a cottage" is also a suitable phrase. In the case of the Fool, having a cottage is already very good (traditionally this Arcana is an indicator of the homeless).

Immaturity and naivety in money matters. Wastefulness, recklessness, inconsistency, extravagance. Frivolous handling of money. Not entirely prudent investments (the issue is not studied thoroughly enough, not all data is collected, there are some unclear details).

In the situation, nothing is decided yet. Perhaps, everything will have to be started anew. The state of affairs is generally not serious and shaky (if the question was asked about something implying seriousness and solidity).

In general, the task of the Fool is to distract a person from the material, to teach them not to attach too much importance to it.

Describing the nature of relationships, the Fool indicates freedom from any prejudices, free relationships (the spirit of the Fool is unburdened and unburdensome), carefree flirting (feelings are given thoughtlessly, right and left), the joy of spontaneous intimate experimentation (the case when both giggle, saying, "we behave like fools", but it's fun and pleasurable), trust in one's instincts.

Unforeseen circumstances bringing unexpected relationships. Traditionally, the Fool is considered a harbinger of the beginning of a romance. He indeed indicates the beginning of a new life phase. But what this phase will be and how it will affect the querent's life is another question, and the other cards will provide invaluable help. According to the Fool, a person "goes crazy"; in love, this sounds promising, but it still looks questionable. There will be no time to think about where these relationships will lead, although eroticism and the strength of desire are guaranteed. Instinctiveness and fantasising, the ability for any whims (including in sex). Unbridled sensuality, blind passion, reckless infatuations – all this is the Fool. According to the Fool, one can quite surely "plunge headfirst into the abyss" and "indulge in all sorts of excesses" (a delightful prospect for those in marriage).

According to this card, one could go in search of love at the edge of the world (most fairy tales describe such a plot, the Hero's Journey). For the sake of his guiding star, the Fool "dresses in rags", spits on social conditioning, and embarks on the path, fearing nothing.

Just as well, according to this card, one can frivolously (at least seemingly) "go to the four winds", "wherever the eyes look" (also a prospect that does not inspire calm, but calm is not about the Fool at all). With corresponding surrounding cards, according to the Fool, relationships break, departures occur, and they are by no means something to be joking about. This is a seemingly desperate and doomed state, but in reality, the person is absolutely unshakable, unstoppable, and cannot be stopped by arguments, pleas, or threats.

According to the Zero Arcana, detachment, asociality, non-conformism manifest, so it favours lone wanderers even more than the Hermit. With a Hermit partner, one can still quietly coexist; with the Fool, one will sweat profusely. This is, in general, a feat. He is characterised by inconstancy and flightiness. Hoping that the wind will blow his sails towards the altar is somewhat reckless. For him, it is important to enjoy, and it is not at all important to structure relationships (and clarify them). He is open to life and all its joys; seriousness, responsibility, and cares do not attract him at all. He is not afraid to do what he wants, regardless of how absurd or dangerous it is. And, most strangely, he has no choice. He is led thus, and thus he goes. The Fool belongs to no one (including himself). But he is truly free from prejudices, loves what is, constantly refreshes relationships, and generally demands absolutely nothing.

Sometimes, according to the Fool, relationships are renewed with the appearance of a child, the beginning of a new stage when existence is completely rebuilt.

Usually, a feeling of youthful strength, vigour, and vitality. A negligent attitude towards health, but usually without consequences (although other cards will tell).

In terms of mental health, the Fool traditionally describes mental disorders and a loss of social adequacy. In combinations with unfavourable cards, the Fool (including the reversed position) can indicate mental illness (neurosis, psychosis, mania, delirium, alcoholic or narcotic delirium, a feverishly excited state). However, not everything that is considered madness truly is. This can be a highly Uranian state of the psyche, providing karmic redemption.

Let us remember Ivan Bezdomny — was he insane? And what about the Master?

Light and shadow (advice and warning)

Advice: In this situation, act in the most reckless, the most «foolish» way possible. Give yourself more freedom, get rid of old behaviour patterns and thoughts. Do not refuse the opportunity to start a new life, choose a new direction for your development, do whatever you please. Boldly move forward, even if it is unknown what awaits there. «We'll think later.» Trust fate. Finally decide – for once, freedom of choice is given! This does not happen very often in life. Cast away doubts and hesitations. Do not look back, forget the past, and look to the future with a light heart. The unknown is not so frightening, especially compared to what is well known but greatly troubles. Do not take everything so close to heart, learn to laugh at yourself, develop a sense of humour. The Fool says: life is largely a game, and we are sent to earth to perfect ourselves and rejoice in everything that may come your way.

Shadow: Escapism, the desire to escape from reality with its problems. Rejection of truth. Not the time to embark on adventures and «play the fool.» Time to grow up and take responsibility.

Speaks of restless, impulsive activity, reckless actions, sometimes purely demonstrative, often with accentuated selfishness and infantilism (like a teenager cherishing the thought of suicide to annoy someone or prove something). Sometimes this card symbolises a person who tirelessly seeks a change of environment and activities, starts many things but brings nothing to completion. Symbolises carelessness, waste of energy, time, and effort. The problem is not solved. There is great negligence in something important. The choice may turn out to be bad, the decision fatal, the venture erroneous.

Unpreparedness to open up to the future, clinging to the past, lack of freedom, or if a surprise, then definitely an unpleasant one. Some blocked beginning (perhaps not really wanted).

Reckless behaviour dictated by nothing other than escapism and fear.

With the Magician – danger of losing one's mind.
With the Lovers – a harbinger of new love, the appearance of a new partner.
Traditionally with Justice, Judgment – to get entangled in some legal matter out of foolishness. A more plausible interpretation together with Judgment – clear rebirth, inspiration, a new great beginning, a completely new bright streak in life.
To a slightly lesser extent, but similar inspiration is carried by the Fool with the Three of Wands.
With the Hanged Man – an indication that a person has gotten into a difficult situation. To get out of it, the main thing is to keep quiet, not make unnecessary moves, and try to get out without any noise or fuss.
With the Devil – cynicism and truly mad acts, actions of a "loose cannon" with bad consequences. Obsession with a minor (or major) demon in a literal or figurative sense.
The Fool and the Tower – a serious warning of danger (an incident due to inattention, carelessness, recklessness, negligence).
With the Star – innocence, purity, "otherworldly", a completely cosmic being.
The Fool and the Seven of Cups – classic escapism.
With the Nine of Cups – fears are in vain, even if they are there.
With the King of Swords, Five of Wands (Five of Swords) – fears are justified, danger of physical violence and danger in general.
The Fool and the Seven of Swords – a big scoundrel.
The Fool and the Five of Pentacles – just the case when a person prefers love condemned by all (and possibly breaks their life for it, indulging in all sorts of excesses).
With good cards – undeserved blessing.
The action of the Fool is weakened by the vibrations of the Hierophant, Death, and the Two of Swords.

The Spirit of God hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2), the primordial chaos at the beginning of time.

Properly, the archetype of the child in Jung.
Ouroboros, the Snake biting its own tail, a symbol of Zero.
Books by Richard Bach and Paulo Coelho.
Chicot the Fool in Dumas.
Fools-for-Christ.

Famous phrase: Don't worry, be happy.

A poem based on Indian wisdom:

I am growing older knowing
That my disappearing youth
Hides itself in my uncertain wisdom
Growing younger all the time.

In a dilemma, the Fool indicates the great importance of this choice (even if the issue seems trivial on the surface).

For me, this is Uranian unpredictable, but prosperous and unpunished falling out of the planned course. I sit in a completely socially unacceptable form and happily engage in my favourite activity. The soul wanders, "and nothing will happen to it". Discipline and duties are better not discussed with it. It does absolute foolish things, yes, and experiences genuine joy of life amidst this chaos. Inspiration, creative spontaneity – and come what may. The card says that the archetype of the soul has broken free; the only thing left is to rely on it completely and act foolishly. It does not control its path, but this path carries it along, defying all logic. For me, this is a good card. It embodies being outside the system, ecstatic sacred pastime. "Distract yourself from the conventions of the world and be who you truly are." The main drawback – the Fool is asocial. When it appears in a spread, it means that the soul wanders and roams, and does so outside of engagement with mundane everyday problems. This is not always timely. In some decks, the card aptly describes a state of over-activation of the twelfth house in the horoscope – an unproductive condition of an "overheated reactor", when common sense (the dog!) begins to bite at the heels and demands to turn towards the "little birds" (simple joys of a healthy life), and not to leap towards crocodiles, under lying stones... under which, as is known, water does not flow (neglected affairs).

Note: In Waite's deck, the Fool stands not at the beginning but between Judgment and the World! Moser places it at the very end, after the World. Case and most authors believe that its place is at the very beginning, before the Magician. Everyone makes their own judgment regarding its place.