Pictorial Symbolism

The card shows the figure of a young man dressed in fancy clothes. His gaze is cast above him. Although the figure here is stationary, it is obvious by his stance and the bounding of the dog behind him that he has no intention of stopping. Where there is a precipice in the design of this card, as in the A E Waite / Pamela Colman Smith cards, he shows no fear of the depths below him. It is as if he believes that if he should fall he will be caught and saved by angels. He is striding onwards on his journey. He appears to be in a dreamlike state. In the Marseilles deck he carries a walking stick, which is a symbol of materiality, and  a pouch, by which he is weighed down. The fool is on a journey through the material world, burdened, but naively carrying on as if he has no cares. The contents of the bag he carries are linked to the items seen on the table of the magician or juggler card which in turn are linked to the suits of the minor arcana.

Divinatory Meaning

The Fool card is 0 and is considered to represent the beginning of a spiritual journey. The Fool can represent the child in us. There is a focus on trust and hope, but this could reflect uncertainty on the part of the querent. It highlights the uncertainties of life but also that sometimes it is necessary to take an apparently risky step to make good, and at other times that it is wiser to stay put. This card’s presence in a reading indicates to the querent that it is important to trust his or her judgement and plan for the future but to do it wisely. This is not a good time to make binding commitments. The Fool card represents trust, ideals, hope of a bright tomorrow, choice and folly. Even if the experiences lead to failure they do not represent true danger.

Reversed Meaning

When the Fool card appears in the reversed position in a reading, it represents negligence, absence, carelessness, apathy, and vanity. The querent may be feeling eccentric at this time and be inclined to extravagant behaviour, but this could lead to his or her downfall.

Special Consideration

The Fool card is very much open to interpretation by the querent. The other cards in the reading may well give the querent more clarity.

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