The Fool - Beginning The Journey
Tarot has been used for many purposes, however one new purpose emerging is using tarot as a therapeutic tool. Whether it be for self-reflection, personal development or exploring feelings, tarot can be a unique and creative way to do this. I have been delving deeper into the tarot therapeutically and will be writing my thoughts and therapeutic interpretations from each card, beginning with The Fool.
The Fool, like this writing series, is at the beginning of a journey. He is beginning to take his first step into something not knowing the risks or where this journey may lead. He may be entering a new phase of life, beginning something completely new, or renewing a part of himself or his life. When we pull this card, we too may be about to start a new journey. This could even represent starting your therapeutic journey. When a client first attends counselling/therapy, they are embarking on a new path of healing and self-discovery.
In the imagery of The Fool card, we can see that he/she is standing on a cliff edge either about to take a step or falling into the unknown, something which can be incredibly scary. The Fool does not carry much on his journey, choosing to leave past baggage behind, only taking the essential tools he needs to begin.
Beginning a new journey may bring challenges. The Fool imagery shows a confident and fearless figure, embracing the uncertainty, the unknown and taking a huge risk. However, for many of us, these characteristics can be hard to adopt. Therefore, the fool brings attention to our ability to overcome fear, this could be fear of others judgements, the unknown, failure, or the fear of risking looking like a fool. The Fool is asking us what am I afraid of? and how can I work with this fear or overcome it to get to where I want to be?
The positive news is that once this fear has been overcome, The Fool has a completely blank canvas to create his new life. This is represented through the card being numbered 0, the new journey has not begun yet, therefore The Fool asks us to consider who do I want to become on this journey? what do I want to embrace? what do I want to leave behind? You can begin this journey in whatever way you would like. The Fool also has a childlike innocence to his character, therefore the card also hints at nurturing and healing your inner child throughout this journey and trusting who you are.
In summary, The Fool is a character embarking on a new journey. He teaches us about working with fear, taking a risk, embracing the unknown, having faith in who we are and choosing how we want to begin again.
What are your thoughts on The Fool?