Learning to Read the Tarot Cards: The Fool

This is me, unwittingly about to step off a cliff…

Let me start this with a bit of history.

In the past, I always considered Tarot cards an interesting diversion at best. Often they are used poorly or dishonestly by charlatans hocking metaphysical ‘truths’. On other occasions, they were just an evening of entertainment for friends… something a bit more interesting than a board-game or a movie rental.

My attention was brought back to tarot recently by a few authors who have my respect. The tarot is more than just a colorful variation of playing cards… learning to read the tarot cards is a chance to investigate universal symbolism…

Doing actual spreads for yourself and others can be an interesting exercise as well. Personally, my current focus is on self examination through the tarot. In science, you have to understand a measuring device before you use it. Your nervous system (neurology) is the most basic device with which you examine and measure the world around you… it is very important that you learn to understand and properly use your neurology! Learning how to use tarot cards in conjunction with meditation and read them in relation to the self can allow you to decode the most sophisticated measuring device known to man… You!

Learn how to decode yourself!!!

Meditation is an excellent tool to begin with, but its power can be amplified with the use of the tarot. When you learn to read the deeper layers of yourself with tarot and meditation, you will bring greater clarity to your readings and your life…

There are 78 cards in the tarot. There are four suits (wands, cups, swords, and discs), each with 14 cards… the final 22 cards make up the Major Arcana. To start, we will be discussing the first card of the major arcana: The Fool.

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The Fool represents the most basic desire to merge macrocosm with microcosm… to reconnect the self with the universe, or to study the universe through the self… The Fool can represent the beginning of an important journey, or the completion of the journey with readiness for what comes next. These journeys can be magnificent or mundane.

In some sense, when we start a journey or a project, we are unwittingly stepping off a cliff… not necessarily a plummet to certain demise… but definitely a leap into uncertainty… a bold step into the unknown.

If you are having trouble bringing your plans and ideas to a proper conclusion, the energy of The Fool is something you might have to get past or transmute. If you are having trouble finding motivation, the energy of The Fool is something you might want to embrace.

The Fool can also be related to brash idealism, or the naive beginners mind… but it can also pertain to maintaining virtue and an openness to new learnings.

The Fool’s Meditation:

If it is challenging for your ego to engage in ‘The Fool’s Meditation’, then you can call it something else… but this might lessen the impact…;^)

If you own a tarot deck, feel free to pull out The Fool card to view before and/or during your meditation.

We’ve all tapped into the wisdom of The Fool at some point!

If you have ever started any variety of project (work related, self improvement, whatever it may be), then part of the beginning usually involves a certain degree of planning. Usually on some level, we are aware of the fact that the unexpected is likely to come up somewhere along the path of this project and we will have to deal with that. If you have undertaken many projects of this nature before, you might be expecting the unexpected, and reminding yourself to demonstrate as much flexibility of behavior as possible.

Take a few moments to relax, breathe deeply, and reconnect with this acceptance of uncertainty!

Breath the acceptance throughout your body… feel free to use the techniques described in
A², or Playing with Breath II.

Accepting this sense of uncertainty can transmute it into a sense of excitement or adventure… if you find this happening, then you have found your next meditation. Any time you notice that you are more nervous than excited, or you aren’t certain that you can finish the project, you can take this opportunity to reconnect with excitement… to get back in touch with your acceptance of uncertainty.

One last point:

Fear of looking foolish will paralyze you!

We are all fools of varying degree… accepting this gives you powerful leverage on any new experience or learning that might come along in your life. Without the ability to move past the fear of looking foolish, none of us would ever learn anything.

Develop a sense of humor, and occasionally have a good laugh at yourself… it makes learning much easier!

keep smiling,

ben

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