Thoth Tarot - the Fool

 

What is going on

You are going through a period where you are pregnant with several possibilities at once that will lead to creating a new life for yourself. You are in a period of life transformation, from an old life to a new life. You see several new possibilities growing in your life that are close to your heart's desire. You may especially be considering to create a family, including having children, or start a new business. It makes you feel euphoric. 

Enjoy the moment. Trust your instincts and dreams, even if they may feel foolish, because your childlike optimism protects you from harm. 

You may feel as if you wish to unite opposites, but realize that at this time you are incapable of doing this. It is not the time for that. This is a brainstorm period in your life. It is not the time to act, analyse or decide, but to daydream and come up with as many possibilities as you can.

Aleph

Aleph is the Hebrew letter assigned to the Fool in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. This is the path that leads from Kefer (1) to Chokmah (2). So, if you see the Fool ask yourself ...

• Which unexpected opportunities you have recently come across in your life (Kefer)? Especially opportunities that made you giddy with the new possibilities it may bring in your life, that are close to making your heart skip a beat. These opportunities seem to have come out of nowhere, while you were not looking for it, blowing new life into a theme that seemed lifeless or dull to you before. Take a closer look if you see Aces in the spread, and how the Fool is related to the Ace.

• Which possibilities are you foreseeing for yourself (Chokmah)? Which decisions will you have to make as a consequence and what would be the possible outcome of those decisions? Take a closer look if you see Twos or Crowley Knights (aka Kings) in the spread, and how the Fool is related to them.

For a general understanding on the Tree of Life combined with Tarot, see Tarot and the Kabbalah's Tree of Life

The Fool's wisdom

When you see the Fool in a spread, you probably recognize the giddy, euphoric feeling it represents in your life, but you may naturally be wondering whether it would be irresponsible to follow your instincts or not. You can foresee possibilities of beautiful new developments in your life, but also can foresee how it may all lead to pain or ruin. Imagining both long term outcomes is the natural consequence of the Fool's brainstorm phase. And so naturally you wonder whether the Fool is an appropriate pathway.

Note: Often books or websites suggests interpretations for a card on the typical levels of the possible focus a reading may have: career, finances, love, health ... However, the four suits may all reveal something about one of these specific subjects. The suits cannot be divided in such a clear cut way. They do however say something about the level plains energy, emotion, mental and physical. Since we know the Fool is the pathway leading to Chokmah, we can predict the Fool will naturally lead to such and such situations on either of these levels, just by looking at the Twos and Knights of the suits. 

• Energy and creativity

When it comes down to energy and creativity, the Fool will spur you on like never before, making you feel impatient to start a new project, or conquer the person you met, preferably yesterday already. You may feel unstoppable. This may indeed lead to irresponsible behaviour that may backfire. However, combined with the ability to take responsibility of your own actions you may be able to take the lead, share your vision with others and involve them with your enthusiasm. So, when the reading is about venturing into new business, career, project at work then the Fool will help you to motivate others with your enthusiasm, will help you to ready the environment, but hasty actions may backfire. When the reading is about a relationship then remind yourself it is a brainstorm time, not one to force your forming will onto another.

• Emotions

The Fool will help to polarize the meeting or already existing relation of two people (whether for a relationship, friendship or business). Polarisation leads to attraction, and harmonisation. The Fool helps you to open up your heart, be optimistic and playful, fun oriented. With an open heart you are not only thinking of your own desires, but driven to emotional connecting with and support the other. All this benefits any type of relation between two people on an emotional level.

• Mental

The Fool will help you to look at a problematic situation from all angles. It helps to find solutions to situations previoiusly perceived as gridlocked. From this a strategy may form. It enhances a neutral stance where we avoid judging others, and find the middle road that works for all involved. It may also lead to indecisiveness, or make you too considerate of another, and repressing your own frustrations.

• Physical

Is life chaotic lately? Are securities you relied on in your life missing lately? Check for yourself how much of this chaos has been self-caused, or has occurred without forewarning and is beyond your control. The Fool may evoke a chaotic period in your life. When you are bringing change (new people, plans, ideas, energy or emotions) in your life, then this will naturally cause your life to go topsy-turvy all of a sudden, sometimes in seemingly unrelated areas (because of your change of focus). And this insecurity may be frightening. But sometimes things just seem to happen unexpectedly, and your old habits and resources to deal with such situations are not helping to structurize life again. In both cases, the Fool will  help you to become more flexible and give you the energy to ride it through.

Symbolism and relating to other Tarot cardsS

See The Fool's Symbolism