Playing the Fool

The noise of modern day life permeates the psyche bringing a barrage of stress and burdening the spirit. How wonderful it would be to let down the baggage of responsibility and restriction, to be relieved of the oppressive strain of the rat race and to follow your own drummer no matter how risky the path may seem. When you feel crushed beneath the weight of worry, when creativity eludes you, it is the energy of the Fool that is needed to restore balance.

In Tarot, the Fool is the first card, numbered zero. The figure of a youth prancing lightly staring at a vast sky, undisturbed by the proximity between his feet and the edge of a cliff, followed close behind by his loyal and cheerful dog.  A rose held high in one hand, knapsack in the other. The Fool is the energy of youth, freedom, spontaneity and unbounded joy. This card does not speak to intelligence or lack thereof. Indeed the Fool is quite wise. He knows the value of the moment, of dreams and of taking risks. The Fool is naturally inclined to let go, to be creative and to think outside the box. Breaking tradition and bringing anxiety to onlookers who fret over his careless ways, the Fool brings lessons that the modern era has forgotten in our rush to the finish line.

Lesson one - Have faith. There is no guarantee of the security of the ground beneath one’s feet. The institutions and structures to which one loyally clings are a false illusion of hope. There is only one moment at a time to be in one place at a time. Certainty is not real. All we truly have is the choice to have faith that our intuition and choices will serve us well.

Lesson two - Keep it simple. The Fool carries a small bag. It is enough to support his needs on his journey. The fool is not racing down a highway in an SUV. He is traveling on foot carrying a small pack of essentials. The Fool knows that with “stuff” comes burden, and he has chosen to carry less stuff in hopes of experience, opportunity and freedom to move swiftly without the weight of obligation of being bound to the material.

Lesson three - Trust your best friend- The Fool is not lonely, he is accompanied by the timeless symbol of loyalty and companionship, a dog.  Establish trust in those close to you and lean on friends when in need.

Lesson four - Look up: it is the sky that guides the Fool, not the ground. He does not aim for the lowest point, but the highest and is master of his own path.

Lesson Five - Be open to new beginnings regardless of age. The Fool is not afraid to risk a path that is close to the edge of where most find their footing and security, but he remains on solid ground. The card leaves one guessing just how close the edge the Fool will venture.

This alone is up to you.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.