Solitary Society  >  Card of the Month  >  March 2010, 0 - The Fool

Solitary Society

Card Of The Month

March 2010

by Yury Shakov from the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg, published by US Games, Inc.

0 - The Fool

Card Value: 0

Planetary Association: Mercury

Elemental Association: Air

Hieroglyph: A Wavering Arrow

Hebrew Letter Association: Alef(א) or Shin (ש)

Numerical Value: 0, 1 as Alef, 300 as Shin

Color Associations: Red, White, Black and/or Red, Yellow, Blue, Green

The Fool is a very complex and unique card. Though it is grouped and associated with the Major Arcana, it is a separate card on its own. This idea is supported by the symbol of the 0 (zero) in place of its numerical value or placement. Further, the symbol of the zero, the circle, tells us this card is totality. The circle is all encompassing. It is all numbers and numberless.

I am,

Without Beginning, Without End

-The Book of Tokens by Paul Foster Case

There are many different opinions as to where The Fool belongs within the ordering of the Major Arcana. During the examinations of the Major Arcana, we will visit The Fool in its different positions, and we will see that it is not one position The Fool belongs to, but all three. (Though The Fool is connected with all other of the Major Arcana.)

We will start with the card description. The Fool is shown as a young man, walking or skipping along a mountain path. Around him in the distance are great mountain peaks, sheer cliffs and deep valleys. The sun is shining on this man as he walks along, and the skies are clear.

The man is clothed in colorful clothes and looks much like a clown, jester, or performer. On his head is a colorful cap with the symbol of the Sun. In one hand he holds a puppet of himself or a rose. Over his shoulder he carries a walking stick and a bag.

The man is pursued by a dog who bites at his legs, and tries to trip him up. Other symbols which may appear on The Fool are birds, butterflies, and crocodiles. Other images may also show a cat in place of the dog.

As mentioned earlier we will visit The Fool in all of its positions. We will now interpret The Fool from the start of the sequence as Card 0.

The cycle appears to us, to start with a young man. This young man is travelling a dangerous mountain path and appears oblivious to the threats and dangers around him. It is this path, and the choices presented which give this card its technical name, Fucra, or Fork. This fork shape is represented by the Hebrew letter Shin. This fork or choice, is also symbolized by the hieroglypical symbol for the Fool, the wavering arrow, which is not direct in its flight, but may veer off course.

The Fool, through either carelessness or ignorance had dressed less than suitably for the road ahead of him. Though he is dressed as a performer, the entertainment he provides is not like that of a cheerful clown, but that of the cynical quality which comes from human behavior and drama. His clothing is multi-colored which tells us that although he is a fool, he is a synthesis and master of the elements and the kingdoms before him, even if he does not yet realize this, or act to his greatest potential. The elements are symbolized by red, yellow, blue, and green, the colors red, white, and black refer to the three races of men. On his head he wears a cap with the symbol of the sun on it. This tells us that even though he may be a fool or an idiot, he is influenced from a divine source.

In one hand of the young man is a puppet which looks like himself. He stares at this puppet, self-absorbed, possibly even bordering on narcissism. The puppet, also shown as a rose by some authors, symbolizes the ego and/or spirit of the young man. This may also be symbolized as a bird within the image.

In his other hand he carries a walking stick, but rather than use it as intended, to help guide his way, he carries it over his shoulder, supporting a bag. Though the bag is closed, we may guess at its contents. Inside the bag are the tools which he needs to accomplish his journey, even if he does not know how to use them or is aware of them. The bag may also symbolize the issues within his life that he needs to come to terms with, to find balance. This bag is also a collection of his experiences and the lessons he has learned at this stage of the path.

Overhead the sky is clear, giving us a symbol of hope. The sun is shining its good fortune, and also illuminates the world around. We can clearly see the man is on a treacherous mountain path. All around him are steep cliffs and deep valleys, in the distance he is surrounded by many more mountain peaks, reaching to the greatest heights. It appears that regardless of which specific path this man is on, there is danger and struggle associated with each one. We may also assume that in all these mountains, there are many paths, with many men walking their own. The sky may also be shown as yellow to symbolize the element of Air, which is further suggested by the idea of strong mountain winds. Air is also associated with Mercury, the divine messenger, as the vehicle for the transfer of divine influence.

The mountains themselves hint at the creative forces of nature, which may also be symbolized by a crocodile. The teeth of a crocodile are similar in shape and in danger. As the Plover has a symbiotic relationship with the crocodile, the bird cleans the teeth in exchange of not being eaten, so does the young man with the world about him.

Further yet, the mountains support the idea of regeneration within the image of the Fool and its associations. The rise and fall of mountains over great periods of time, the man and his puppet – the growth and refinement of spirit, and the continuity of the sphere or circle. The idea of regeneration and transformation may also be symbolized by a butterfly.

The man is pursued on his path by a dog. This symbol is dual in that the dog represents active threats from the natural world, but also those from hidden enemies or sources. The dog may represent a companion who is warning of the careless steps of the fool, or may be a dangerous threat from an unsuspected source, one which is close to us. We will see this dog again in the 18th Arcanum, The Moon.

The image, The Fool, highlights through its many symbols and ideas, the idea of developmental levels of spirit. The positions of the fool in relation to the other Major Arcana, and the symbol of the Fool, the zero, tells us that each man is spirit on this journey, and that spirit struggles towards ascension. It is not important, the particular point or state of ascent, but that the effort and struggle are made, that the lessons are learned which allow the spirit to continue its development. It is important to recognize that even if the development is not perceived, that each fragment of spirit is developing at the pace at which it is able to or capable of.

Bibliography

Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg by Cynthia Giles

The Book of Tokens by Paul Foster Case

The Tarot by Mouni Sadhu

Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky

The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall

The Pictoral Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite