TotOP - 0 - The Fool

Silverlotus

Merry Beltane everyone. I apologize for not getting this card up yesterday. I'll get started with just a few observations and correspondences. Please add to this thread with your own. Just a note so you know where they are coming from - the correspondences come from the book for this deck.

0 - The Fool

Astrological Influence - Uranus
Element - Air
Month - February
Contributor - Lois Bourne

Flower - Golden Rod - care must be taken

This card shows two different scenes, one of a man journeying down a rod, and another of a woman trying to stop a baby from reaching into a fire. I don't think I've seen another deck with two separate scenes for the Fool card.

The bird is a partridge, apparently meaning the ability to deceive others in order to protect. Is that because the partridge is one of those birds that will lure away predators to protect their children? Anyone know?
 

Nevada

Merry Beltane!

Silverlotus said:
I don't think I've seen another deck with two separate scenes for the Fool card.[/B]

The two scenes are new to me as well, and I found this card, with its dual message, one of the most puzzling for me in this deck.

I've always thought of the Fool, in other Tarot decks, as advising one to step out into the unknown with faith that all would be taken care of. For me, as an introvert, I always felt it was telling me to stop being so hesitant and *just do it*. Perhaps a learning experience would be in store, yes, but the baby reaching for the fire seems to give a severe warning. However, I can see the wisdom in this. It's very easy to get so wrapped up in a new venture that we forget to do some learning first and make sure we aren't getting in over our heads. The caution in this card calls for a reality check before making the plunge into the unknown.
 

Two of Wands

The Figure of The Fool fits with the Waite traditions: a young man striding up a mountain with a bundle of possession tied to a stick. However, other than that, as Silver and Nervada point out, the card is very different from the norm: it encompasses far more.

If we break it down:

*The Fool has no dog.
*He is not about to step off a cliff – although he is about to embark upon a journey up
a cliff.

Also in the picture are:

*A partridge
*A fire
*A crawling baby reaching out to touch the fire
*A shocked ‘mother figure’ rushing to stop the baby from burning itself.
*A wild flower
*Sun shining brightly
*A butterfly emerging from its chrysalis

I think, for me, The Fool card represents embarking upon a new and uncharted journey, and the ‘Old Path’ card shows the different possible aspects of this.

It can mean seeing the world for the first time through new eyes, where everything is a mystery, all things cry out to be explored, and at this stage we need the watchful care of guardians to help us through this journey and to cry out when we approach danger. We see this with the woman and the baby in this card, and arguably with the dog’s warning leap in the traditional Waite image where it looks as though the Fool may step off a cliff.

New journey’s in our life occur all the time:
*Birth
*First day at school
*Entering a relationship
*Leaving school
*Leaving home
*Starting a new job
*Moving away
*Becoming a parent
*Entering retirement
… the list is endless.

I think that the butterfly in this card represents these possibilities: the coming of age or entering a new phase in life.

We all know that ‘The Fool’ rarely means a fool literally. But he is usually someone who has to learn a lot as they precede on their new journey. He brings with him a bundle of experience, and perhaps expertise from other areas, but on this journey he is inexperienced, has no map, is unsure and possibly naive. But it is important to note than neither in this card or others does The Fool look unsure. He appears positive and unfazed by his journey or what may lie ahead. In fact in the Waite Deck he looks positively excited.

I think, as Nervada suggests, that this is what the card advocates: taking that step! A new chapter in your life is just beginning. You are lucky because this is new, fresh and exciting. Don’t fear it, don’t worry too much about planning it – just go for it! But I think, on balance, there is a warning to exercise some caution along the way – or at least to stop and take stock of the situation now and again, as there will be much that is unfamiliar and you. Checking what to do with others occasionally will be necessary to avoid getting in over your depth.

I think that by expanding the scene in The Fool card, the ‘Old Path’ deck conveys the full message of this card very well.

As for the partridge… I have no real clue!
 

Silverlotus

I've managed to discover some interesting partridge facts. The Latin name of grey partridge is Perdix perdix. It apparently comes from a myth involving Minerva. She changed a man named Perdix into a partridge when his uncle pushed him off a tower. I haven't been able to find the entire myth yet. As for partridge luring predators away from their young, I did find a link about this. http://www.thecontentwell.com/Fish_Game/Game_Birds/Grouse_ruffed.html The site refers to a grouse, which is another name for a partridge. The mother will pretend to have a broken wing and lure the predator away from it's young. Or she may puff herself up to make herself look larger.

I'm not sure how this ties in with the meaning of the Fool. I don't see deception or protecting others as part of the meaning of this card. Maybe it ties in with the Fool's journey, though. (By this I don't mean the journey through the cards, I mean the journey he is setting out on.) He needs to learn these skills in order to protect himself and those he loves. He is too innocent right now to even consider trying such tactics, but he must learn that there are times when they are necessary.

As for the baby and the fire, the first time I saw this card I thought of the myth of Demeter and Achilles. I know the image doesn't quite fit that myth, but it still comes to mind. The mother in the myth foolishly "saved" her child, thereby ensuring his eventual death.

Another interesting thing to note about this card is the lightning like design the paths on the mountain make. Could this point to the enlightenment the Fool will find by following these paths?
 

LittleWing

the fool

well - i like the simplicity of the marseilles deck - and that is what i tend to use at the moment.

i pull myself a daily card - and for the past 5 or 6 months now it has been the fool - 95% of the time. so i want to find as much out about this card as poss - i can no longer just apply the basic meaning.

for me i always saw it as - take yourself lightly, walk forward with courage, look forward not back, dont let things (ie-fear) hold you back, be the individual you are, new beginnings, trust in the path ahead, laugh and be lighthearted!

i see myself as the fool at the moment.
 

Silverlotus

I've taken a few more notes on this card, trying to pull together a lot of ideas. I'm still sort of roughing this out, but I thought I'd share what I have so far.

This card is comprised of two scenes sharing the same landscape. On the left is perhaps the "typical" fool walking down a path. He is dressed in green (growth) and carries a red (passion) sack on a poll over his shoulder. As for what is in the sack, like the traditional RWS, it may be his life experiences or the elemental tools or just about anything. The path he is walking down is fairly straight, but soon it becomes rocker, and eventually heads up the side of a mountain. Once into the mountain the path splits into several other paths, and resembles a lightning bolt (enlightenment?). Each of these new paths goes in a different direction, over different terrain. The right most heads of the edge of a cliff, bring to mind the traditional Fool card. The next one over goes up a steep mountain, and the mountains and hills become less steep of each path further left. There are several ideas that come to mind here. First, the path to enlightenment may be difficult. Secondly, this card almost seems to say that left-hand paths are easier then right-hand paths. An interesting comment, but I'm not sure that was what the artist was going for.

The right-hand scene shows a baby reaching for a fire while it's mother rushes forward to stop it. The mother's dress is orange, which can mean self-control or energy. I'm not sure how that fits in here. Perhaps this scene points to the need to pay attention in dangerous situations. Exploration and curiosity are wonderful things, but it is easy to get hurt if you aren't careful.

This card also features a partridge. The Latin name for partridge is Perdix perdix, and it comes from a myth involving Athena. The meaning of a partridge is "ability to deceive others in order to protect". This likely comes from the way a mother partridge will fake an injure in order to lure predators away from her nest. In the context of this card, the partridge may refer to developing this ability to deceive in order to protect. The Fool is an innocent, and he may not be able to do something like deceive, even if it means protecting himself or those he loves.

On the right border of the card is a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. To me, this points to new beginnings, a meaning more in tune with the "traditional" RWS.

All of this action takes place beneath a full sun, in a partly cloudy sky.

So, what does this card mean to me? A new beginning, full of energy and promise. But there is a caution to be aware of danger. You must keep your wits about you and be preceptive, or you just might choose the path that leads off the cliff or allow the baby to burn itself in the fire. This is not the same card of innocence found in the RWS deck.

I think this comes through in the Perdix myth. He went to his uncle to learn, totally innocent of any type of rivalry. But when he showed how intelligent he was his uncle killed him. Perhaps if he had been more care, used some deception like hiding his talent, he would have remained alive. And when his uncle latter died, he could come into this own. Or, maybe he could have found a safer way to express his talents. (Sadly, this is a thing many women must consider doing.)
 

huredriel

Just adding some extra thoughts on looking at this card, but we also have 6 pine trees on the left hand side of the card which the Fool will pass as he ventures down his road. Then he reaches the point where the road forks in 3 directions. This makes me think of the choices he will have before him (the 6 pertaining to Lovers) and choosing the one which he feels is best for him (as in 3 Empress). Also there appear to be 4 blocks of misty clouds on the horizon and I usually think of 4 as pertaining to the Emperor ..... along the lines of me, myself and I, and this is definitely a journey that the Fool has to take for himself.
 

Avkar

Observation

What stands out in my mind, was the path that fool is on, as it winds up into the hills not only does the paths appear to look like lightening, they also resemble the branches of a tree, maybe the tree of life.
 

pandan49

I find another possible interpretation to this card. The Fool character is going on his own way, following his path. I read the other characters as a mother and child. Watching over the baby is her business, not his. I take this to mean that he should just keep on his journey and not be pulled off the path by other people's concerns. Lots of times other people may think that things we are interested in are foolish. So what I am getting here is that the person should forge ahead with their plans and not be held back by the opinions or concerns of others.