The Fool as Christ Spirit

The Waite-Trinick "Fool" seems to confirm that Waite saw the Fool as the Christ Spirit. In the picture notice the five wounds of Christ, the dark spots on the hands and feet and one in the chest area which I've circled; his posture is symbolic of Christ on the cross.

Waite-Trinick Fool

The Waite-Smith Fool also has a clue in the Hebrew letter Shin superimposed on one of the wheels of his garment.

Waite-Smith Fool

The addition of Shin to YHVH yields YHShVH, or YEHESHUAH, the Christ manifested. It's interesting where Waite says, in his description of the Fool in the Pictorial Key, "He is a prince of the other world on his travels through this one . . ." This can be interpreted as the Divine in the universe as the Divine in man, or the "Divine Immanent." This idea of the Divine in Universe being the same as the Divine in man is the foundation really of Waite's ideas about mysticism. The reunion of the two is the ultimate goal and end for the mystic.

It's also interesting that Waite refers to the Fool as spirit, "He is the spirit in search of experience." Typically Waite refers to the soul as female and spirit as male. In this example from The Way of Divine Union (1915), spirit is identified as Christ, "Regarded as understanding and consciousness, the soul has, however, a female aspect. It is true therefore to say that the spirit of man is the Spouse, for the Spirit of the soul is Christ, though this Spirit has been called by other names."

Oh, wow, you may be onto something here! Yes, I've never seen the Fool card that way before. When I did read Waite's description, my mind did think of the Christ, but I simply smiled at the thought and didn't think to take it seriously.

Waite's majors can be interpreted on many different levels but one level that frequently gets overlooked, and one that I think was nearest to Waite's own heart, is the mystical. The main reason it gets overlooked I think is because Waite didn't explain it, he only hints at it vaguely. The publication of Waite's Fellowship of the Rosy Cross rituals, along with the public availability of the Waite-Trinick images has really helped.

The Waite-Trinick Fool immediately made me think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8qLuHFuf6U

"Regarded as understanding and consciousness, the soul has, however, a female aspect. It is true therefore to say that the spirit of man is the Spouse, for the Spirit of the soul is Christ, though this Spirit has been called by other names." Is this referring to Binah (understanding), the female part of the soul? So with the joining of Chokmah and Binah, the heart rises from Tipareth to Daath creating the Christ. The Waite-Trinick Fool looks to me like he has not yet risen, due to the angle of his arms, and the feet are on Malkuth or Yesod. He is Zeir Anpin.

When Waite refers to the soul as "consciousness and understanding" it's a reference to the individual soul, but to me there's also a link to Binah as the Mother of Souls; however, in the FRC Tree arrangement, the Fool is on the path Binah-Geburah. In the image, his hands and head appear to be touching Binah and his feet resting on Geburah. The perspective makes the Fool look very large as if Geburah is far away.

Waite's placement of the Fool on this path seems a bit strange unless you understand the role of Geburah in the FRC system. In the Adeptus Major (Geburah) initiation, the initiate—now dead symbolically—is mystically reborn to spirit. From the ritual: "I say unto you that the old Adam—which dies on the Cross of Tiphereth at a certain hour of Sunset—is buried for ever in Geburah, but the new Adam comes forth alive."

The path directly below the Fool, Geburah-Hod, also represents a type of the Divine Immanent, the Hanged Man. His overall Tree arrangement is very balanced this way.

FRC Tree Diagram

Charles Williams has the Fool as Christ in his novel The Greater Trumps. His intervention and universal presence is swift and invisible--not due to being large, but from speed of movement. He is the only completely free agent among the cards.

I need to study the FRC tree a lot more. I found it quite confusing when I first saw it, I guess I'm just used to the GD version. It opens up to me with a little meditation. The Hanged Man makes me think of baptism, by water on one pillar and by fire on the other, and Temperance keeping the balance in between. The balance of Will and Desire. Am I on the right track?

Thanks for sharing that Debra. I've known about Williams for awhile now but haven't been motivated to read any of his stuff. That one you mentioned sounds pretty good so I decided to snag a copy and check him out. Hard to go wrong for $7.

Gofannon, that's how I see the pillars, Fire on the right and Water the left, I hadn't thought about the baptism symbolism though. Care to expand on it a little?

Briefly, The Hanged Man is sometimes called "The Drowned Man". Also the symbolism of the upside down crucifixion. "According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter

In the two tree system, the Magician occupies Kether on the Solar tree (Fire, Will), the Hanged Man occupies Kether on the Lunar tree (Water, Desire/Perception). So they are both Initiates. Baptism is the ritual that allows entry, makes someone worthy.

I found this on a quick google:
XXIII The Hanged Man (Neptune): Pale blue; G-sharp, A-flat; Geburah-Hod; Mem; Crowned Master
12 Neptune—Hanged Man: The Sacrifice, Spirit of the Mighty Waters, The Thief, Judas, The Victim, Samadhi, The Acrobat, Crucifixion, Mental Purity, The Law of Reversal,Baptism, The Drowned Man, The Musician, Balder, The Divine Giving-Forth, Stable Intelligence, The Redeemer in the Waters, The Old Man of the Sea, The Example, The Sacrificed God, Dissolution, Poseidon, The Dancer, The Invisible One, The Severity of Splendor, The Masochist.

And speaking of a Drowned Man, I'm quickly getting out of my depth!