The Fool tarot card welcomes us on our journey through the Major Arcana, often referred to as the Fool’s journey. The Fool is numbered “0,” the number of unlimited potentials. He both starts and ends the Major Arcana. He represents new beginnings, opportunities, and taking a leap of faith.
When the Fool is in your tarot spread, be ready to live in the moment. It points to a new exciting beginning, which will involve risk-taking. Be open to this opportunity, and have faith in the road ahead. The reward for taking the leap of faith has unlimited potential. Even though the Fool doesn’t come with a promise of success, staying still will forever keep you from reaching your full potential.
The Fool’s visual depiction and symbolism
The Fool card depicts a young man standing on the ledge, looking like he is ready for an adventure. He looks to the sky and seems unaware or unscared that he is just a step away to topple over the cliff into the unknown. He is with his excited dog, ready to storm forward on his journey.
- His gaze towards the heavens means he is prepared for everything that comes ahead.
- The White Rose, on his hand, symbolizes freedom.
- His knapsack holds everything he needs
- The ledge the Fool stands on represents the leap of faith
- The dog is a symbol of loyalty, protection, and companionship
The other imagery elements include a vast mountain range in the background, a bright, radiant white sun, and a glimpse of the green landscape that awaits him.
- The White sun behind him symbolizes the enlightenment on his journey.
- The mountains represent both unlimited potentials but also challenges. For the Fool to reach completeness, he must conquer these mountains and learn the lessons ahead.
The Fool Keywords
Keywords play a big part in learning to read Tarot, so before we jump into the cards’ deeper purposes, let’s take a look at them here.
Upright Keywords: New beginnings, adventure, spontaneity, carelessness, faith, lack of commitment
Reversed Keywords: Recklessness, Foolishness, distraction, risk-taking
Now that the visual components and keywords are clear let’s go into the Fool’s meanings in love, relationships, career, money, health, and spirituality.
The Fool Upright meaning
When the Fool tarot card appears upright, you are standing in front of something new, on the verge of an unexpected new adventure. If you are ready for it, the reward of at the end of that road is something more valuable than any money can buy. It’s the reward of enlightment.
The Fool prompts faith in the unknown and encourages a more optimistic and playful view on life. It tells you that you can never know for sure what lies around the corner, so it is better to welcome it with joy. Suppose you are facing a decision or moment of doubt. In that case, the Fool’s advice is to believe in yourself and listen to your heart no matter what others might think. If it feels right for you, then go for it.
Love and Relationship
The Fool in a love tarot reading is an inspiring and spontaneous card. It tells you to open your heart to new romantic endeavors. If you welcome them with an open mind, there is a good chance that you will soon find yourself in a carefree romance that will provide you joy and fun for the months ahead. Enjoy this particular time and see how it goes along without stress of anything serious.
For the ones already in relationships, the Fool indicates a couple alternatives. On the one hand, it points to a time full of love—a time when you redevelop that excitement you had initially. You are feeling extra close to your partner, and romance seems to be bubbling between you two. However, if you are inquiring about commitment. The Fool can also represent a lack of commitment and tell you that you or your possible partner are not ready to commit.
Money and Career
The Fool tarot card in money and career reading is a great card to get. It represents new opportunities and adventures. The options in front of you will bring you on an exciting journey that could even feel risky. Still, if you open up to them and work hard, the reward could pay off big. Plus, you will gain valuable new experiences.
In your career and work-related inquiries, the Fool indicates that you feel incredibly productive and rich in ideas. It is also an excellent indication that advancement opportunities are a possibility. The Fool encourages you to keep an open mind, do your research, and go for it, even if it feels like a leap of faith. The Fool is also a positive omen for those dreaming of starting their entrepreneurial journey.
Health and Spirituality
The Fool is a card of fresh energy. The Fool represents an energetic boost both physically and mentally. Suppose you have been feeling ill or struggling emotionally. In that case, the Fool gives you a fresh breeze of energy to help you cope with whatever issues you are experiencing.
Spiritually the Fool indicates that you are entering a new refined journey, leading to great things. You feel enthusiastic to try new approaches, and the Fool encourages you to do this. Remember that others may not understand you, but be patient with them. This is your journey, and you need to follow your calling. Being true to yourself and your needs will help improve your life.
The Fool yes or no upright
When the Fool card presents itself upright in a yes or no reading, it means new opportunities are on the horizon, and your answer to those should be “yes.”
The Fool Reversed meanings
The Fool reversed is a bit like an overconfident and reckless version of the Fool upright. The Fool reversed signifies a new beginning, but he takes them on with a lack of restraints and discipline.
The Fool showing up reversed in a tarot reading works as a warning that now is not the time for impulses. You must act more responsibly and finish what you have started. Therefore foolishness, recklessness, and wildness are some of the interpretations when the Fool shows up upside down.
Love and Relationship
In the love and relationship context, the Fool reversed is signaling reckless behavior. It’s telling that either you or your partner might be behaving heedlessly towards the other or not taking things seriously enough. There seems to be a lack of understanding, what kind of feelings this causes in the other person. Take notice that this sort of behavior could lead your relationship to flimsy grounds in the long run.
If you are single, the Fool reversed indicates that you are distracted. You might not see what beautiful opportunities lie in front of you because you are too occupied in your pursuit of an adventure. Open your eyes and take a moment cause the true romance could be closer than you think.
Money and Career
In money readings, the Fool tarot card reversed shows some promising financial opportunities coming your way. Nevertheless, you should pay particular attention to detail and weigh all the options to avoid undesired outcomes. Take the Fool reversed as a warning and desist from making decisions recklessly. Don’t be the Fool that others take advantage of.
In a career context, the Fool reversed is indicating of restlessness in your current position. You might also be thinking of pursuing your dream and starting a new business. Again take the upside-down card as a reminder to analyze and investigate before you commit yourself fully. The Fool reversed could also imply a lack of confidence. This could be holding you back and not allow you to present your ideas. Try to get over this, and believe in yourself, and speak up.
Health and Spirituality
Regarding health-related tarot readings, take Fool reversed as a warning of reckless behavior. You will be more prone to accidents when you see the card upside down. So, try to avoid risky sports because those and recklessness don’t go together too well. If you have been experiencing some health issues, the Fool reversed encourages you to be open to alternative treatment options.
Spiritually the Fool reversed is indicating that you are very open to new spiritual ways and experiences. Once again, others might not approve, but you shouldn’t pay too much attention to what they say. The spiritual journey is a very personal one, so do what feels right for you. That doesn’t mean that you should just recklessly jump deep into something. Take your time to figure out what feels right for you.
The Fool reversed Yes or No
When you pull the Fool reversed in yes or no related inquiries, there is an eagerness to say yes, but it is countered with reckless behavior. Therefore, the Fool reversed is “Maybe,” keeping in mind that caution is needed.
The Fool important Combinations
When combined with the other cards of the spread, the Fool adds a set of surprises and excitement to their reading and encourages you to trust the road ahead.
The Fool and Death
This combination carries a beautiful message. Every beginning leaves something old behind, and every ending gives room for something new. Take it as you like. It can be applied to any reading with this message.
The Fool and Judgement
The Fool and the Judgement have a similar message. They are both about new beginnings, but the Judgement calls for awakening, where you need to release your past to move on. I see that a new beginning is up ahead, but some issues have to be dealt with before setting yourself free.
The Fool and Temperance
Temperance is about balance, harmony, and avoiding extremes. Therefore, when combined with the Fool, the Temperance tries to play down the Fool’s excitement and deliver a little bit of sense into him. Test the waters with your feet first before plunging into the deep.
The Fool and the Magician
The Fool and Magician make an excellent combination. The Fool brings in the eagerness and excitement, and the Magician adds confidence and skill. This combination is either convincing you to take the road ahead because you have what it takes, or it wants to remind you that this leap of faith will require skills that you need to acquire.
The Fool and Justice
The Justice, when combined with the Fool, also has a downing effect on the Fool. It calls for responsibility, equilibrium, and fairness. These are all attributes that will help the Fool on his journey. Depending on the issue at hand, I would say that something new is coming. Still, the upcoming will require balance, not reckless behavior.
The Fool – Element, Astrology and other associations
Here are the common associations with the Fool tarot card.
- Element: Air
- Planet: Uranus
- Astrological signs: Aquarius
- Qabalah: Kether / Chokmah
- Key dates: Spring
- Yes / No: Yes
The Fool as Personality types
The personality of the Fool is someone curious who is not afraid to throw themselves into an adventure. They have a youthful and cheerful approach to life and a childlike interest in learning things. They are usually funny and easygoing people, so they tend to be the entertainers of the group. Could easily see these personalities in comedians and other showmen.
The people with Fool’s personality tend to live in the moment without worries about tomorrow. And while we are at it, no so much about the concerns of the past either. Therefore they can be open to the current moment and embrace it at its full. They also don’t shy away from risks. So, if you are looking for someone to gamble with, the Fool is your man.
The Fool as feelings
To describe the Fool as feelings, it would be excited, happy, joyful, and carefree. The Fool is always a signal for something new, so get ready for new sensations. It has nothing negative to it, so don’t be afraid, these are good feelings. They tickle you just the right way.
Whether you are asking the Tarot about people, experiences, or opportunities in your life, getting the Fool on your tarot spread arouses positive feelings.