The Fool card symbolizes the birth after the cosmic explosion, possessing a tremendous force to propel forward. It represents not only disorder and chaos, but also the embodiment of creativity, implying rich ideas and immense possibilities.
The Fool's Positive Orientation#
The Marseille Tarot has a universal interpretation method, where we can divide the card in half to understand the distribution of its energy. The right half represents positive energy, which is active and proactive, while the left half represents negative energy, which is passive and receptive.
The Fool's shoes and the staff in his hand are both red, symbolizing positive proactiveness. He is facing towards the right, moving in a positive direction, and the entire card exudes vitality and strength.
The red staff in the Fool's hand may symbolize his driving force forward, or it may represent a constant back and forth without finding a landing point. The specific interpretation needs to be combined with the situation of the querent. The yellow belt on the Fool's body and the four bells symbolize the four centers of humanity: the mental center, the emotional center, the sexual or creative energy center, and the material and physical energy center.
The Ego Drives the Soul Forward#
In the lower left corner, there is a light blue animal symbolizing spirituality or higher consciousness. The animal's front paw is placed at the base of the person's spine, which is the position of the sacral chakra. In Hinduism, this symbolizes the opening of energy.
So, is this animal a guide dog? No. The Fool is facing the animal, indicating that he knows his direction, and the animal behind him is more of a force pushing him forward.
The animal can symbolize the ego, while the person symbolizes the soul. The ego continuously drives the soul forward, but the soul knows where it wants to go. The journey of life is not a straight line, and in the process, we will constantly encounter challenges from this animal, which is the challenges of the ego. The soul needs to navigate through these challenges and achieve growth.
Complete Openness and Complete Dedication#
The Fool has a light yellow moon on top of his head, symbolizing constantly receiving negative energy, while the orange part symbolizes consciousness, awareness, and intelligence. Its opening is upward, like a container, presenting a state of complete openness.
There is also a red crescent moon on the left, symbolizing constantly taking action with positive energy. Its opening is downward, with energy flowing towards the earth, indicating continuous dedication to others.
The Position of the Fool Represents the Direction of Energy Flow#
In practical interpretations, the position where the Fool card appears will affect its meaning.
When the Fool card appears to the left of other cards, it energizes the cards on the right.
For example, if the cards on the right are related to money, material, or energy, and the querent's question is whether or not to do something, the message conveyed by the Fool card is to go ahead, boldly move forward, and you will have rich rewards. Of course, in the process, it is also important to maintain a certain level of discernment.
When the Fool appears to the right of other cards, it represents the Fool leaving the scene represented by the cards on the left, symbolizing letting go, liberation, or a new beginning, which is very relaxed and free.
Therefore, when we draw the Fool card, the most essential question to consider is where to use these energies and in which direction?
Positive and Negative Interpretations#
The Fool card also symbolizes the starting point of a spiritual journey, signifying liberation from the old state and entering a new state. This may bring about chaos, and people may wonder if I am crazy. It seems like I have no worries, but this is part of the journey of consciousness.
From a negative perspective, the Fool may represent madness, loss of discernment, blind obedience, guilt, etc., or being stubborn but unwilling to reflect on oneself, unwilling to look back, and being stuck in this state.