The Fool is the very first card in the Major Arcana sequence of the Tarot Deck. A standard tarot deck consists of 78 cards and they are split into two categories; the Major Arcana consisting of 22 cards and the Minor Arcana consisting of the remaining 56 cards.
The Minor Arcana cards describe mundane aspects of life including work, relationships, finances and general decision making. These cards are similar to your playing cards consisting of four suits Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles which can be transferred to the modern Clubs, Hearts, Spades and Diamonds.
The 22 Major Arcana cards deal with more spiritual life lessons than everyday matters and can show you the overarching reason why a situation is happening. These are the spiritual signposts that direct an individual to understand the meaning behind the card and its importance at that particular moment.
The Waite-Smith tarot, or Rider-Waite as it is commonly known was the first modern tarot deck originally published in in 1910 and used the symbolism, numerology, astrology and Qabalistic correspondences taught by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a mystery school active around that time. It was originally published by William Rider & Sons, designed by Arthur Edward Waite, an occultist, mystic and member of the Golden Dawn. Waite commissioned artist and Golden Dawn member Pamela Coleman Smith to draw and design illustrations for each Major Arcana card.
One of the most unique aspects of this tarot deck was that Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith designed images and symbolism all the cards within the Tarot Deck. Previously Tarot cards only contained pictures on the 22 Major Arcana cards, the remaining 56 cards would simply have 4 swords, or 7 pentacles drawn on the card, rather than a pictorial representation of the mystical meaning of the deck. The Waite-Smith deck was the first deck to include pictures on all cards and tarot decks of today have Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith to thank for this great innovation as many are based on their specific symbolism.
The first card in the Major Arcana is known as “The Fool” or “Jester” and is often listed as card number “0”. In some sets “The Fool” can act as a wild card either starting the journey of the Major Arcana in which case it comes in at the number “0” or ending the Major Arcana set coming in at number “22”. In most common tarot decks, based around the Waite-Smith symbolism and ordering, The Fool starts our journey of the Major Arcana as the first card.
The Fool represents taking a leap of faith into the unknown and trusting that the universe will support and guide you. It is the beginning of a spiritual journey that starts our progression in life and through the trumps of the Major Arcana. It is a time in life when anything is possible, and simply taking a leap of faith will succeed in your endeavours. It is not a time to dwell on possibilities or problems that you think may occur, or internally rationalise why you shouldn’t complete a task or start a new venture, this is the moment where we can delve into challenges or goals head first with confidence. The fool represents opportunities available to you that you can see, which acquaintances may overthink or be cautious, and the importance of trusting your own instincts to begin your own spiritual journey and life path.
The journey of the Major Arcana begins with The Fool and ends with The World, it is a cycle that repeats numerous times throughout our lives as we evolve, learn and develop both physically and spiritually. The Fool represents taking that initial step into this world, or a new chapter in life showing the beginning of a new and exciting journey of discovery. It represents exciting opportunities that you may be hesitant to pursue, but it is a great indication to take that leap of faith and start that venture, relationship or chapter of your life as you move into a new phase that may be unexpected.
Tarot is used within each Esoteric Acupuncture session at Mornington Chinese Medicine with Simon Altman. He has had the wonderful opportunity to train personally with Mikio Sankey the developer of Esoteric Acupuncture and completed all three levels of Esoteric Acupuncture training. Simon uses tarot as an adjunct to give direction, purpose and meaning to the session as well as Reiki and Astrology. Tarot within the session can be concise, or if there is a specific interest, a longer interpretation can be arranged.
Esoteric Acupuncture is a style of heart centred acupuncture that works on the deeper levels of the body to promote balance and direction in life. It can be used as maintenance or a tune up and incorporates a more spiritual esoteric acupuncture pattern on the back of the body, then a different esoteric acupuncture pattern on the front of the body, which can then be combined with a standard Chinese Medicine to help with core issues.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me for further information or to discuss these amazing topics.
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