3 Lessons Of The Fool | Tarot Teachings

Tarot readings can seem esoteric and mystical, but they’re all about real people in real situations. In this series of posts, I want to take a look at some of the practical tips and life lessons that are hiding away in these 78 images. 

The Fool is the first card of the major arcana - and the last. Like most things in life, we see a cycle rather than a linear progression. While none of us would like to be described as a fool, they have lots of attributes that are valuable and can be useful for us to take on.

Beginner’s mind

If you have any background in Japanese martial arts, you might recognise this as shoshin. The idea is that to learn something new, you have to forget what you already know. If you approach learning with a full cup, you have no space to take anything in properly.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing things the way we know and ignoring new options. 

“In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.”

Next time you’re trying something new, make sure to empty your mind and be the Fool.

Look before you leap...

The Fool is so excited to start their journey, taking in every new experience, that they’re close to the edge of a precipice and not even looking. Their dog is trying to warn them, but they’re not paying any attention.

It’s easy to get caught up looking to the bigger picture and not notice that we’re about to trip up. Keep your eyes on the prize, but watch your feet too.

New adventures are great, but there’s a danger that we can get so caught up in it that we miss the dangers. Keep an eye on the practicalities and listen to people close to you who might be warning you of dangers.

...but remember to leap!

For me, this is the most important message of the Fool. Yes, approach things with a beginner’s mind. Yes, make sure you watch where you’re going on new adventures. The important thing is that we go on these adventures.

The Fool doesn’t wait for the perfect circumstances. They know we might never be happy with our financial situation, or things might never settle down the way we want to. The Fool takes the journey knowing that they can sort out the details later.

The Fool looks forwards to their dreams and doesn’t get caught up in the details because they know that they might not get another chance.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little stroll through the world of the Fool.

Take a look at the image of the Fool - what else comes to mind? Could you apply this to your own life? Let me know in the comments.

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~andrew