What does The Fool mean in Tarot Cards?

This card occupies a special position in the Tarot, because it is not assigned any number – its key value is Zero. Sometimes this card is placed at the beginning of the Major Arcana, sometimes at the end. The Fool personifies both the beginning and the end of the mystical quest. He is also the personification of the chaos from which the world was created.

Names in other languages: Il Matto, Le Mat, Der Narr.

The occult meaning of the Arcana: events cyclic motion.

The physical meaning of the Arcana: matter.

The Kabbalistic Meaning of the Arcana: Material Life.

Spirit Orb: Wisdom of the Fool.

Goal: quest; a sense of the way.

Element: Air

Planet: Uranus and Mercury

Astrological sign: Aquarius

Key date: first day of spring

Places: a fun party with no specific reason; hitchhiking; new places.

Depiction

Meaning of the Card

Don’t miss the opportunity to go into the unknown! You will think about how it may end afterwards. Go with a light heart and do not regret the past. The unknown is actually not as scary as the familiar things. Go forward and do not be afraid to fall into the abyss – you will not fall down, but up. The Fool is always cheerful. Do not take what is happening to you too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself, and you will understand that life, in essence, is only a game.
You are accompanied by a life partner (dog) who helps you stay on track. This companion may be a real person, or an inner being – your second self.

Positive Aspects of the Card

Innocence and naivety, originality and optimism, freedom, risk and enthusiasm, great potential and a chance given by fate.

Negative Aspects of the Card

Impulsiveness and haste, inexperience and risk, gullibility and dreaminess.

The Fool Tarot Card Meaning in an Upright Position

Key Words and Phrases

Innocence. Spontaneity. Newborn baby archetype. Potential. Starting from scratch. A new chance. New impressions. A new way of perceiving the world. New opportunities. Important decision. An unexpected decision. The beginning of the adventure. Time for a change. Originality. An open mind. Optimism. Childhood surprise. Naivety. Fun. Purity of actions. Freedom from prejudice. A new stage in life. The excitement of discovering something new. Carefree attitude. Surprise. Second birth. Trust in destiny. Freedom, the feeling that nothing is holding you back. Enthusiasm. Risk. Trust in higher powers. The confidence that providence is guiding you in the right direction. Creative non-conformism. In order to start something new, you need to let go of the past, leaving it behind. An unexpected impact. Listen to the voice of your heart and be guided by the needs of your soul. Zero is the number of pure potential. Everything is possible. Feel free to go where no man’s foot has stepped.

The main meanings of the card in an upright position

The Fool appears in the scenario at the moment when a new stage in life begins for you. There may appear promising opportunities, having come to replace those that brought you the only disappointment. Perhaps fate will require you to make important decisions which will open before you the uncharted path. A new beginning can lead anywhere: you may have to go with the flow, perhaps, is about to begin a new relationship, or a stranger will appear in your life. Perhaps the people who are around you now will take part in your personal or professional growth. The Fool can also refer to a person bisexual or homosexual orientation, which will have an impact on the situation.

This card suggests that you need to take risks with the optimism and innocence of a child. You can find unexpected solutions to a problem by looking at life from a different angle, so you should keep your mind open to new ideas. The Fool can denote a period characterized by bursts of nervous energy, lack of clarity, uncertainty. A sudden development of events can unsettle you, perhaps you will feel confused, until you will not pull yourself together. Now you are capable of very original actions. It will be very wise of you if you leave the past behind and start something new. Deliberate mistake will be considered as actions in which you will cling to the traditional and outdated methods: collective subconscious tells you to start a new life cycle. The Fool can also indicate the beginning of a real journey, especially if in the Spread he is surrounded by other cards symbolizing travel (Chariot, Wheel of Fortune, The World, Six of Swords, Eight of Wands, King of Wands).

People

Newborn. Child. Someone who starts something new. Mystic. Dreamer. Adventurer. Seer. Traveler. Tramp. An innocent or inexperienced person. An eccentric, independent and extraordinary person. Bisexual or homosexual. Teenager. Someone who is preparing to either make an important decision or hit the road. A person who starts a new life stage.

The main meanings of the card in an reversed position

Key Words and Phrases

Impulsiveness. Inability to make judgments. Risk. Exhaustion. Naivety. Inexperience. Gullibility. Unreasonable optimism. Irresponsibility. Inability to foresee the situation. Frivolity. Unexpected problems. Inconsistency. Balancing on the edge of the abyss. Waste of energy. Excessive conformity. Lack of prospects. Bad decisions. Wandering in the clouds. Obsessions. Throwing words to the wind. Playing with fire. Measure seven times, cut one off. Complication of the situation. Bad advice or bad counselor. Escape from reality.

The main meanings of the card in a reversed position

Your present position makes you afraid of the future and what it carries. Avoid being overly optimistic, don’t let yourself to underestimate the situation. Impulsive decisions or unreasonable gambling risks can play a trick on you. Unexpected problems may arise. Due to your own or someone else’s stupidity, you may find yourself in a dangerous situation. Your judgment may be wrong, or you may not be able to take the advice you need. You should try to calculate the situation. It is possible that someone close to you is making stupid decisions. It seems that you yourself are not taking enough opportunity to anticipate the results of your actions, and this prevents you from being truly happy. It may turn out that someone from your environment is actually not as loyal and devoted as you imagine them to be. Perhaps you are cheating on your partner or he / she is cheating on you. Remember, infatuation is not the same as love. Learn to take responsibility for your actions. Put down your anxiety.

People

Player. Reckless brave man. Fickle. A reckless person.

Caution from Arcana the Fool

Avoid any mess. Do not be too careless. Look at things realistically, beware of making rash decisions. The setting is unpredictable.

In the Spreads

In an Upright Position

If the card comes up first in the Spread, you need to be careful.
Either you asked the wrong question or it’s too early to know the answer.
Information is closed.
Sometimes it means that the person being guessed at does not want someone to know too much about him.

This card represents choice and receptivity. You will be prompted to take any chance or start something new. The Fool takes life’s adventures. You are too. You are open to new suggestions and ideas and are not afraid of the unknown. You take life calmly and with confidence.

When this card falls out in the Spread, be careful. Use your own head for its intended purpose, stop deliberately being a fool, and watch every step you take. If it personifies the questioner himself, then he is faced with a very important choice both for him and for his future. If he continues to follow the path along which he is going, then an inevitable catastrophe will overtake him. However, if he pays attention to his warning signal, then there is a chance that he will be able to avoid this catastrophe.

In a Reversed Position:
stupidity, ridiculous decision, unreasonable choice, reckless act, negligence, carelessness, vanity, madness, tactlessness. Your indecision is a hindrance for you to use a real lucky chance.

In a Personal Spread

You are in a situation when you are required to “work off” past sins, and only after that you will have the opportunity to rebuild your life. You are unlikely to understand where this road leads. But you also can’t turn off the path, because everything now is in the hands of fate. And until you feel again that you are the master of your life, you just have to submit to fate. You have to humbly follow that path and rely only on luck and some kind of protection from the Higher Powers.

In the Spreads for Different situation

In an Upright Position:
The card speaks of sudden events that can surprise, shock and unsettle. Forget all tried and tested methods and good advice. In any case, thirst for new things and a fair amount of spontaneity will help you. You will find the solution quite by accident.
In divination for the situation, taking into account the nearby lying Minor Arcana, this card can portend like some fun, and the scandal arising from inappropriate buffoonery.
The Zero Arcana in the Tarot has a special meaning, mystics try to find the highest wisdom in it. Often, in the spread for a certain situation, the Fool acquires a specific meaning only in combination with other cards.

In a Reversed Position:
The card clearly and unambiguously indicates that your own irresponsibility, negligence, excessive carelessness, and indecision can lead to real danger. You must abandon selfishness, infantilism, extremism, your absurd goals and the pursuit of two birds with one stone. You should be very careful and discerning at this point!

In the Spreads for Relationship

The Fool is considered a harbinger of the beginning of a new romance.
The card is advising to easily accept what comes right now. Perhaps this is the beginning of something more, or perhaps it does not matter so much (look at the cards that surround the Fool). The main thing now is that it is fun.
In general, he personifies the union of two cheerful, happy people who are easy with each other, who are happy to discover something new in their partner every day and to love him for his uniqueness and diversity. This card can mean a new love or a renewal of an old one. In the latter case this often happens due to the birth of a child.
The card can speak of confusion and advises you to be ready for any surprise and just go with the flow.
Also, the Fool can indicate an open relationship. Lightness, carelessness, flirting.
If you want a strong experience, find a new hobby.
Don’t upset the people who love you – this is a bad way to entertain yourself.

In the Spreads for Dates

In an Upright Position:
The beginning of a new romance.
You have met, or will soon meet, an exciting, bright person in whom you will be interested for a long time, and he will play an important role in your life for many years.
In a Reversed Position:
You get the opportunity to get close to someone you think is interesting, but who is actually an irresponsible egoist. Avoid this person. You don’t need him in your life.

In the Spreads for Family

In an Upright Position:
A major change in your family circumstances. These changes, in particular, open up new opportunities for you to bond with a family member.
In a Reversed Position:
Think about the consequences of your actions.

In the Spreads for Friendship

In an Upright Position:
You make new friends. They have a lot of new ideas and you may have an exciting social life.
In a Reversed Position:
You will make new friends, but it is better to approach them with caution. Spending time with them can harm you, because they will not take to heart what is really important to you, and deep down they do not share your interests.

Large sums of money may appear, but this is all a matter of chance. One-time orders. Cannot participate in a long-term project. First experience of making money.
Try to complete at least one task.The result will be worth your time.

In the Spreads for Money

In an Upright Position:
Money is more of a problem for you, but you don’t think it’s a cause for discouragement.
You find a way to enjoy life without incurring debt.
In a Reversed Position:
Lately, you have been careless about money.
Try to save a little each week instead of buying unnecessary items.

In the Spreads for Education

In an Upright Position:
You will put in the effort to learn new subjects, and it will turn out to be something much more interesting than you thought.
In a Reversed Position:
You tend to quickly lose interest in many things, despite the promises you make to teachers and even to yourself that you will be diligent this time.

In the Spreads for Career

In an Upright Position:
The Fool often represents the start of a new career or position. If Arcana falls out when you are trying to find a new job, it means that you have everything you need to be successful. This is a great card for entrepreneurs and a testament to the power of creativity. When the card appears in the spreads for profession, take a closer look at an unconventional approach in your job search.
In a Reversed Position:
Your job is a heavy burden. You may feel like you are hesitant due to the lack of clear expectations and goals in the workplace. If you have trouble prioritizing, don’t be afraid to ask outside help.

In the Perspectives

A new beginning lies before you, all doors are open for you. If you are willing to react spontaneously and willingly to improvise, this endeavor will be very viable and will bring you great joy and success.

Answer to Yes / No Tarot Spreads

In an Upright Position:
Everything is very unpredictable. The probability of the desired event is zero. There is no exact answer. The reasons for this may be different. The situation directly depends on the actions of the questioner himself, or the question itself did not take into account some important specific points.
In a Reversed Position:
Most likely the answer is yes, but conditions may apply.

And what is bad if you are interested in something in life?
What piqued your interest can become a source of happiness, your most beloved work.

Psychological (Personality) Meaning of the Arcana

Type of person in an upright position:
A young extravagant person who, above all, values independence, does not enter into any subordinate relationship. A child who learns from his own mistakes.

Type of person in a reversed position:
Deceiver; charlatan; someone who wants to play on our naivety and credulity.

Psychological significance of the Arcana the Fool:

The beginning of a new cycle. Today is the first day of your new life, you can finally choose the direction of your development. Go wherever your want, and do whatever you please. Do not give up this opportunity, move forward, even if you do not know what awaits you. You will think later how will this will end. Don’t look back, forget about the past and look to the future with a light heart. Uncertainty is not so scary, especially compared to what we know well but tortures us. Go ahead boldly and do not be afraid to fall into the abyss. The Fool, regardless of the circumstances, is always cheerful, so don’t take everything so personally. Learn to laugh at yourself, develop a sense of humor, and you will understand that life is in many ways a game, and you were sent to Earth not as punishment, but to improve yourself and enjoy everything that you may meet.

Final Advice of Arcana The Fool

In the near future, you will face a very important choice. But you might miss your chance without taking it seriously. Pull yourself together and focus! Pay due attention to the obvious warning signals, reconsider your behavior, and then you may be able to avoid wrong actions, erroneous judgments and, most importantly, you will be able to bypass the dangers on your way. Only then can you improve your position and fall under a kind of reliable protection of the Divine Powers.
Find yourself something new. Change plans. Travel light. Go with the flow. Trust fate.

Conclusion

The Fool is our inner child. It means the spontaneous beginning of something new, impartiality, openness. This is a carefree game, the most elementary joy of life, a period when we enter the unknown with cheerful surprise and without any specific expectations. However, it can also mean infantilism with all its attributes – frivolity, naivety, gambling, and just stupidity. Or – wise simplicity, modesty of requests and humility, which we usually come to only at the end of a long and difficult journey. A Fool can also be a sly, mischievous person. One way or another, he lives only in the present, he is a frank, sincere, mobile person. Is he good or bad? What this card means: our stubborn unwillingness to become an adult, or vice versa, the simplicity acquired with long experience – will have to be judged by the whole alignment of the card spread. The Fool always warns of something completely new that is ready to burst into our life, which causes chaos in it, and we ourselves can get a couple of bumps, but there is really nothing dangerous in this.

Discover other Major Arcana: