View Full Version : RWS - 0 the Fool
Given its numeration on this deck, it just seems appropriate to begin here.
The Fool, as all the other cards drawn by Pamela Colman-Smith, incorporates numerous subtle elements, which I personally find worthwhile comparing to depictions in earlier (and some later) decks - and hope no-one minds if I at times mention some of these.
Unlike many earlier depictions, this younster has far more of an upright and bright Perceval/Parzival like depiction than the motley and somewhat horrid-looking rendition of the woodcuts (which I, nonetheless, prefer :)). Here he faces the left of the card, near a cliff, with a tunic upon which are depicted numerous wheel-like representations.
Two of these are of especial significance, and carefully maintained by Paul Foster Case in his later deck: the Flame and the Hebrew letter Shin (which also corresponds, incidently, to the element of Fire).
If one did not know that Waite, following the Golden Dawn tradition, connected this card with Alef, and hence the element of Air, correlations with Shin and Fire would probably be made to this representation.
As a beginning, I'll leave it here and eagerly a-waite other responses!
Look at the dog's gesture. You can see the suggestion of the Aleph with his/her body. The front paws almost form a Beth.
The ten circles on his tunic suggest the ten sephiroth on the Tree of Life.
His clothing is blowing in the wind, particularly the sleeves, suggesting Air, which is the correspondence for this card. Also, the Yellow background, suggests Air as Yellow was a color for Air. Perhaps the white sun suggests Kether?
And no doubt the fact that THE FOOL is facing right to left, the same direction that the Hebrew alphabet is read, might have some significance.
Oh Waite...I forgot...Paul Case's version has the actual letters of the Tetragrammaton on his tunic, the undergarment, near his neck: Y-H-V-H. Perhaps the position of the formula is aligned with a Chakra, or position on the Tree, which would be roughly between Chesed and Geburah, running about where the Middle Pillar would be set.
And a little RIDER note to my post:
The Wand in the Fool's hand is, according to Case (I think), a symbol of the Will. Notice how the position of the wand is at neck level, separating the head (Mind) from the heart (feelings.) Not sure if that works, but it is an observation.
I just want to add a note here about Waite the man, in the event readers are not checking all the various threads starting up about the Waite cards. I posted a message in Phoenix' introduction to topics thread that I think is very important for this project. I haven't figured out how to link to it yet, so I'll just ask you to go read it. Basically what it's about is Waite the man, who must be considered underneath our study here. Many just think of him as the designer of possibly the most popular deck in the world. He was a lot more, and it is humbling for me to sort through a list of the books, authoritative books, this man wrote. He is clearly an intellectual of great magnitude, whether or not you agree with his slant on things. I personally have trouble reading his texts because of his writing style, which some of you have been exposed to in reading his Pictorial Guide to the Tarot.
With the Waite deck, you not only have to consider Waite the person, but also Pamela Colman Smith's influence on the project. (I tend to think that the deck's virtues are mostly PCS's handiwork, while its flaws are mostly Waite's).
One thing that intrigues me about the RWS Fool is that the original Marseilles image gives the Fool two sticks: his rucksack stick and his walking stick. In the RWS design, the walking stick has shrunk to the single white rose that he carries. Of course, the traditional Fool is a bearded Everyman of indeterminate age, a figure of mockery, pursued by animals. RWS's Fool is more a figure of inexperience than a figure of fun. Still, the RWS Fool is in more physical hazard; he wanders along the side of a precipice.
The old Fool is bearded, unambiguously male. The RWS Fool's beardlessness, longish Prince Valiant hairstyle, and flowing clothing at least make it possible to see the card as another of the figures of ambiguous sex that run through the RWS deck. The only thing that sexes him is the slight suggestion of an Adam's apple.
My 1971 Weiser/US Games copy of the deck gives him what appears to be a Classical wreath of green leaves. I'm not sure why.
And interestingly enough, the Golden Dawn instructions for this card (each person had to make the majors by hand) is very different in design, as can be seen on both the Robert Wang "Golden Dawn Tarot Deck" and the deck by the Ciceros, "Golden Dawn Magical Tarot," depicting an infant and a wolf.
The Instructions for this card are as follows (from "The Tarot Trumps" By G.H. Soror, Q.L.):
0. THE FOOLISH MAN
This card as usually presented shows a man in motley striding along, heedless of the dog which tears his garments and threatens to attack him. In this is seen only the lower aspect of the card, giving no hint to the Divine Folly of which St. Paul speaks. But in the Order pack, an effort is made to reveal the deeper meaning. A naked child stands beneath a rose-tree bearing yellow roses – the golden Rose of Joy as well as the Rose of Silence. While reaching up to the Roses, he yet holds in leash a gray wolf, worldly wisdom held in check by perfect innocence. The colors are pale yellow, pale blue, greenish yellow – suggestive of the early dawn of a spring day.
hello to all !
please let me join in, pretty please !
the fool has some details in common with Death:
1) they are the only two cards that are assigned (from the GD) to paths that lead from the middle pillar to the pillar of mercy
2) both have the sun in the right upper corner. Death at sunrise, Fool at noon I would say
3) both have a red feather on their hat/helmet (does any one know what that means ?)
4) both have a white rose in their left hand. The fool has a real rose, Death has it on his flag.
Forgive my ignorance but the mountains in the background must be symbolic of something they seem so prominant to me. They too are mostly white like the sun and so feel connected somehow as if they are reaching for it. Any insights?
I recall from my BOTA lessons (20 years ago) that the mountains in the backgrounds usually depict higher states of consciousness. Time permitting, I've started compiling lists of common elements between the various cards, (i.e. those with water, those with mountains, angels, etc.) and if I find anything interesting, I will be posting my impressions in this forum, inviting dialogue. I think, with just the majors, the only two cards whose figures are entering from the sides are THE FOOL and DEATH. Lupo138 noted some other similarities between these two cards.
I think Waite was too well read in the occult to have any 'accidental' connections between the cards. (However, that does not prelude the probability his vision may have been off, at least on some things!)
Silverlotus
12-01-2003, 20:30
I'm curious as to whether the Waite fool is meant to be the Trickster or the Innocent. As I mentioned in another post, http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10459, I tend to see the Fool as representing the Zen idea of Beginner's Mind, but I wonder if that is what Waite had in mind. Any ideas?
I read somewhere about the connection between the rose and smell - the emotional response smells invoke - the future smelling rosy or something doesn't smell right.
Though certainly no proof, since Waite was an active member of the Golden Dawn, it might be instructive to examine THE FOOL as each member was instructed to draw it him/her self for his/her own personally drawn deck of cards. You can see this card, a baby and a wolf, in the "Golden Dawn Tarot" by Robert Wang, or "The New Golden Dawn Ritual Tarot" by Sandra Tabitha Cicero, and probably other decks.
I have this image scanned and ready to go, if I can figure out how to get it in this post.
Check back, in case I'm successful!
The yellow background is associated with the mental realm; the intellect; clarity; learning; divine intelligence; the element Air. Since the feet are associated with understanding, then the yellow boots suggest acquired understanding from learning in the physical realm.
The red feather represents the spiritual drive behind creativity; or manifestation. A possible reference to chakra energy.
The white rose is symbolic of purity; spiritual intent or goal.
The mountains represent spiritual attainment; awareness on a higher level. There are nine peaks. 9 is the number of The Hermit & refers to achievement, completion, wisdom.
Karenwhe
30-01-2003, 00:19
Originally posted by jmd
If one did not know that Waite, following the Golden Dawn tradition, connected this card with Alef, and hence the element of Air, correlations with Shin and Fire would probably be made to this representation.
As a beginning, I'll leave it here and eagerly a-waite other responses!
I don't want to be rude, but the letter is not SHIN it is SAMEH and that is totally different letter. SHIN is one before the last letter while the last is TAF. SHIN is the 21 letter in the Hebrew alphabet and TAF is the last one 22. If anyone has a hebrew key board you see that SAMEH stand in the X place and SHIN in the A place.
The letter that looks like 0 (zero or capital O) is called SAMEH and it is letter number 15 (I hope I counted correctly)
What does the SAMEH mean in the tarot I have no clue.
If anyone would like I will post somewhere the right order of the Hebrew alphabet so that everyone can refer to it. Just let me know if this would be useful and if yes where to post it.
according to Mr Crowley Samekh is associated with Temperance. I think that his views are identical with the Golden Dawn in that area.
The Shin on the Fool's tunic (which is, as mentioned, the penultimate letter of the Hebrew alphabet, & which looks a little like a 'W'), is as pointed by the arrow in the attachment (though turned on its side).
Waite even placed it, following traditional positioning, as second last card in his Tarot book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot...
Karenwhe
30-01-2003, 04:53
You must be joking....... ok, ok, ok I know you are not. I have seen this on the picture. And I thought about it for long, and I wrote the message only after I couldn't possibly believe that this is what you meant. And as the Shin and the Sameh both stand for "S" in the English language, and after I discounted the possibility of that little thingy on the guys dress I thought that the "O" was confused with Shin because they both sound S like a Sameh.
I profusely apologize.
Though I will still find it hard to believe that this was intentionaly drawn as a Shin, particlularity when this card is supposed to be Alef, but then again, who am I to agrue this.
I am really not a scholar of Hebrew, but it would be a reversed shin - wouldn´t it ? I don´t think that one would reverse a letter. So in my opinion it could be something different.
Karenwhe
30-01-2003, 05:14
However if the Shin is intentionaly drawn, is the eagle on his bag intentional also? I mean........ does the eagle head also mean something specific?
I am quite sure that everything is intentionally drawn, as there are far smaller details in far less important cards. The eagle stands imho for air and thus the Fool´s element.
firemaiden
02-02-2003, 09:40
A bit of research (read: surfing) and I have found a very interesting internet site: "Sources of the Waite-Smith Tarot Symbols" http://www.geocities.com/~ninalee/oneill/ has this to say about the Shin on the Fool's cloak:
The Hebrew letter Shin can be found in one of the wheels on the tunic. This is possibly a reference to the letter correspondence used by Eliphas Levi. Levi placed the Fool between Judgment and World and gave it the letter Shin. In the Golden Dawn system, the Fool is assigned to Aleph.
p.s. I am really excited by this new study group, thank you to Ophiel for suggesting it. This is really putting fuel on the fire of my brain.
(edited to correct link)
Firemaiden, the link that you posted doesn't work. Could you please post the correct one? I would be interestred in looking at it.
firemaiden
02-02-2003, 16:22
Sorry!: http://www.geocities.com/~ninalee/oneill/
firemaiden
06-02-2003, 05:15
Hi. On the very large reproduction of the Fool (yes, the Rider-Waite-Smith Fool) on the inside cover to Rachel Pollacks Illustrated Guide to the Tarot, there is an eye, not a button, on the fool's bag. Just an eye all by itself, like the eye of God, the evil eye, etc.
I cannot see it on the card, or all I see is a button. I tried blowing up the card larger, but it was not large enough, still it just looks like a button. Perhaps on the giant card it could be seen?
firemaiden
07-02-2003, 21:01
I take it noone else has seen the eye on the Fool's bag? Does anyone have the Illustrated Guide to the Tarot of Rachel Pollack, or else the Giant deck?
I have seen the eye upon the Fool's bag - but it is much more clearly expressed upon the BOTA deck. On all versions of the Waite deck I have, the 'button' looks far more like a button.
Given the similarity of the Waite and BOTA deck, and not having the benefit of having Pollack's The Illustrated Guide to the Tarot, I cannot see what you see.
For the record, the BOTA deck takes each card (in most Cases from the RWCS) and adds minutia of detail, or clarifies details somewhat ambiguously presented. For example, on the Fool card, the Shin is up-righted, the eye on the bag is clear (as is the Eagle's head), the Flame over the region of the heart is clearer, and the 'folds' below the neck are clearly rendered with the tetragrammaton (ie, the four - Greek 'tetra' - lettered name of God in Hebrew: YHVH).
Are you sure the depiction mentioned, then, is not the BOTA's version?
It should also be noted that even in the early printed decks, there are, apparently, some minor variations - though I did not think that this was one of them.
firemaiden
08-02-2003, 03:33
That would solve the mystery jmd!! I am not finding any credit for the artwork on this inside cover, but it must be that. How very interesting. I didn't know there were all these hidden treasures!
One thing that puzzles me...If one views the sun as Kether, then the Fool's wand is placed exactly where a path would go; but the path shown would be path 12, whereas the Fool is 11.
And the mountains very well might be higher states of consciousness, as previously stated, but I think the fact that they're covered in ice also connects them to water. Thus we have the fire of the sun, the water of the ice, the air of the wind in the Fool's face, and the earth of the cliff.
The dog is definitely an aleph, but doesn't the shape of the Fool's torso also suggest an aleph?
You know, the more I look at this deck, the more I'm convinced that it's TOTALLY Kabbalistic, and Waite's statements to the contrary are pure mystification...
Right. The more I study the paths as they are published and the cards, the more I have the feeling that the fellows of the GD worked with another system.
aurarcana
05-07-2009, 14:20
Here is my interpretation:
The imagery used is metaphor for the need to have be fearless and have optimism when embarking on a new journey or project. Everyone can relate to the The Fool; he is the hero and he represents the desire in all of us to be confident, spontaneous, take a risk, and experience the outcome. However, one must not be careless and should proceed with caution. If one acts hasty, this may be a careless decision, which may be deemed “foolish” in the most traditional sense of the meaning of the word. Take risks, and jump on sudden opportunities that present themselves. There may be obstacles, although they are not obvious. New beginnings, or the new journey may also be an escape from a current situation.
I am using the Universal Waite Tarot deck, so I didn't put the imagery/symbols in this post (that's on my bog).
However, I do want to participate in the threads in this study group since the parallel themes are similar. There isn't a separate Study Group for the Universal Waite and it was suggested that I follow along with this group as I start out.