Question: Does the Fool know where he's going?

I took out the Fool cards from all of my 4 decks, and compared them. In some, the Fool is looking where he's going, whilst in others he is blissfully unaware of the cliff. It occured to me that it would be very symbolic of a deck creator to have the Fool actually looking at where he's going, contemplating...

What do you think? Does he know where he's going? Does he know he's gonna fall off? Does he know that his fall will lead to a whole new journey? Has he been here before?

Kiama

Oh yes, the Fool knows exactly where he is going.
It is the viewer who is lost. Like the dog…

I think the fool sees where he is going. But has to decide if he wants to take that impulsive, sometimes crazy, step off of the cliff into something new and exciting. Or if he wants to play it safe and stick with the familiar.

He knows the fall will lead to a whole new journey, but is he brave enough to take the plunge?

Dianne

Whether he knows or not, I do not believe he cares.

innocence; no experience so... no expectations. the fool has the world of choices before him/her and the trust/faith of a child.

I think *sometimes* he knows where he is going, but like zorya said, he is innocent and has no expectations.

I associate The Fool very much with the fool/jester/joker figure

The king's jester (often referred to as the king's "fool") is a figure that appears in various stories, poems, plays. Generally, the "fool" was seen as wise by being childlike, thinking outside the box, "mad" (insane) but rather than being seen as out of touch with reality was seen as being in touch with reality from a different perspective. In other words, the fool/jester/joker was not there for mere comic relief. I think of the saying, "Many a truth is spoken in jest." I think of the psychological perspective that suggests that anything we fear, we tend to joke about.

At the same time, I do have associations to being a fool, acting foolish, being foolhardy, etc. that make me look at more than one aspect of what The Fool card means to me.

Sometimes it is wise to be "foolish"; sometimes being foolish is simply foolish. And sometimes being foolish is just joking around, being lighthearted, carefree.

mermaid1622

Re: Question: Does the Fool know where he's going?

Kiama said:

I took out the Fool cards from all of my 4 decks, and compared them. In some, the Fool is looking where he's going, whilst in others he is blissfully unaware of the cliff. It occured to me that it would be very symbolic of a deck creator to have the Fool actually looking at where he's going, contemplating...

What do you think? Does he know where he's going? Does he know he's gonna fall off?

Click to expand...

I think you should give him a little more credit Sure, if he's taking too many steps further toward the cliff he'll fall off, but the way I see it he's in the middle of yet another step really enjoying what he's doing. It could be the site of the canyon or cliff he's looking at, the beautifill warm weather, etc. In theory he can take yet one more step before doom strikes and the question remains; does he go that far?

IMO the fool doesn't have to resent "the complete idiot who'll easily simply step into a canyon". I also tend to look / interpret the card as a man who simply doesn't care anything about the things happening around him (the dog for example); he's enjoying himself and he's planning to keep on doing that no matter what. So does he know where he's going? I think he does. He knows perfectly well and is enjoying every minor detail of it.

Let me shed another light on your question and take out my Mage deck. On that one you'll see almost the same environment; the fool (who has a sword in his right hand, resting on his shoulder and a 'died' flower in the other) is standing on top of something which looks like a tower. There is barely enough room for his foot (the position is the same as with the Rider deck) so what will he do next? The surroundings show a "sky line" which gives you the impression he's actually standing on a tower in some city. But this is also where the fun starts; it doesn't look right; if that tower was real and as high as it seems he should have more room on the 'roof'. Surely the fool isn't a giant. Or is he ?

And this is exactly what I like so much about this deck; you have more options and can look at a card in more then one way. Although difficult and not as obvious I do believe the same goes for the Rider deck. Well, thats how I see the fool

'Lo all,

Paraphrasing here: (Many sources)

The Fool lives in the present. . . no thought of the past or future, open to surprises. . . The message is simple: Now is the time. . . Go ahead . . . Jump . . .

Talisman

freedom is the path, vision and finish line...

... all in one, that's how I see it. It's not important for the Fool where he ends up, the important thing is his freedom to do as he pleases. I think he has a vision, and that is his "inner path", that's what he's following. And we've all (?) been there haven't we - you have that vision about where you want to go, not the faintest _practical_ idea of how to get there, but if you just close your eyes, it's right there in front of you, so real you can see it, feel it, touch it and smell it...!

But sometimes that vision in our heart blinds our eyes a bit, so we actually don't see whatever cliffs and other obstacles turn up in our way before we tumble down the mountain and finds ourselves on a whole different track. But the _vision_ is still the same, right? So we keep on moving towards what we want, keep following our inner path - even if the rules of the game have changed a bit...

The main thing about the Fool (as I see him) is that it doesn't really matter.

I work with the World Spirit deck, where the Fool is dancing off a roof top - you can't really make out how in the world she (it's a woman in this case) ended up up there, but she is so full of harmony you can almost feel the freedom of her heart, and sense the vision that forms her "map"...

She says: "Roof tops, cliffs... who cares - I'll get there, that's what's important!"

/Jenny