Bohemian Gothic Study Group - The Fool

firefrost

The Fool

The Fool

(Without first reading the accompanying book)

A full moon shines down upon part of a building that could be a church. It is on the right hand side of the card, with Gargoyles protruding to the left. On the closest gargoyle to the reader, a young person is balancing.

The pose is similar to the meditative stances practised by the Chinese. The child stands flat on one foot, with the other elegantly poised pointedly downwards. I must confess his hands are giving me an extremely creepy feeling; they seem to be positioned, ready to grab someone he has in his sight. (If his eyes were open).

The fool normally tells of innocence. Is this just an innocent child, contacting his spirit guides for help in the next phase of his journey?

Part of me feels he looks ready to pounce, even though he’s high up. He seems to be mentally creeping up on someone. But who? He’s facing the left, the past and he has his eyes closed.

I personally feel he’s saying goodbye to the past. He has positioned himself high above the town that no longer serves his needs and purposes and it is time to move on.

But why pick the dead of night to complete this ritual? Could he in fact be sleepwalking, and in great danger? I don’t think so, because of all the precarious situations we see The Fool finding himself in, he never falls over the edge.

The moon conjures up pictures of sleepless nights and dreams good and bad – what’s the message that this moon is bringing to the boy?

Maybe it’s trying to hold him back. Telling him that he belongs here, and it won’t let him go. He’s struggling to move on. Deep inside, he knows he must continue on his life’s journey. Will the moon win, and keep him from doing so?

It could. It could have invaded his better inclinations - after all, he is in a potentially dangerous position – and he is The Fool.


Looking forward to seeing all your various views! Oh, and I've still not looked at the book.
 

Baroli

I just did a reading with this card and I saw him as someone who is about to make the biggest mistake of his/her life. Like getting involved with the wrong people, or the wrong career choice. Moonlight is a deceptor,so I am thinking maybe he is looking at this new opportunity as a dream come true maybe, but the moon' light is casting deceptive shadows all around.

I like your idea firefrost of the moon being the maker of dreams and nightmares. Isn't that the position of the crane? like the bird poised on 1 leg before he takes flight?


Baroli
 

Mimers

The Fool

I am sitting at my desk with no lights but for 3 candles. I have the perfect music in the background. To get a taste you can hear it here http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/fallingyou-touch/hifi_play

I can't help but love these cards in candle light so that is how I will study them. I did my first reading and the Fool card came up as my secret fear so I have already developed a relationship with it. There is so much here that strikes a deep cord with me. Where do I start?

What stands out most to me is the cathedral. To me it is a symbol of authority and control. The fact that the Fool is stepping away from it is, I think, a positive thing. The fall that the Fool is just about to take the final step into darkness. His pose is very dramatic as he gets ready. This can be a very dangerous step. The Fool can't see what is to come. He is stepping away from 'salvation' if you will. The price he is willing to pay for freedom.

The moonlight in this card (and it does look like light in the silver edition) is dispersed throughout the clouds that fill the sky making the way even more 'cloudy'.

The meaning I take from this Fool is being ready to move into the unknown despite fears and hesitations. We leave what we know, our secure place for places unknown. There is a yearning here. Something drawing us to it. It is also about believing. Believing that there is something better out there. Someplace else we need to be.
 

Mimers

Baroli said:
I just did a reading with this card and I saw him as someone who is about to make the biggest mistake of his/her life. Like getting involved with the wrong people, or the wrong career choice. Moonlight is a deceptor,so I am thinking maybe he is looking at this new opportunity as a dream come true maybe, but the moon' light is casting deceptive shadows all around.

Baroli

Baroli, that's funny, I pretty much perceived the opposite. This is mostly due to my own personal feelings about the church in general. However you bring up a very important interpretation that I need to note. The other side of the coin.

firefrost said:
Part of me feels he looks ready to pounce, even though he’s high up. He seems to be mentally creeping up on someone. But who? He’s facing the left, the past and he has his eyes closed.

yes! I see this too. I did not notice his eyes were closed when I looked. Perhaps he is sensing his way. He seems to be pausing. Is he sensing something? Is he waiting for something to happen?
 

Baroli

Mimers I love that whole concept of walking away from salvation. Being a Christian (and a Baptist YIKES:bugeyed: head for the hills!!!) I find that very interesting in the interp. A cathedral I couldn't see, but then and no offense Baba, it's my stinky crappy eyesight, I have to have great lighting to catch all the nuances.

Baroli
 

baba-prague

Er hem. I was just talking happily about the Five of Pentacles. I'll start another thread.

With The Fool, yes, this is a cathedral. We actually based it on St Vitus cathedral here - it has amazing gargoyles. Personally, I relate this card to the later Tower, when we see lightning strike those same gargoyles. It could be very striking (excuse pun) to connect the two cards if they came up together in a spread.
 

HearthCricket

The Fool (Silver edition) first impressions! (not using book)

There is something very dark and foreboding in this first card of the deck. Compared with the rest of the cards, this one is stark and very simple. A silhouette of a human figure balances on one foot and in almost a creeping fashion (see hands) poises themself on the precipice (gargoyle) of a cathedral. Through cloudy skies the full moon shimmers brightly through. I feel like this card shows the beginning of a dark and perhaps dangerous adventure and if one does not watch their step, they will fall into unimaginable depths.... The smaller gargoyle looks like a dog with a tongue hanging out. In other decks I would say he is excited about the adventure. In this deck I would say he is anxious or perhaps even taunting with his tongue sticking out, as if in a dare!

Nice intro to the deck. Just gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling, doesn't it? lol
 

Master_Margarita

What struck me most about the Fool were his hands and feet. To me they are the hands and feet of a dancer in the middle of a performance. Why dance so festively at the very edge of a precipice? Is a Deity being invoked? Is this ritual self-sacrifice?

Oh, I do like these cards even better in person than on the computer screen!

:heart: M_M~
 

Baroli

Really, it is my stinky, crappy eyesight. That's why I love the silver as it highlights and brings out the nuances just enough. Put under a light, I can really see what is going on.

baroli
 

firefrost

HearthCricket and MM - Yes, I agree with you both about the starkness and dancing stance. It could be a ritual being performed - but what a place to do it! The Dark Side may be trying to get The Fool to sacrifice himself, bewitching the moon and the dog to help him along his way.

Baroli, My eyesight is terrible too. I just got new glasses yesterday but I've also invested in a magnifying glass so I'll hopefully not miss anything in the pictures!

*Crosses fingers*...!