the begining, the end, a new begining.

[starchild]

i tried to do a search on this but got lost and came up with nothing. if its already been posted in past threads then forgive me.

i see a connection between the fool, death and the sun card.
the fool starts his journey, white rose in one hand, red feather in his hair and white dog by his side. and out he steps onto his journey.
he returns again in the death card, this time his red feather is drooping down, his white rose is now a flag and his white dog is now his horse, the ending of his innocent journey.
later hes back again in the sun, reborn, a young child, his red feather high in his hair again, still on his white horse and still holding a flag.
the sun with him in each step of his journey.

just to me these three cards seemed to be linked.

[teomat]

Those are some great observations starchild! I like your interpretation of the Death card - the red feather and rose I had noticed before, but it never occured to me to link the white dog and horse. Much food for thought...

[chickandegg]

Wow, good call! The child in Sun has the same hair as the Fool, too. The Fool as Death...that's really interesting, food for thought. I'm always going to be keeping in mind that connection between these three cards now. Thanks for bring that to our attention, teaomat!

[teomat]

Originally Posted by chickandegg

Thanks for bring that to our attention, teaomat!

You mean starchild

[chickandegg]

Originally Posted by teomat

You mean starchild

Oops. D:

Sorry, starchild!!

[Amazon]

I love your interpretation of those 3 cards starchild.... Bravo!

[ketz]

i am flipping through these 3 cards after reading your post... that's a good point you got there... to strengthen the point... there are sun in these 3 cards too...

The Fool - there is sun on the sky high above, indicating a beginning

Death - sunset, indicates the end

The Sun - obviously there is a big sun behind with sunflower around it which is sunrise, indicates a new beginning.

[conversus]

Originally Posted by ketz

Death - sunset, indicates the end

But it might be construed as sunrise. . .

CED

[caridwen]

"i tried to do a search on this but got lost and came up with nothing. if its already been posted in past threads then forgive me.

i see a connection between the fool, death and the sun card.
the fool starts his journey, white rose in one hand, red feather in his hair and white dog by his side. and out he steps onto his journey.
he returns again in the death card, this time his red feather is drooping down, his white rose is now a flag and his white dog is now his horse, the ending of his innocent journey.
later hes back again in the sun, reborn, a young child, his red feather high in his hair again, still on his white horse and still holding a flag.
the sun with him in each step of his journey.

just to me these three cards seemed to be linked."

I loved your post starchild

I think you'll find on closer inspection of the cards (this is a good place to see them in a larger format and as a RWS reference: http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/index.htm ) that there is a link between the Fool and all the cards of the Major Arcana.

In fact, the Major Arcana is often referred to as the Fools' Journey. Waite says of the Fool:

"He is the spirit in search of experience. Many symbols of the Instituted Mysteries are summarized in this card, which reverses, under high warrants, all the confusions that have preceded it." Ibidem

You'll also notice that Waite places the Fool before the World in his order of preference.

Waite says that the Fool is: "...a prince of the other world on his travels through this one-all amidst the morning glory, in the keen air." Ibid.

His reference to Air is also a reference to Uranus the planet most associated with the Fool as it journeys into Aries, first sign of the Zodiac. The planet is named after a Greek figure, both son and husband of Gaia or Earth. Uranus is the Sky and according to Cicero, son of Air and Day.

There are 22 Trumps (Major Arcana) and 22 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet associated in turn with the Tree of Life. In reference Waite says: "... the cards have been attributed to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and there has been apparently some difficulty about allocating the zero symbol satisfactorily in a sequence of letters all of which signify numbers. In the present reference of the card to the letter Shin, which corresponds to 300..." Ibid.
http://www.biblewheel.com/GR/GR_300.asp

The association of the 22 letters and paths of the Kabballah is somewhat contentious as Waite says, "The truth is that the real arrangement of the cards has never transpired." Ibid. Accordingly you will find many different arrangements of the letters with the Trumps. Thus Waite puts the Fool before the World as Shin and in agreement with Levi. Crowely places the Fool at number 1 or Aleph which seems a more appropriate placement because the first Path is Aleph. Yet on closer examination, the letter attributions follow the order reflected in Christian and Levi, and later Papus and Wirth. The Fool is Shin, but, on the basis of Waites' ritual materials, add to it the Golden Dawns' innovation, it lies on the Path of Aleph.

However, Waite did not believe as strongly that the 22 letters of the Majors corresponded rigidly with the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. In fact he has flames on the Fool which is associated with Shin (Tooth/Tongue of Flame)or the Holy Spirit. In an essay Waite talks of "Masonry...represents the whole body of its Adepti as in search of something that has been lost..." In fact, Waite was more concerned with finding the Lost Word which is a reference to Christ so by placing the Fool before the World he creates the word: Yeheshua. http://adepti.com/adepti.orig/docs/deeper.txt

In the Hebrew Book of Creation, Aleph is associated with Air. Air is the first emanation of the spirit of God, next was fire and then water. In the beginning air, fire and water only had a potential existence and came into actual Being through the first three letters which in turn form the principle parts of speech. Thus these elements formed the cosmos and it is from the Hebrew letters that everything is formed.

Now, since the Fool is associated with zero he corresponds with ex nihilo or creation out of nothing. This again corresponds to the idea of Air and also communication. As though nothing truly exists until it is spoken. So the Fool is potential, ex nihilo. The Fool is Air. From the Fool everything else came into existence. Yet the Fool is Nothing or Zero. He is outside this world, ..."a prince of the other world on his travels through this one..." Ibid.

You'll also notice that all the elements are within the Fools' iconography, in fact the mountain side almost looks like a tongue. The ridges of the mountain look like teeth. The Fool is about to form the Word by stepping out onto Air. The mountains are covered with Snow for Water, the Fool has flames on his sleeves and the Sun for Fire, the mountain is Earth and he is about to walk on Air.

According to Mathers, the 22 Trumps form a connected sentence:

The Human Will (1) enlightened by Science (2) and manifested by Action (3) should find its Realization (4) in deeds of Mercy and Beneficence (5). The Wise Disposition (6) of this will give him Victory (7) through Equilibrium (8) and Prudence (9), over the fluctuations of Fortune (10). Fortitude (11), sanctified by Sacrifice of Self (12), will triumph over Death itself (13), and thus a Wise Combination (14) will enable him to defy Fate (15). In each Misfortune (16) he will see the Star of Hope (17) shine through the twilight of Deception (18); and ultimate Happiness (19) will be the Result (20). Folly (0), on the other hand, will bring about an evil Reward (21).

You'll notice that Mathers places the Fool before the World like Waite. It seems as though Mathers is placing the Fool at the beginning of a journey down the Left Hand Path. Simplistically the left hand is the side of the Devil. The left hand was for a long time associated with witchcraft and so called Black Magic and according to Mathers, it would be Folly or foolish to stray down that path.

The Left Hand Path is also associated with the unconventional, the immoral and according to Dion Fortune and others of her ilk, homosexuality. So it seems that the Fool is anyone who doesn't blindly follow society’s norms and chooses to follow a path less travelled. He may also represent those outside society, the anarchists and those who don't quite 'fit'. Somewhat like Waite himself.

It is also associated with the Left Pillar of the High Priestess. I believe Waite is referring to this when he says, "...Many symbols of the Instituted Mysteries are summarized in this card, which reverses, under high warrants, all the confusions that have preceded it." Ibid.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, you will see the Fool throughout the 22 Major cards as we follow him on his journey

[lucifall]

[QUOTE=caridwen
However, Waite did not believe as strongly that the 22 letters of the Majors corresponded rigidly with the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. In fact he has flames on the Fool which is associated with Shin (Tooth/Tongue of Flame)or the Holy Spirit. [/QUOTE]
Thanks for your very helpfull information Caridwen.
I am wondering already for years why waite puts the fool before the world and not in the beginning as 0. Why his fool is Shin. (Shin is also hidden on the fool's tunique)

There is also this possibility:
J.F.Case/Introduction into the study in the tarot:
Case mentions that it is difficult to assign the cards to the hebrew letters in the order of numbers, because there is a card which has no number.
In Chapter IV he writes: The absolute is Ain Suph, No Limit. The changeless 0,which cannot be added to, subtracted from, multiplied, nor divided, is a perfect numerical symbol for Ain Suph.

and
Further The three mother letters Aleph, shin and mem can be "placed" on the tree of life as you already mention
I found this one of Bill heidrick:
http://www.billheidrick.com/works/sygifs/syg.gif

Here shin is:Kether; chockmah and Binah.
When we place according to the golden dawn the trumps between them we get:
Kether->chockmah The Fool
Chockmah->Binah The Empress
Kether->Binah The Magician
They all have the yellow backgroundcolour. (Kether/chockmah/Binah:Triangle of fire )

Further it is nice to notice that the other cards from the major trumps which also have the yellow backgroundcolour: 7 (Chariot)/ 8(Strength) / 11(Justice)
on the tree of life all are paths (GD) which lead to or from Gevurah (which is also DIN (Table magician))