Haindl Tarot - The Fool

prk001

The Fool:
The fool in this court is quite different from most of the decks I have seen. Its not that I have seen several decks. ;)

He is an innocent person but he is already feeling the loss of it. There is pain in his face which is what differentiates him from most other decks. There is a swan (not sure I have got that right) in the background. It is wounded and the fool is trying to cover up the wound with his fingers. I see a similarity in the feelings in the eyes of both the fool and the swan. There is a contrast in the fool's dress. Its a combination of lively colors and designs and dull colors.

There are six beads stitched to his clothes and also six planets in the far background too. Any meaning to the number six being here?

I am completely alien to the runes and symbols in the cards since I have never opened my Haindl Books. Anyone like to enlighten me on these?

The fool is not lively and he looks like he is tied down. I am missing the free-flowing spirit of the fool in this card.
 

inanna_tarot

This fool, like alot of the cards in this deck, have given me a different perspective to the RW cards and meanings.
The fall of innocence of the card is so refreshing and something i havent really thought about. The story of Parsifal (spelling is probably wrong) is something that i've never thought about for. The colours are a good balance of the brightness and peace of Paradise , to the dull colours of pain and complexities of life that make the bright parts brighter, appreciated more.
The look on the fools face i think just captures the moment perfectly, and from looking at the fool i knew i needed this deck :)

The 6 planets, astrologically speaking, refers i think to the 6 planets, the sun, moon, mercury, venus, mars and jupiter are the planets that form the personality, the ones that create the building blocks of who and what we are, whilst the other planets, uranus, neptune, pluto, saturn are less personal because being so far away, and move so slowly, they tend to affect generations than someone directly.

Numerologically speaking, six refers to the creation of cycles, the giving and recieveing of life experiences and balance. All of which i think are key to the card with the experience of pain, rather than just observing the actions and lives of others.
 

Alta

I had not thought of the fool as Parsifal before I got this deck. We often think of the Fool as having nothing holding him back. That he strides forward in perfect confidence. This deck shows that you may be the perfect innocent and yet still fail in your quest. I do not think that anyone would say that the quest through tarot or for the Grail is necessarily crowned in the end.

I know this isn't exactly the same image, but the thought struck me before I read the book. I first saw this in churches in Europe and had to ask. It shows a pelican (also a large whitsih bird) striking its own breast with it bill so that it bleeds. The image shows the blood feeding its babies. This is supposed to be an analogy to the Christ who gave his own blood for the nurturance of mankind. Christ is also depicted as the pure innocent. (I am not Christian, but I was brought up that way).

There is great danger in not understanding the ways of the world, but if you learn those ways and become cynical, or angry or some other way that is a perversion of the way you were meant to be, then you fall off that cliff.

I think his eyes show the sadness of doubt and the beginning of knowingness.
 

Imagemaker

I find the face of the Haindl Fool somewhat forlorn, mixed with a dawning depth of realization at the pains of life. Like a child who sees a bleeding white bird and is sad and wants to fix it, hoping a touch would be magical enough to do it.

As has been stated, this is so different from the joy and eagerness of other decks. It's as though this fool was gamboling along happily jingling his bells, then saw the bleeding bird and ran to look.
 

prk001

inanna_tarot said:
This fool, like alot of the cards in this deck, have given me a different perspective to the RW cards and meanings.
The fall of innocence of the card is so refreshing and something i havent really thought about. The story of Parsifal (spelling is probably wrong) is something that i've never thought about for. The colours are a good balance of the brightness and peace of Paradise , to the dull colours of pain and complexities of life that make the bright parts brighter, appreciated more.
The look on the fools face i think just captures the moment perfectly, and from looking at the fool i knew i needed this deck :)

The 6 planets, astrologically speaking, refers i think to the 6 planets, the sun, moon, mercury, venus, mars and jupiter are the planets that form the personality, the ones that create the building blocks of who and what we are, whilst the other planets, uranus, neptune, pluto, saturn are less personal because being so far away, and move so slowly, they tend to affect generations than someone directly.

Numerologically speaking, six refers to the creation of cycles, the giving and recieveing of life experiences and balance. All of which i think are key to the card with the experience of pain, rather than just observing the actions and lives of others.
Click to expand...
Well, two of you have mentioned the name 'Parsifal'. So, I have to do a google search on this person and find out the story.
So, there is some astrology and numerology hidden in the cards if I look at them. Anyway I know nothing about those fields that I may not notice them. The good thing is that I am always curious to learn more. You have explained the significance of the Planets and the numbers quite well that it has created some interest in me about those fields. Two more fields added to my long list of things to learn. :)
 

prk001

Marion said:
I know this isn't exactly the same image, but the thought struck me before I read the book. I first saw this in churches in Europe and had to ask. It shows a pelican (also a large whitsih bird) striking its own breast with it bill so that it bleeds. The image shows the blood feeding its babies. This is supposed to be an analogy to the Christ who gave his own blood for the nurturance of mankind. Christ is also depicted as the pure innocent. (I am not Christian, but I was brought up that way).
Click to expand...
It feels so sad to even think that the bird has to bleed itself to feed its babies. If christ shed his blood for the nurturance of the mankind, I dont know how many of us are thankful for it and enjoying the life he has given us.
 

prk001

Imagemaker said:
As has been stated, this is so different from the joy and eagerness of other decks. It's as though this fool was gamboling along happily jingling his bells, then saw the bleeding bird and ran to look.
Click to expand...
That lightens up my mood to know that the fool was happy till he saw the wounded bird and then ran to help the bird with his innocent magical touch.
 

RedMaple

The Bleeding Bird

The bleeding bird makes me so sad, and so does this Fool, who seems to represent the wounded child who sees so much pain in the world. Maybe it is that moment when we all see that pain for the first time, and move from pure innocent joy, to an innocent compassion that does not understand evil.

I have to say I hate the story of the wounded bird as Christ-like, so unfair to the birds who do not feed their young on pain. What a strange symbology. But I have never understood the cannibalistic theme that runs through Christianity.

RedMaple
 

sprite

well i do agree that this card is much different than other fools, being that you dont see him looking into the beyond out over the cliff. i see the fool as an exciting new adventure and yes this card does lack that feeling.

i look at the fool though and see an expression of unknowing rather than loss or sorrow. if you take into account he is dressed like a joker up till know he has looked at life as a joke not taking things seriously. so to take the step into life unknowing i feel he doesnt know what to expect. and to see it as his own personal journey not as a jokester his expression is kinda blank.

and as for the wounded bird i just see it as one of the first things he comes across that shows real life. good and/or bad it brings some realization to the journey he is about to embark on.
 

shandar

The Haindl Fool

Thank you for your wonderful insights. When I think about the Shakesperian Fool in King Lear. He was saddened because of his world view and insight. Remember, Fools were once the only persons able to provide bald-faced insight into the foibles of their betters.

What does the Fool know? Children can often cut to the heart of the matter, and see the truth, as we see here.

Cut to the heart.... umm, that's interesting, in looking at the poor bird. Is the bleeding bird an allegory?
 
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