MAAT Study Group- The Fool

[juliecucciawatts]

The FOOL
Cross Quarter Day Vernal Equinox
Ostara/Eostar

The MAAT Tarot Fool represents the holy man, shaman, or trickster of
the tribe. He is not a ruler though he advises rulers. He is not a
leader yet he shows people how to act or not to act. His persona
shows up in virtually every human culture.

He is special and set apart from other walks of life. He stands at
the point of balance between decreasing darkness and increasing
light. In ancient societies he would have been the holy man using
sacred hunting magic to shape-shift, bringing in the herds, insuring
success in the hunt and, consequently, assuring the survival of the
people. He is the healer who walks between the worlds and banishes
the evil spirits causing disease. He could also bring back the
knowledge of plant medicines that would cure the body.

This Fool was the bringer of dreams and messages from
the land where time doesn't exist. He is Joseph in his coat of many
dismembered color pieces breaking the rules of fashion, as well as
the rules of nature, relating visions of the future to Pharaoh. He is
the one who slips between the worlds into the land of the Dead,
retrieving the Goddess from her winter slumber. Maybe the Fool tricks
Death because, in his innocence, he simply doesn´t realize it
can´t be done. Or maybe it is because he has never quite put both
his feet into the physical world and keeps his connection to the
Atisokanak, the Anishnabe Spirit world.

He is the young Fool in love, who wears his heart on his
sleeve. We are all Fools when we´re in love- inspired, obsessed,
seeing only the good in our beloved. The innocent Fool has the
ability to operate in the twilight between good and evil because he
is pure of heart. He has the magic (Love) to awaken the sleeping
earth and bring her back to life. He is the return of the Greenman
every spring. Like the proverbial Fool he returns again and again
thinking, "This time it will be all good!"

In Medieval Europe the Fool was the Jester, who made the king and his
court laugh by conveying truth with his ill-mannered antics. He is
the arrogance of youth boasting of his abilities and proclaiming his
grand intentions. He is the lunatic babbling the words of unseen
spirits. He is the `insane one who mutters prophecies. He is the
sacred clown who shows us ourselves and teaches us to get real. And
ironically, he is the one you go to when there is no hope left.

The shaman's world consists of three layers: the lower
world, the middle world and the upper world. The lower world is the
place of power animals. The middle world is the place of time travel.
And the upper world is the place of spirit guides and teachers. The
shaman can travel to these worlds through the use of his drum or
rattle, connecting with its rhythmic beat, sending him into trance.
Once in trance he slips into these other realms to retrieve the
knowledge he seeks. The Shaman/Fool embodies Yang energy and seeks
its knowledge.

The traditional Tarot image of The Fool has a dog biting
him. This summons images of the Shaman/Sacred Clown being dismembered
by his power animals. Going through `shamanic death´ is often
referred to as being "dismembered to remember." The image also has
the fool about to fall off a cliff, plunging unexpectedly into the
underworld. Shamans, like Fools, seldom chose their roles in life but
are more likely chosen and reluctantly so. His little guardian/dog
nipping his heels pushes him into his first journey down the 'rabbit
hole' or off the cliff into the unknown.

This image also brings to mind the constellation Orion
who is always followed by the Dog Star, Sirius. The ancient Egyptians
associated this constellation with their god Osiris, god of green
vegetation. Osiris is also known as god of the dead, judge of the
dead, and the embodiment of the sun's journey at night, (the sun at
midnight). Osiris was murdered by his jealous brother and brought
back to life by his magician-wife Isis, only to be torn to pieces by
his brother and re-assembled by Isis again. (Coincidentally, Isis is
associated with Sirius the 'dog' star) There are theories that the
pyramids of Egypt are linked to the three stars in the belt of Orion.
The Great pyramid at Giza aligns with the constellation Orion.

Orion is also associated with Hercules, mortal hero of
ancient Greek and Roman mythos, who undergoes many trials as he seeks
immortality. The constellation Orion, though very prominent in the
night sky, is not included in the Zodiac. Orion is set apart from the
Zodiac much like the Fool is set apart from the trumps and, as the
Shaman is separate from the tribe. The Spring Equinox is the time of
the year that is set apart from all other times, as it is the magical
time of increasing daylight. Spring coincides with the high magical
time of remembered triumph, like the ancient Passover rituals when
the tides of tyranny turn and freedom can be won against great odds.
The Vernal Equinox is a perfect time for initiations of priests and
priestesses, puberty rites, cave initiations, and vision quests.

Other Names: April Fool; Village Idiot; Coyote; Court Jester;
Heyokia; Hermes; Loki; Pied Piper of Hamlin; Joseph and the coat of
many colors

Symbols: Golden bough with bells of gold; branches with leaves;
rabbits; coyotes;

mismatched clothes; long exaggerated hoods; three horned hats; Yang

Attributes: Young virgin male; extrovert; exuberant; light hearted;
silly comedian; irreverence

In a Reading: A trusting individual who takes a leap of faith
thinking things will be `all good´ only to find he things are much
more complicated than he anticipated. Taking a jump into the void or
unknown circumstances.

[annik]

This is a wise fool, knowing what he is doing and with inner ressources. He choose his words well and he makes us think. It is what I get from this card. He don't look like the carefree fool we usually see. There is something deeper than his look.

[Startarot]

To me it is the leap of faith the must be taken in order for the journey to begin. The Shmanic initiation.

[juliecucciawatts]

Originally Posted by Startarot

To me it is the leap of faith the must be taken in order for the journey to begin. The Shamanic initiation.

HI !
YES! And also because the Fool in most traditional tarot decks is the "0" there is an essence of timelessness or being part of the invisible world. Because of this what appears to be the beginning is just a continuation of something eternal and timeless. This shamanic initiation or journey may also have come unbeckoned as these things usually occur.
Since MAAT Tarot has a circular construct we can look to the opposite card for clues to deeper meanings. The opposite card in this case being The Tower(Autumnal Equinox) another card that gives us the feeling of having the rug pulled out from under us. The Tower however represents the harvesting or breaking down of matter that leads to spiritual growth of some kind. The Fool being the Vernal Equinox represents a sudden awakening or reawakening to physical matters from a dreamy primal place. The shaman who because of this initiation ends up living with his feet in both the physical world and the world of the Spirit, becomes a vehicle for accessing information from the spirit world that he then brings back to the Physical Plane for the good of his people.

Thanks for your input!!

Julie

[juliecucciawatts]

Good morning,
In the months since my return from Egypt I have been haunted by my trip.
There is not a day that goes by that I don't find my mind drifting back to Luxor, the Isis Temple and Hatshepsut's Morturary Temple.
I knew that in ancient times Philae(original spot for the Isis temple) was thought to be the source of the flood as it was the southern most border of Egypt and I think I must have known that water levels were recorded into the rocks there, though during our visit we did not see that. What I did NOT know was that the carving of the hieroglyph for of the Nile was there. The one that clued me into the connection between the Star card/ and the sign of Aquarius being connected to the Full moon in Aquarius which occurs in July during the flooding of the Nile. The carving is there on the western wall which we never got to see.
Anyway the other morning I am reminded that we were told that the original island just south of the temple island is where the thigh of Osiris was hidden.That morning finally I start to think about how this might be related to the old positioning of the temple. Seeing as the entire temple of Isis was moved stone by stone from the island of Philae in 1970 due to the flooding caused by the building of the Aswan dam. The original placement of the Temple would have been due east of the much higher rocky island(Biga Island) where Osiris's thigh was hidden. Which got me thinking about the constellation of Orion and its connection to Osiris and its disappearance just before the annual flood which begins around July 18. Now I needed to find a star finder to see if and when the last part of the Orion/Osiris constellation to disappear at the horizon at sunset would be his leg what date that would happen and if
so I am thinking there may have been a major ritual there to find the thigh of Osiris journey to the duat overnight watch the sunrise with Sirius in conjunction and Pharaoh or perhaps "the god's wife" would pour water from vessels as the flood waters would rise. The annual flood and the rising of the dog Star Sirius was so predictable that it was more accurate than counting the 365 days in the year. I am thinking now the alignment of the sunrise
on these dates would have shot down through the doorways in that side temple where we all danced and would have intersected right in front of the courtyard where the pharaoh would have stood to address the masses.

Intersections of east and west and north and south were sacred. As I was waking that day I realized why the Egyptian day began at noon. It was the time when the sun would come in conjunction with the Nile and the crossing would have been deemed as sacred the meeting of the ad blending of the opposites. Picture the perfect south to north flow of the Nile and the perfect east to west journey of the Sun/Ra. at noon these two paths cross as they would again when the sun reached midnight. This "sun at midnight" is referred to in what little is written about initiation of the priests of Egypt.
Again this is referred to in the journey to the duat as warp and weft. Nearly where ever you are in Egypt there is a distinct sense of direction, the Nile running south to north and the sun going east to west some with exceptions of course like the area of Abydos and Denderah.

In my quest to find the perfect starfinder I came across Google Earth I was able to see in great detail the area of Biga Island and even the submerged island of Philae perfectly due east of Biga. When I looked at Google Earths'
detail of Orion there was a big surprise waiting there for me, not only would it appear from the original Philae that Orion would go leg first into Biga island but the word for Rigel (Orions' left foot)in Arabic is FOOL.

I am thinking there is a painting in all of this stay tuned.
Julie

[crazy raven]

Studying this card, the higher harmonic to it could be the world of the Ancestors. The fool certainly seems to have overtones to Fire in this card.

I found myself focussing on the sixth chakra at the eye level, the energy of the Soul. Here the higher entities most closely connected with the Earth are found. This includes the personal ancestors of the Fool, departed relatives and friends. More importantly, it also includes any and all Ancestors who are in some way connected with the Fool, and their meaning in life, whether known or not. This connects us to the great culture-heroes/heroines of the past. It seems to literally bring history alive and give one a new sense of participation in a chain of being - the connectivity of history. This card could be a tremendous source of guidance and teaching if the Fool can keep his ground.

[juliecucciawatts]

Originally Posted by crazy raven

Studying this card, the higher harmonic to it could be the world of the Ancestors. The fool certainly seems to have overtones to Fire in this card.

I found myself focussing on the sixth chakra at the eye level, the energy of the Soul. Here the higher entities most closely connected with the Earth are found. This includes the personal ancestors of the Fool, departed relatives and friends. More importantly, it also includes any and all Ancestors who are in some way connected with the Fool, and their meaning in life, whether known or not. This connects us to the great culture-heroes/heroines of the past. It seems to literally bring history alive and give one a new sense of participation in a chain of being - the connectivity of history. This card could be a tremendous source of guidance and teaching if the Fool can keep his ground.

Another thought.....The basic definition of a shaman is related to primitive cultures which respected nature and all its living things. Shamanism sees all things not as fixed objects, but as flowing energy patterns, constantly coalescing, exchanging, and drifting apart in an endless dance. This young shaman is at the threshold of learning to recognize himself or herself as being one with this dance of energy, and will through the his/her journey through the tarot, constantly be learning and exchanging energy with all things.......with this concept he/she will be constantly changing.

This is a great point! Thanks for putting it into words for us! And thanks for sharing your insights!
Julie

[Kimber]

I really like the correspondence to the constellation of Orion, and how the "stars" in the painting, and the shaman/fool's posture in the card, depict that correlation. It really drives home the separateness of the Fool from the rest of the deck, and of Orion from the astrological zodiac. And I like that the little white dog is appropriately included, as the dog star Sirius. :c) No one should ever go alone into the abyss.

In Julie's book she says the Fool is the one you go to when there is no hope left. I like this statement, because you really do need to be in a certain place before you contemplate the void, whether it be a change of attitude, or a total change of life. At some poiint, you must trust the Fool, and act.

[OctoberGwen]

Originally Posted by Kimber

...the little white dog is appropriately included, as the dog star Sirius. No one should ever go alone into the abyss.

I love this.

Originally Posted by Kimber

In Julie's book she says the Fool is the one you go to when there is no hope left.

Is this the workbook you are referring to, Kimber? There are so many MAAT-related books available, I'm not sure which one to start with. Can anyone recommend one?

I just got my deck yesterday and I *LOVE* it. I think I'm going to spend some serious, exclusive time studying it (sorry, other decks), because the images and symbols are so rich, and I love that Julie has incorporated the lunar cycles and the wheel of the year. I'm really enjoying what everyone has written here so far, and I hope the group is still going strong.

[Kimber]

Originally Posted by OctoberGwen

I love this.


Is this the workbook you are referring to, Kimber? There are so many MAAT-related books available, I'm not sure which one to start with. Can anyone recommend one?

I think I was actually referring to the hardcover book that comes with the deck. I say "I think" because I actually have all of the Maat books. :c) I like the Book of Days because you can see what cards apply as you go through the year; I use it in conjunction with the Moon Signs book. The Workbook is helpful in relating the seasons and the wheel of the year. The big study guide includes all of the information in the hardcover book and then adds to it.