Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 22:28:31 EDT
From: <JWB126@psuvm.psu.edu>
Subject: Re: Tarot
Sorry, can't quote with this stupid mail reader. It seems that there
is at least some interest here to warrant going ahead with discussing
tarot, and its symbolism. I'm hardly an expert; more like a neophyte.
The deck in particular I'm using is the Hanson-Roberts deck. The only
difference between it and more traditional tarot decks is it follows
the designation by Waite, who assigned VII to Strength, and XI to
Justice.
0 The Fool [Major Arcana]
"A young man dressed in colorful garments is shown walking in a open
field. In his right hand, and resting over his right shoulder, is a
stick which symbolizes his desire and will. A bundle bearing his
previous experiences is attached to the stick. His face express
innocence. In his left hand he holds a white rose to symbolize his
spiritual desires."
Divinatory Meanings: Thoughtlessness. Folly. Extravagence. Lack of
discipline. Immaturity. Foolishness. Irrationality. Insecurity.
Frivolity. Inconsideration. Delirium. Frenzy. Enthusiasm.
Naivity.
Reverse Meanings: Faulty choice or a bad decision. Indecision.
Apathy. Hesitation. Negligence.
-- I had this card come up in reference to my "Distant Past"
while using the standard 10 card spread, with the subject of
the reading regarding employment. I had been layed off for
about 6th months, and soon after the reading, was called back
to work. At the point when I did my reading, I was in the
process of branching off into "freelance" work in the computer
industry. I began to recognize some of the insecurity of my
position, and was *definitely* enthusiastic (overly and naivly)
of my opportunities.
Bright Blessings
J.B.
===
From: rowanf@well.sf.ca.us (Rowan Fairgrove)
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 08:27:23 -0800
[quoting the above article]
Hmm, I guess the first thing I should say is that I don't read
reverses. There are plenty of cards, good and bad, in the deck
without them.
I have a hard time seeing the Fool, this seeker on the Path of Wisdom,
as folly, extravagence and lack of discipline.
Immature certainly, naive about the dangers and trials ahead, but
basically a person starting out on a spiritual path. Heedless.
Innocent. So focused on spiritual awareness that he loses track of
reality and perhaps unwilling to listen to wiser heads (see the dog
barking a warning at his feet).
Gypsy
===
From: 94sjr@williams.edu (Joy)
Date: 18 Oct 1993 20:18:35 -0400
[quoting the first article]
--- I would say that much of this is a reversed meaning of the card,
and should only be taken into account if much of the rest of a spread
is suggesting a negative outlook.
I use the Robin Wood deck usually (beautiful; like an
artistic, more pagan treatment of Waite), and somewhere on my journeys
I have heard the Fool described as the wanderer, which is certainly
appropriate to the pictography. The Fool is a card of naivete and
extravagance, certainly, but also of innocence. Many theorists
(including Marie-Louise Von Franz, Jung's protege, I think) described
the Tarot as the Fool's Journey, in which the Fool must encoounter all
the other archetypes of the Major Arcana in order to attain wisdom.
At any rate, I often think of St.-Exupery's "The Little Prince" when I
think about the Fool. Childlike innocence, complete openness to
experience. The fool is unguided but not stupid; he journeys because
he wishes to see more.
Somebody else (all RIGHT, I'll go find my report and drag out
the silly bibliography)-- I think it was Waite, though, or Papus,
described the Fool as a card symbolizng that the "seeker is especially
loved by God." Well, to me that means that the seeker has the
Goddess' favor-- if you watch DS9 maybe the Bajoran notion of "pau" or
potential to great work might work here. The person who draws the
Fool card may be making silly mistakes, yes, but the point is more
that those mstakes are a wrong turn in the travel, and that the Fool,
though he does not know it, has a wyrd destiny, places to be, etc.
Way to start off with this card! We could be at this one
alone for weeks! :)) -- The Fool is known as the most tricky card in
the deck, and some folks have said the reason that it is called the
"fool" or the "joker" is that it fools the seeker into ignoring its
very powerful symbolism-- the one who approaches with the seeking,
innocent heart may be the one with the most power-from-within,
greatness of spirit.
Just musing as I'm typing this-- sometimes I think the Fool is
the card that symnbolizes the human condition-- with the best of
intentions and potential, sometimes we have no idea where we're
going....
Sorry. Babbling again. Wish I could do this for a living.
Homework Ho!
Caffeinated blessings,
--Joy
===
From: mmazurek@reed.edu (Weazel)
Date: 19 Oct 1993 05:05:50 GMT
The fool card in the Celtic Tarot has two dogs at the fool's feet as
he walks over the cliff. One is pulling him forward, one is pulling
him back. I find this intriguing. It seems to hint that he is subject
to all influences, "a truly open mind".
Blessings,
--Weazel, a fool in his own right
===
From: "Andrew C. Plotkin" <ap1i+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 13:03:35 -0400
[quoting the first article]
Just to throw in alternatives:
I generally interpret the major arcana as a journey going the other
way, from the World (the physical world, no spiritual content),
through various religious and spiritual viewpoints, to the Fool (the
Taoist "uncarved block", or enlightenment.) Thus, the Fool is a very
good card. Or at least, a great deal of fun.
As usual, it wraps around -- the Fool is no longer bothered with the
search for enlightenment, or any of this spiritual stuff. He just does
stuff, existing in the World.
--Z
===
From: cleve.fletcher@aecibbs.proxima.alt.za (Cleve Fletcher)
Date: 8 Nov 93 20:55:00 GMT
|> porta@wam.umd.edu (David Palmer) writes:
|> > I have also seen it to mean that the fool card represents very
|> >avanced spirituality.
|Ronin writes:
|> To me the Fool is a fool. The Fool is getting fooled and ending up
|> with the longest straw due to possibly being too naive, innocent
|> or just plain stupid not seeing facts as they are.
|> -*- Ronin
A. Channing writes:
AC>Thats a very materialistic interpretation.......
IMHO it depends on the nature of the question. If he (the fool)
appeared in a spread relating to spirituality then Dave would be
correct. If the question was about basic material choices, then I'd be
inclined to the Ronin's opinion..
Problem sometimes is though that #0 often points at a spiritual root,
even in the framework of a "material" question, and is interpreted as
a bad choice. Bottom line is though, that the Fool is a tricky card to
interpret at best (he ignores the "rules").
Cleve
---
. 1st 1.11 #923 . Just another spaced-out mult amid the multitude.