For centuries tarot experts and practitioners have argued whether THE FOOL should be designated the first of the 22 Major Arcana cards or the last. Most feel and I agree that it should be the first. Its numerical designation is ZERO, so it makes perfect sense that it should precede card number ONE the MAGICIAN.

FIRST CARD

As the first card, its symbolism and story initiate and launch us on a journey along a 22 step path intended to instruct us in the art of attaining human perfection. Far-fetched you may say, since human frailties and appetites always seem to shipwreck our best intent. None-the-less, our present and future evolutionary assignment within the Cosmic Plan, expects that one-day we will have found the key to true spirituality. Overcoming temptations of the flesh and the cellular urges of our negative subconscious programming, is our ultimate goal and expected attainment. It is with this plan in mind that the Ancients designed THE FOOL to portray the descending journey of Pure Cosmic Spirit into the lower physical manifestations of the Earth Plane. The White Sun in the card's upper right corner (his point of origin) symbolizes the divine realm of God from which he has just descended. This card is the story of Pure Spirit (your soul as a fragment of God) seeking physical experience on Earth that will enable it to learn about and manage human emotion.

The first thing one notices in this card is the Fool's apparent disregard of the abyss lying dead ahead. The youth appears to be a "space-case" about to qualify as a statistic. Actually what the Ancients were attempting to portray here was the Fool's simple acceptance that "all" is perfection within the Universe. The sort of perfection that sees no danger, knows no negativity and is simply a living a consciousness content with just "being there" within the totality of "cosmic reality". In the late 70's Hollywood aptly portrayed this condition in one of Peter Sellers' last movies called "Being There". In the movie, Sellers played a simpleton butler who unconsciously moved in and out of life situations like a feather in the wind. Involvements just seemed to bend to his energy as he moved from one success to another. At the close of film, he walked across the surface of a pond to reach the other side... well why not ? After all, it was shorter than walking around the pond... so it is for the Fool.

The Fool or Pure Spirit is descending so it can be immersed in 3rd dimensional polarity. We have all learned from childhood how to navigate the realities and extremes of polarity. Things are either hot or cold, high or low, on or off, black or white. The Fool or Pure Spirit has never learned of these situations. That's why millions of years ago, your soul (The Fool), started its journey down into physical polarity to become aware or "conscious" of these conditions. Eventually, we all will return to the Fool's state of spiritual Cosmic Consciousness and will be unaffected by learned physical polarities. That will occur at the end of our Earthly initiation, when we have learned to control our minds, emotions, appetites and cellular urges... only this time, as the Fool, we will be in full conscious awareness and control. We will have risen above the temptations and persuasions of Earth's polarizing 3rd dimension (called Life) and will move through Time & Space unhindered and unaffected.

SYMBOLOGY

Let's look at some of the card's symbology. First... the colors used. White represents the pure spirit of God or the perfected spirituality of Divine Abstract Thought. Black is the absence of knowledge, wisdom or understanding. In other words, ignorance expressed at its lowest level. Yellow is the color of the Mind or Mental Plane. It symbolizes our intelligence or conscious intellect. Red is the symbol of Physical Desire. The will and emotional push that directs our need to have or do something. Blue always symbolizes the Divine Guidance or information we receive from the Universal Mind of God (also referred to as The Holy Ghost) during the sleep state. Gray symbolizes Physical Matter... the conditions and objects of 3rd dimensional reality. Green is the color of Creative Artistic Imagination.

The White Rose in the Fool's left hand symbolizes purified desire... the Fool wants you to learn that the only route to perfection as a human is to control and purify the forces of desire that rage within your emotional complex. It's obtainable by achieving balanced action between your conscious and subconscious minds. The Rose has (2) stems, each with a set of (3) leaves. The number (3) in numerology symbolizes creative imagination. It's also the number that symbolizes the Divine Perfection of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as well as our familial concept of father, mother and child. Most of all it represents your Mind, Emotion and Physical nature. It's this last combo that you must perfect by using your mind to control the variety of emotions that seem to want to take charge. When you allow your emotions to lead the way, trouble usually follows... remember Pinocchio? By following his physical/emotional urges, Pinocchio was led onto dangerous ground that caused his nose to elongate. Had he followed the urge of his Higher Self Jiminey Cricket (his conscience) his life of distortion and frustration could have been avoided.

The main purpose of the entire Tarot is to instruct you in the mechanics of purifying desire so you may obtain a balanced synergy between your conscious and subconscious minds. If you are a willing student and desirous of learning just how to regenerate and transform your cellular being, the Tarot can show the way. It is an ominous journey, but one required of all who desire everlasting life.

During the next 21 articles the Mystical Tarot will aid you to come face to face with your inner-being… the YOU that is personal, hidden, fearful, hopeful and most of all vulnerably human. It will be up to you to chose either the path to the left (remaining toxic, resistant to change and set in your usual patterns) or the path to the right (filled with personal healing and cleansing tools gleaned from the wisdom, knowledge and revelations of the Tarot).

Join us… you will be overjoyed with the final result !

copyright 2003-2004, Joe Ivory, all rights reserved