The Fool is the first card of a tarot deck and the first Major Arcana. It often depicts a youthful figure, smiling and walking carefree toward the unknown. The Fool is, in a traditional deck, the medieval court jester, outside of the hierarchical structure and able to poke fun at everybody and everything, always unpredictable and surprising, sometimes sounding childish and innocent but often wise beyond the silly hat and the jokes that hide the blunt truth of his words.
The meaning of the tarot card is that the Fool means a beginning. It involves a person entering a new phase in their life. Perhaps they have decided to make a new path or expand their horizons. The start of something new or a new adventure is also an accurate interpretation. This starting of a journey or heading to the unknown is the best way to look at it.
In its upright position, The Fool represents the journey into the unfamiliar. An unexpected opportunity may arise, or a life-changing decision might have to be made. A new relationship may be on the horizon, or a new, unconventional person may be entering your life. The Fool suggests that you may also need a change of perspective that is more true to your heart.
The Meaning of The Fool Tarot Card
On the Tarot, the Fool represents the start of a journey, that moment when you start walking, and you have no idea where you are going, just that you’ll know when you get there. But, of course, it can also indicate folly and lack of thought, and in an unfavorable position, it may signal you that it’s time to take things more seriously. But it also means faith and learning to hope for the future and accept yourself. So do not be afraid to start the journey; the Fool is telling you.
At the core of its meaning, the Fool card represents new developments and new beginnings. It can also stand for such intangibles as unpredictability, unfettered potential, and irrationality. This card deals with the world of infinite possibilities – the realm of the future in its initial, spontaneous state. Rational logic does not apply here, and there is no guarantee that the options foretold will be either good or bad. All the Fool can promise is that they will be utterly new and most likely unconnected to all that has gone before.
