Card 0, Major ArcanaThe Fool tarot card meaning
Upright and reversedThe Fool in shortIn short
The Fool is a first step. A young traveller walks out with almost nothing, face to the sky, and the ground runs out at his feet. Begin, trust the road, and keep your eyes open.
- Beginnings
- Freedom
- A leap
Piece oneThe sun
A big pale sun shines in the top corner and its rays cross the yellow sky. Waite says the sun knows where he came from and where he's going, even if he doesn't. It's early morning, the start of the day.
"The sun, which shines behind him, knows whence he came, whither he is going, and how he will return by another path after many days."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe sun is the one witness who knows the whole route. He tips his face up toward it with his eyes shut, and the light covers the road he can't see. It warms the edge under his feet and the traveller's upturned face. Morning fits a card numbered zero: nothing has happened yet.
Piece twoThe edge
He stands on a broken rock ledge high above the mountains, and his next step lands on air. Waite says the drop doesn't scare him. Every beginning carries that risk: you can't see where you'll land.
"The edge which opens on the depth has no terror; it is as if angels were waiting to uphold him, if it came about that he leaped from the height."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe edge is where the card happens. One more step and he's in the air, and he doesn't look down. The dog barks at his heels while he keeps his face to the sky. Only the sun above him hints that the fall could turn into a road.
Piece threeThe traveller
A young man in a rich tunic carries a staff over his shoulder with a small bag on the end. His eyes are shut and his face tips up to the sky. His other hand holds a white rose. Waite calls him the spirit in search of experience.
"He is the spirit in search of experience."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereHe is the card's subject: a soul about to learn by doing. The bag on his staff holds little, and the white rose in his hand stays clean. He looks up at the sun and away from the edge. The dog does the watching for him.
Piece fourThe dog
A small white dog jumps up beside him, mouth open, barking. Waite points out that the Fool has stopped for a moment while the dog keeps bounding. It's the lively, loyal animal that travels with you.
"His act of eager walking is still indicated, though he is stationary at the given moment; his dog is still bounding."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe dog keeps the card moving. The traveller has stopped for one breath at the edge, and the dog bounds on, so the step still feels alive. It's the friend from home who came along. It jumps up beside him, close to the drop he won't look at.
Colour, and where else it appearsEchoes
-
The sun
Cream sun, gold sky: a card with no shade anywhere. The same sun climbs to the top of The Lovers and blazes over an angel and a couple. In Death it rises between two towers while a rider in black armour passes. The Sun gives it a face and a whole card. Here it stays in the corner, at the start.
Also in -
The edge
Warm orange rock underfoot, cold blue peaks far off: near is warm, far is cold. Those mountains wait at the end of his road. The Hermit stands on top of one, old and alone, lamp raised over the snow. Same mountains, the other end of the journey. The Fool hasn't started the climb.
Also in -
The traveller
Night-blue tunic scattered with gold suns and green leaves: he wears night and day at once. Walkers with staffs come back across the deck. In the Eight of Cups a figure in red walks off at night with a staff, leaving his cups behind. The Hermit leans on his at the summit. The Fool's staff still carries a bag.
Also in -
The dog
Cream dog on red rock: pale, tame, close by. Dogs come back twice more in the deck. In The Moon a pale dog howls beside a dark wolf, the tame and the wild under one moon. In the Ten of Pentacles two white dogs gather round an old man at home. The Fool's dog is the only one on the road.
Also in
Colour notes are ours, read from the picture; Waite does not explain the colours.
The FoolUpright
You're at a new beginning. Maybe a job, a trip, a relationship or a project, and you don't know how it will turn out. The card stands for freedom, curiosity and the nerve to take a first step without a full plan. Waite says the traveller walks so lightly the earth can barely hold him.
His fortune-telling words are harsher: folly, mania, extravagance, intoxication. The Fool can be brave or careless, and you need to know which one you are. Begin, enjoy the road, and look down once before you step off the ledge.
The FoolReversed
The energy goes flat or goes wrong. Waite lists negligence, absence, carelessness, apathy, nullity and vanity. You might be putting off a start you need, or rushing in without paying attention.
Come back to the moment. Stuck? Take one small step. Reckless? Slow down and check the ground. The road is still there. Walk it with your eyes open.
Yes or noYes.
Yes to new starts, trips and fresh ideas. You get a yes to trying, with no promise that it's all planned. Go, and watch your feet.
The Fool in your lifeIn your life
Love
A fresh start, a new crush, or a light, playful stretch together. Enjoy it, and don't skip the warning signs because you're excited.
Work
A new job, a new direction, or an idea you want to test. Good for starting. Make a simple plan before you jump.
Money
Careful. The Fool spends happily on the road and his bag is small. Skip bets made on a whim.
Health
Try something new, a sport or a long walk, and watch for careless slips. A card can't diagnose you; if something's wrong, see a doctor.
Spirituality
A search begins. You don't need the answer to start. Curiosity is enough.
Advice
Take the first step, pack light, keep your eyes open.
As a person
Young at heart, open, playful, spontaneous. Sometimes naive, hard to pin down.
Past, present, future
Past: a leap you took blind. Present: a new start waiting for your first step. Future: a road you haven't walked yet.
Written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
Symbols and correspondencesAt a glance
- Number
- 0
- Hebrew letter
- Aleph
- Element
- Air
- Element
- Air
- Upright
- Folly
- Reversed
- Negligence
QuestionsCommon questions
Mostly, yes. It's the card of new beginnings, freedom and trust. Its warning is carelessness: Waite's own list includes folly and extravagance.
A new or renewed relationship, light and spontaneous. Enjoy the start, and keep your eyes open.
Yes, especially for new starts. Try it, carefully.
A small white dog jumping at his side. Waite says the Fool has paused and the dog is still bounding, his lively companion on the road.
Air, in the Golden Dawn system. Its Hebrew letter is Aleph.
Waite calls The Fool a prince from another world passing through this one, in morning light. He's the spirit looking for experience.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911Card meanings and quotes: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911. Hebrew letter, sign and element: the Golden Dawn's Book T. Colours, life situations, yes or no and questions: written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
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