The Fool Card is the great mystery of the Major Arcana. Its number is Zero, the all-encompassing circle, the whole, as well as the cipher. The Fool is a conundrum, a summary of opposites. He is the only Major Arcana card to survive into our modern playing cards, where he’s the Joker, and the Joker is wild.
Rather than belonging strictly to the Major or Minor Arcana in the 78-card tarot deck, The Fool is considered his own suit, belonging only to himself. In most decks he’s shown ready to walk off a cliff, despite the warning bark of his canine companion. His blithe disregard for obvious danger is the result of his faith that the path he’s called to follow is the right one, and that he will be taken care of by the universe as long as he is true to himself and his calling.
You’re under the influence of The Fool if you feel compelled to follow a path that others tell you is foolish. That path may indeed be strewn with dangers and difficulties that you will have to overcome. But there is a necessary lesson for you on that journey, and at your soul level you recognize the importance of pursuing this course of action, heedless of warnings and potential dangers. Everything could fall apart along the way; you know that and it doesn’t matter in the least. Joseph Campbell’s admonition to “Follow your bliss” is the motto of The Fool.
