The Fool is the first card of the Major Arcana, numbered 0, which signifies infinite potential and the start of a new cycle.
The Fool tarot card from the Rider–Waite–Smith Tarot deck. Art By Pamela Colman Smith, Public Domain
The Fool is a card of fresh starts, a journey into the unknown, or embarking on an adventure. It encourages living in the moment, free from fear or doubt, and embracing life with trust and openness. It symbolizes a leap of faith, trusting the universe, and taking risks even if the outcome is uncertain.
While optimistic, the Fool can also be a caution to avoid recklessness, naivety, or ignoring warning signs.
Upright Meaning
- New beginnings, spontaneity, taking a leap of faith, limitless potential, optimism, freedom, curiosity, and living in the moment.
- Encourages you to embrace change, trust the process, and let go of fear or overthinking. Be willing to take risks guided by intuition.
Reverse Meaning
- Recklessness, naivety, poor judgment, impulsive decisions, or ignoring consequences.
- Also warns against hesitation, fear of the unknown, being overly cautious, and missing opportunities.
My version of the Fool takes inspiration from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, but drawn in my style.
The white dog from the original version was replaced with floating eyes. One eye gazes up at the Fool with concern, reminding us to trust our intuition. Another looks down at the cliff, symbolizing awareness of potential risks.
The feather in the fool's cap was replaced with eyes that float above her left one, representing heightened intuition and the courage to see beyond societal expectations.