The Fool: Does love or fear drive your choices?

The real expert on the meaning of a tarot card is YOU.

That’s one of the most insightful truths I’ve learned about tarot.

You can find books and websites ready to explain the general consensus about the card’s meanings, but first … take the time to really study the card’s imagery and pay attention to your own reaction.

This is about mining your unconscious … releasing the thoughts and emotions that are buried deep inside.

The imagery helps bring them to light.

So I did just that with the first card of the major arcana: The Fool.

And what struck me immediately was that this card captures an act of optimism: The androgenous figure is walking with open arms, looking heavenward to a sunny, bright yellow sky.

I wrestled with some other meanings in this card all day: The experts say The Fool is a card of new beginnings. That it’s about taking two paths in front of you: Will you fly with accomplishment, or fall down the cliff and land hard? 

I also explored the more traditional idea of the Fool: Is she a silly person — a stand-up comedian, perhaps? Or someone who can be easily duped? It reminds me of the two sides of April Fools’ Day: The prankster and the prankee. Are these the same?

But then I go back to the imagery and see that carefree Fool, arms open to the world, and I know the heart of this card is about Fear vs. Love.

This is the moment before a trust fall.

It reminds me of that scene when Indiana Jones nervously takes a “leap of faith” in “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.” 

But this isn’t really about faith in the divine.

This is about having faith in yourself.

The Fool is at the beginning of the tarot card journey, and just like any journey in life, you must have faith in yourself to get started. And … a healthy sense of humor. Plan all you want, but the outcomes are never assured. It’s the faith I have in the process of writing these essays: I am open to the insights and inevitable struggles.

You just have to say, “YES!” and be open to the adventures (and possible failures) ahead.

A day before I started this essay, I finished up the new book by Seth Godin: “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work.”

Creativity has always been one of my favorite topics, both professionally and personally. I read more books about the creative process and collaboration than any other topic.

And yet … the definition of creativity — much like the interpretation of tarot cards — is a little bit different for each person. 

Godin’s definition is probably one of the best I’ve read so far, and it speaks directly to the idea of The Fool having the courage to start her journey with open arms: 

Godin writes: 

Creativity is “a practice of growth and connection, of service and daring. It’s also a practice of selflessness and ego in an endless dance. The practice exists for writers and leaders, for teachers and painters. It’s grounded in the real world, a process that takes us where we hope to go. This practice is a journey without an external boss. Because there’s no one in charge, this path requires us to trust ourselves — and more importantly, our selves — instead. … At the heart of the creative’s practice is trust: the difficult journey to trust in your self, the often hidden self, the unique human each of us lives with. See the pattern, find your practice, and you can begin to live the process of making magic. Your magic. The magic that we need right now.” (p. 7-8)

Godin goes on to emphasize the faithful practice of creative work instead of focusing on the outcomes. 

This helps get us through the fear of failure … of falling off that cliff. 

Focus on the process, not the results.

Before you embark on your own creative journey, here’s one more inspiring message from one of the world’s most famous Fools.

In 2014, comedian Jim Carrey gave an emotional commencement address at the Maharishi International University in Iowa.

This 4-minute highlight is well worth your time … but I will summarize below.

Carrey wore traditional academic regalia — a velvety cap and gown in Dijon yellow — which made him look like a court jester. 

But his message was heartfelt and serious. 

“So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality,” he said, before sharing a story about his father.

Carrey said his father could have been a great comedian. But he didn’t believe that was possible, so he chose a more conservative path and became an accountant. When Carrey was 12, his father was laid off from that “safe” job and the family did whatever they needed to do to survive. 

What was the big lesson for Carrey?

“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

After Carrey pursued his own career in comedy (with the wholehearted support of his father), he realized the purpose of his life was to “free people from concern.” He was so serious about this purpose that he called it “The Church of Freedom From Concern,” and he dedicated himself to this ministry. 

Carrey leaves us with some deep, soul-searching questions about our own “ministry.” He asks:

“What’s yours? How will you serve the world? What do they need that your talent can provide? That’s all you have to figure out. … The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is. Because everything you gain in life will rot and fall apart and all that will be left of you is what was in your heart.”

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Questions to consider if you draw The Fool: 

• Consider the big choices in your life. Did you make the choices out of love or fear?
• What fears are getting in your way? 
• What would a leap of faith look like in your journey right now?
• How might you focus on process and not results?