Let’s look at the imagery of Major Arcana 0, the Fool
In this deck (White Numen) we see a young girl examining a blue flower, while accompanied by some mystical-looking critters. Falling about her are pyramid-shaped ‘things’ (dog treats?). Over her shoulder is her hobo bag with a coloration that reminds me of a mountain range.
Instead of walking along a cliff face, it looks as though she’s trekking in the desert. At the top of the card we see a white circle – the Sun.
If you look at the RWS Fool (below) you’ll see that the Sun is also shown as being white, but RWS shows sun rays while the White Numen Fool does not.
The Robin Wood Fool has no Sun, but it’s clearly a bright day.
The Fool in Ancestral Tarot
If you draw The Fool in relation to Ancestral work, what questions would it elicit?
For me:
1. What’s in the hobo bag?
2. Are the Ancestors telling me it’s time to get out of my comfort zone?
3. What purpose do the dogs serve? Do I need a companion on my journey?
4. What is the significance of the blue rose?
5. Why are there plants/flowers in my hair?
Our Fool is young, just starting out on a journey. She may not know about the obstacles ahead or possibly doesn’t even think about them at all. Is the flower a distraction or is there something magical about it?
If you remember the RWS Fool, the youth is holding a white rose; in the Robin Wood Tarot he is playing a flute? Why the white rose vs the blue rose? Is one purity and one magic? Why the flute? And if you notice in the White Numen deck, the Fool’s eyes are closed. Is this just as dangerous as the RWS Fool about the walk off a cliff?
As you work with the cards and the Ancestors, these are the questions you’re being asked. How you interpret the card depends on your Tarot knowledge, your intuition, and to some degree which deck you choose to use.
If I drew the Fool when asking about the theme of an Ancestor’s life, how I interpret the card is doing to depend on which deck I use. The White Numen would tell me the life was spent in a lot of self-absorption; if Robin Wood a life of purity and joy; if RWS, a person who never wanted to be tied down. But those interpretations are just MINE.
If you drew one of these Fools as the theme of an Ancestor’s life, what interpretation would you give it?
Thanks in advance for your comments. I so appreciate the sharing.
