0. The Fool
© Photography by Soulchology | The Fool - Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot by Lo Scarabeo
i. The Nutshell
Upright
The Fool signifies the beginning of a new chapter that requires openness, adaptability, and a willingness to move forward without knowing all the whys, wherefores or results of. This card often appears when you're stepping into unfamiliar territory by starting a new job, relocating, launching a project, or making a significant life change. To embody the Fool’s essence, you must step out from beneath the structures of ideas about what those around you deem ‘orderly’. Be willing to look silly or misunderstood. Rules can become traps, freezing flexibility, and the Fool teaches the courage to break through these confines in service of a new life aligned with your values.
Here in these worksheets, we combine Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’s focus on psychological flexibility with a psycho-spiritual approach, re-framing it as psycho-spiritual flexibility; because it is of my opinion that one can’t exist meaningfully without the other. Rigid rule-following can lead to mental health issues and destructive or numbing behaviours; born when compliance and conformity govern individuality, identity, and autonomy.
The Fool encourages presence, curiosity, and the ability to respond, and so progress is experiential arising through awareness, presence and committed action. Natrually, risk is best taken with awareness, not recklessness; it's about releasing rigid expectations whilst remaining open to possibilities.
Sometimes The Fool may be pointing to a new thing after a completion, so check out The Fool 22 which is an extra card in some decks, and I’ve written about it here for the Linescape Tarot.
Keywords: New beginnings, openness, exploration, uncertainty, transition, responsiveness, a new cycle, spontaneity, courage to break through structure, psycho-spiritual flexibility
Translation: You’re at the beginning of something. Stay present, take the next step, allow the process to inform the path, and be willing to challenge rules that no longer serve your growth.
Reversed
When The Fool appears reversed, it may signal hesitation, impulsivity, or avoidance. You might be resisting change due to fear of instability or uncertainty, or rushing into decisions without considering long-term impact. It can also indicate an over-reliance on rigid rules or fear of breaking them; rules that, when followed without reflection, can stifle individuality and autonomy. Numbing behaviours or destructive patterns often emerge when compliance governs life.
This card calls for recalibration; to step back, assess your motivations, and ask whether you are acting from avoidance, urgency, or informed trust. Examine the inner chorus of thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations that arise when you consider breaking old rules, and recognise that moving through argh-moments is often part of a meaningful, values-aligned path. Starting afresh requires courage to challenge old structures while exercising discernment and psycho-spiritual flexibility.
Keywords: Avoidance, impulsiveness, resistance to change, poor planning, inexperience, fear of breaking structure, rigidity
Translation: Pause and check your direction. Are your choices aligned with your values and authentic self? Embrace the discomfort of challenging old rules as part of cultivating freedom, flexibility, and a life in service of your deepest intentions.
ii. Illus-traits
A quick glance at The Fool's symbolic traits in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck - what's hidden in plain sight?
The Knapsack - Carries only what’s essential. Suggests unconscious potential rather than preparation.
White Rose - Purity of intent and willingness to begin without agenda.
The Dog - Instinct or loyalty both helpful and cautionary. Stay awake.
The Cliff’s Edge - Imminent shift. One step away from consequence or liberation.
The Sun - Clarity is present but the Fool hasn’t looked up to see it yet.
iii. Influences
Planetary Influence
The Fool is influenced by Uranus and Mars. Uranus brings sudden change, freedom, and breaking from convention. Mars adds energy, drive, and the urge to take initiative. Together they create a pattern of impulsiveness and bold beginnings. The soul’s lesson is to develop perspective that balances spontaneous action with awareness of consequences and deeper needs.
Natal Houses
The Eleventh House, ruled by Uranus, relates to innovation, community, and personal freedom. When active, it pushes for breaking limits and exploring new possibilities. The First House, ruled by Mars, rules self-expression and how one asserts themselves. It shows where impulsiveness or impatience may challenge growth. These placements highlight where the soul experiments with new beginnings and learns to channel energy responsibly.
Astrological Signs
Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, values individuality, progress, and freedom. Aries, ruled by Mars, acts with courage and urgency but can be impulsive or impatient. Both signs embody the Fool’s energy of stepping into the unknown. Soul growth involves gaining perspective on when to act boldly and when to pause for grounding.
Numerology
The Fool corresponds to the number zero, symbolising infinite potential and new starts. This number reflects psychological patterns of hesitation or recklessness before beginning a new phase. The spiritual lesson is to embrace new experiences with perspective, avoiding rumination on past fears or mistakes while balancing risk and opportunity. Zero represents choice and free will. It is your decision whether to live according to your highest potential or to take a simpler, less challenging path. This number reflects the opportunity to reach a higher level of awareness and understanding through life experiences. It offers the chance to commit yourself to a greater purpose, express unconditional love, and take an active role in life by facing decisions that serve both yourself and others.
Element
The Fool is associated with Air, representing intellect, ideas, and freedom. Air supports openness but can cause scattered focus or impulsiveness. The lesson is to develop perspective that tempers enthusiasm with mindful awareness, fostering conscious growth rather than reckless chance.
iv. A Day in the Life of The Fool
Well That Escalated Quickly
You take a leap saying yes to a new opportunity, change, or challenge but without clear direction. You feel unprepared, unsure whether this move was inspired, responsive, or reactive. Communication is scattered, tasks are half-finished, and your schedule lacks structure. There's movement, but little follow-through. Enthusiasm fades into anxiety when there’s no clear framework to support it. You may also notice how much you’ve been trying to meet societal expectations, and how bending to what others 'think you should do has led to self-abandonment and mistrust, leading you to want to snap and run away.
Adjusting the Knobs
You start asking questions instead of rushing for answers. You revisit plans, confirm intentions, and recognise where spontaneity has turned into distraction. You start taking intentional steps by reviewing your priorities, setting boundaries, and checking your capacity levels. You don’t have every answer but you’ve stopped outsourcing your direction to circumstances or Joan on Reception. You’re becoming aware of how much you’ve been influenced by others’ expectations, and how following these pressures has led you to feel disconnected from yourself. By reclaiming your own choices and acting in alignment with your values, you begin to navigate the unfamiliar with more presence and autonomy.
Writing the TED Talk
You follow your intuition and arrive at exactly where you didn’t know you needed to be, and somehow it’s all working out with perfect timing. You realise faith works in your favour as long as you listen to yourself so you move through unfamiliar situations with measured openness. You’re meeting your to-do list with renewed focus, transitions are handled with greater ease, and you trust your ability to respond to what arises. You’re shaping your environment as much as it’s shaping you, and your curiosity is grounded in self-awareness and practical steps forward. You notice how letting go of others’ expectations has eased your self-criticism and you begin to not only know who you are, but like who you’re becoming.
v. Working with these Energies
Balancing Bold Energy with Mindful Presence
The Fool and Aries are basically the duo of ‘let’s do this thing and see what happens’. Both champion new beginnings, risky leaps and the occasional face-plant. But before you charge forward like a ram with a to-do list and no sense of direction, take a breath. Presence, pace and intuitive trust is the real message here.
Aries gives you the fire to move whilst The Fool hands you the open-hearted enthusiasm to say yes, but neither are suggesting you abandon all forethought. If The Fool shows up reversed, that’s your cue that perhaps enthusiasm has turned into an escape velocity. So instead of sprinting into the void, consider pausing long enough to feel your feet on the ground. That pause is the middle path to self-trust, and the difference between mindful action or another lesson you’d probably prefer to swerve.
1. Embrace new beginnings with reflection and trust by considering a time when you took a leap of faith:
What was the outcome and how did it change you?
What new beginnings are calling you now?
When have you trusted your instincts, what happened and how can you increase trust in your intuition today as a result?
2. Explore spontaneity and innocence with awareness by thinking about a recent spontaneous action or decision:
How did it feel?
What did you learn?
How can you honour the honesty and sincerity of The Fool whilst staying rooted in the wisdom of your past experiences?
3. Observe astrological energy for inspired change:
In what ways are you being called to innovate or initiate right now?
How do Uranus (unconventional change) and Aries (inspired action) show up in your life?
What meaningful action can you take this week to move your life forward in some way?
4. Identify extremes and re-balance by reflecting on a recent moment where you were either impulsive or overly hesitant:
What was the trigger, and as a result, what were the extremes in your thoughts and/or behaviours?
How could you have brought in more balance?
What would walking a middle path have looked like in that moment?
5. Practice mindful action to anchor energy by choosing a simple activity like drinking tea, going for a walk, or stretching:
During the activity, stay present. Notice sensations, sounds, textures, and observe any impulses to rush or disengage.
After the activity, reflect on how it felt to slow down and stay present?
How might this support you in balancing the urgent energy of Aries with the openness of The Fool?
vi. Building Skills
Mindfully Noticing Emotion Without Judgement
This short practice helps you stay present with your emotions, without needing to change them, analyse them or push them away. Emotions are experiences to notice and not problems to solve.
Begin by sitting comfortably.
Close your eyes or lower your gaze. Take a few slow, steady breaths, longer exhales than inhales. Let your body settle.
Now gently bring your attention to what you’re feeling emotionally. Don’t name it right away. Just sense: Is there heaviness? Restlessness? A flutter in your chest? Let yourself feel whatever is there, without trying to fix it.
If you notice thoughts or judgements such as, ‘I shouldn’t feel this,’ or ‘This is too much,” or ‘I’m being dramatic’, simply notice them, then imagine them floating downstream like leaves on water, passing by, not needing your attention.
Remind yourself you have a right to feel what you feel.
Stay with this awareness for five minutes. Observe how the emotion naturally shifts, expands or fades. You’re witnessing the flow rather than controlling it.
Today, practice this whilst reflecting on something that feels risky or uncertain.
Can you stay with it without jumping to action or avoidance? The goal is to get better at feeling.
vii. Embodiment
Tarot is a language, but it’s also a felt experience. Embodiment is how you move it from the page into your body, your senses, your real life. This presence over performance. Before you try and memorise what The Fool means, feel its meaning.
When you learn a card through sensation, i.e. what it smells like, where it lands in your body and how it shows up in your day, you create a personal, unforgettable map. The Fool then turns into more than a suggestion and becomes part of you.
Smell: If The Fool were a scent, what would it be? Fresh air? Wildflowers at a picnic?
Body: Where do you feel it when you think about freedom or risk, your chest, your feet, your stomach?
Soundtrack: What song feels like The Fool’s energy right now?
Action: What could you do today that feels a little spontaneous, playful, or brave, even if it’s minuscule?
Nature cue: Go outside. What in your surroundings reflects Fool energy? An open sky? A stray dog? A path you’ve never taken?
Notice what shifts: The goal is to feel alive and self-trusting.
viii. Your Impressions
Look at the Fool card in your deck or the image above. Notice your initial thoughts without trying to change or analyse them.
What catches your attention first - the sense of beginning, the impulse to move forward, or hesitation? Pay attention to any feelings or memories that come up.
Check your body for any tension or restlessness. Connect these sensations to the thoughts or emotions you notice.
Consider how you usually react when facing new opportunities mixed with uncertainty or fear. Do you allow yourself to stay with the discomfort long enough to discern whether the urge to act is genuine or just an old pattern?
ix. Intuitive Meaning
Use this space to reflect on what The Fool means to you personally:
When you feel the urge to start something new but hesitate, what part of you is trying to stay safe? Do you hold back, wait for certainty, or try to control what happens?
Who or what taught you to doubt your own instincts or fear taking risks? Were your ideas dismissed or ignored? Consider how these experiences affect how you express yourself and act on motivation.
In your daily life, where do you stop yourself from following what excites you? When do you choose caution over taking a chance? What have these habits protected you from, and what possibilities might they have blocked?
What part of you believes that waiting for certainty is necessary? How does this belief impact your energy and growth? What could happen if you moved forward despite uncertainty?
Applied insight with a three-card reading using The Fool as your anchor:
What fears or doubts are holding me back from embracing new beginnings, and where did they start?
What thought patterns do I need to let go of to follow my intuition and curiosity more freely?
When do I notice hesitation, and how can I take clear action that aligns with my autonomous self?
Pull cards. Note feelings or observations that reflect your lived experience and write your own interpretation:
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x. Closing Reflection: Track Your Evolving Lens
Your relationship with each card will grow over time because it’s meant to shaped by your life. Consider the prompts below to revisit and reflect.
What I thought this card meant when I first pulled it: —————————————————
A recent experience that changed how I see it: —————————————————
How I feel about it now, in my body or life: —————————————————
What surprised me as this card kept showing up: —————————————————
One way this card is living in my life right now: —————————————————
If this card visited me today as a guide, what would it want me to remember? —————————————————
Revisit these after a week, a moon phase, or a meaningful moment. Let the card evolve as you do.
If you feel a quiet sense of recognition, curiosity and want to explore it, browse the sessions page for what feels right.