The Fool - #TarotImageTuesday
Good morning!! it's #TarotImageTuesday
This week, it's the The Fool, and I've selected the Night Sun Tarot.
This is an unusual take on RWS imagery, and the first thing that catches my eye is the Chaos symbol that appears twice in the image, firstly around the neck of the Fool and also on his loin cloth. It's a symbol that can suggest that there's very little planning gone on to start this journey, and that it's a spur of the moment decision or action, with little thought or consideration - it's a literal throw of the dice as to which way The Fool is going. He feels the 'pull' of his root chakra (that the second Chaos symbol covers) and expresses himself (that first Chaos symbol over his throat chakra) by taking himself on a journey of discovery. He also carries a black rose in his hand, a symbol of anarchy, echoing that feeling from the Chaos symbols, but also suggesting that his journey may be one of rebellion or the need for self-expression, and to break out of a mould or set of expectations.
His costume, such as it is, is white, expressing the purity and innocence in his journey - even his motley hat is white, rather than multi-coloured, reinforcing that child-like innocence and naiveté of his journey.
Familiar traditional aspects of the image are the knapsack slung over The Fools shoulder, containing provisions for his journey, but to my eye, the curved stick and the ropes holding the knapsack together have the look of an instrument that could be strung together, giving his journey a somewhat bardic feel - the young adventurer wanting to see the world and experience it for himself, to then produce songs of great deeds and heroism that can be sung upon his return.
The familiar hound pawing at his masters leg is present, emphasising the feelings of loyalty and safety/security, and how the Fool should at least consider those on his journey, but also that there is an element of leaving behind the familiar, that homely comfort, the trusted companion, and setting off on a journey of his own devising.
Lovely touches in the image are the clustered wooden signs giving direction, which have all been passed by, and have fallen behind, becoming an almost impassable forest of tangled wood, emphasising thoughts such as 'you can't cross the same river twice', and that even if the Fool returns to where he started, he'll be forever changed by his experiences on that journey - the place he returns to may be the same, but he won't be the same person.
The wood is also reflected on the mask that he wears, horned, reflecting the connection with the physical experiences that lie ahead, but also suggesting that there's a deeper aspect, a growth of the spiritual self, of the psyche, going on behind the mask, as a result of the journey.
The rays of light representing the known, the familiar, the comfortable, are being left behind, as he travels into the shadowed area to the right of the card, but those experiences he already has will provide a sense of warmth and security on his back, as he moves into places and situations unknown.
Final symbolism from the card are the symbols in the border - the alchemical symbol for Air in the top left of the card, reminding us of the free and changeable nature of the Fools journey; and Aleph in the top right corner of the card, which, in Kabbalistic literature, can represent the journey of discovery between the physical realm and the divine, and is a reminder of the need to see and experience the divine in the world around us through first-hand experience, not just as some theoretical concept or framework.
What do you see in the image? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, and we can share the similarities and differences between the images in the various decks!
[The Night Sun Tarot is by artist Fabio Listrani, the image is courtesy of, and C, Lo Scarabeo srl, and the deck is available from their website (www.loscarabeo.com), Amazon, or your local Tarot stockist]
