The Fool

Lets begin by discussing the Tarot card The Fool but before we do that I would like to give a brief history of the 6 Tarot Decks that I have chosen to work with so that you can see the variations in artwork from artist to artist. The 1st deck is The Golden Tarot by Kat Black. Her artwork has been collaged completely from late to Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance period. The Major Arcana in this deck consists of 22 cards representing a journey through life towards salvation. The Minor Arcana cards represent more everyday affairs. The images used in the artwork are from 1200 – 1500 AD. Her style can be considered international gothic but Kat did not stick directly with that in some instances you can see where the art evolved into Renaissance.



The 2nd deck is the Russian Deck of St Petersburg by Yury Shakov. Even though this deck is not geared towards beginners it is very easy to read. The paintings of this deck were done to exact size. The detailed work required a magnifying glass and an arm brace to steady the hand and at times a paint brush with only a single hair. Many of the scenes are reminiscent of icons by eighteenth and nineteenth century painters. This deck was Yury Shakov's final commissioned work. He passed away March 10, 1989. He finished a number of the cards and preliminary sketches for the rest but the work was finished by an unknown Russian Artist.

Our 3rd deck is the Tarot of a Moon Garden. The paintings in this deck are by Karen Marie Sweikhardt. This deck is whimsical, enchanting and loaded with symbolism. Karen uses Unicorns, Dragonflies, Dragons, Lush Jungles, Butterflies, Hot Air Balloons and the Moon to show full effect. Unicorns act as guides, dragons indicate transformation, castles serve as shelter and Angels and fairies offer the reader guidance as the seeker journeys through the experiences of the Major and Minor Arcanas. The moon also appears in her many phases representing the triple goddess – maiden, mother and crone.

Our 4th deck is the Radiant Rider Waite Tarot Deck. Designed by Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of Dr. Arthur Edward Waite. Recolored by Virginia Poshkus. Virginia Poshkus has recolored this deck in vibrant colors, which I find much more stimulating then the Original Rider Waite Deck.

Our 5th deck is the Connolly Tarot Deck. Eileen Connolly designed this tarot deck in cooperation with her son Peter Paul Connolly. The scenes on each card are reminiscent of medieval stained glass. Eileen Connolly PhD is one of the worlds leading authorities on tarot, numerology and other esoteric sciences. Her works are used extensively as textbooks by tarot and educational institutions. She is known as the teacher''s teacher. Her son painstakingly recreated the Connolly Tarot deck under her guidance. He used colored pencils as his medium.

Our final deck will be The Gendron Tarot created by Melanie Gendron. The Gendron Tarot is an absolutely beautiful deck – which is feminist/Goddess/earth centered, respectful of all and follows traditional lines. Melanie's artwork is a blend of cultures and spiritual traditions from throughout the world. We have become a global society and she integrated this throughout the deck. She also shows an incredible array of companion animals and metaphysical symbols. I feel that each one of these decks give a very unique perspective of the tarot cards through each of the artist's renditions. So lets take a look at the Fool card as represented by them and do a visual comparison.

First lets state the basic meaning of the card: 0 the number of the card in the major arcana represents an empty vessel. The Fool represents the element of Air. It is associated with the Planet Uranus which showing adventure, independence and free spirit. The card itself represents each of us as we make our way through life.

Second lets point out the similarities. All six 6 versions of the Fool have a dog jumping at his or her feet. All six show him or her standing at the edge of a Cliff and all 6 six show the Fool with a far off look in his or her eyes. What do these things symbolize? Well, the dog jumping at the feet can be seen as loyalty or possibly trying to warn the Fool of danger. In all the cards you can see that he or she doesn't seem to notice the dog. I take this as not heeding the warning or showing ignorance. Now being on the edge of the Cliff can be interpreted as disregard for potential risks but the Cliff itself represents the precipous of life. The far off look symbolizes him or her going on a new adventure or optimism for the future.

Now the Golden Tarot and Gendron both show th Fool as female. The remaining 4 decks show the Fool as a male facing to the left which is symbolic of the unconscious or unknown feminine principle. In all the decks with the exception of the Gendron they are all wearing hats which representative of Air.In all the decks with the exception of the Golden Tarot they carry a wand which symbolizes Personal Will. The Gendron, Connolly and Radiant all have a feather which symbolizes optimism and new beginnings. They also have white roses which symbolize Freedom from lower forms of desire. In the Gendron there is actually a chain of roses around the top of the card which represents desires as being so strong that the unconscious forces bow before it. The Gendron Fool also shows the Cliff edge as a wolfs head representing the conscious mind and stars that represent hope. In the upright position the Fool can mean potential, a new chance, an open mind, a new phase or life, Trust in a higher power.

As a significator it would represent inexperienced people, someone who needs to make a decision. In the reversed position it can represent poor judgement, risk, throwing caution to the wind. As a significator it could represent gamblers, someone who is not committed. Join me next time for the Magician. Until then. Bright Blessings.