The Fool card is the first card among the Major Arcana cards (also known as the trump cards). It is a positive card in general, but it can also serve as a warning or a guide for your daily life. The Fool card evokes a sense of adventure in most people, but its meaning is complex, particularly when reversed or combined with other tarot cards.
To learn more about the intricacies and meanings of the Fool Card, let this tarot guide take you on the Fool’s Journey!
The Fool Keywords
Upright card (keywords)
Beginnings, Innocence, Leap of faith, Originality, Spontaneity
Reversed card (keywords)
Chaos, Folly, Lack of direction, Naivety, Poor judgement, Stupidity
The Fool Tarot Card Description
If you are using a Rider Waite tarot deck, you will quickly recognize the Fool card. It features a young man holding a stick with a small sack hanging from its tip, with a white rose in his left hand. His clothes are colorful and cheerful.
While this young man is taking his first steps, a small white dog is posed playfully beside him. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll see that the young man is approaching the edge of a cliff—could it be that the dog is not trying to play but to stop the young man from falling to his demise?
As usual in tarot, the card’s imagery is not coincidental, and every detail tells a story. For example, a small white dog symbolizes inner strength, a white rose represents an innocent soul, and the young man’s pose symbolizes blind faith.
These are only the most obvious clues about this card’s meaning, so let’s analyze it in more depth.
Fool Upright Meaning
In its upright position, The Fool card represents new beginnings and experiences. It signifies a spiritual journey requiring one to take a leap of faith. The Fool card also portrays a sense of wonder, excitement, and the unknown when starting a new journey.
Love Meaning
In a love reading, the upright Fool card can have several meanings, all of which are quite positive. For instance, you may have the chance for a fresh start in the near future. If you are already in a relationship, you may get an opportunity to explore new paths with your partner(s), or you might unlock new areas of intimacy.
The Fool is also a reminder of one essential quality of every successful relationship—mutual trust in the face of risk. Falling in love with someone is always a risk, as it makes you vulnerable to being hurt or betrayed—yet, when you are madly in love, you are more prone to risk-taking. After all, the potential reward is worth it.
Career Meaning
If this card appears in a tarot reading about your career, it is generally a positive omen. However, it’s important to remember that the Fool card is also an omen of unpredictability. You might have a clear plan of how your career will look in the future, but you will need to let go of that plan—as a matter of fact, you will need to let go of any preconceived notions or expectations.
Don’t let this unpredictability worry you. Rest assured that new and better things are ahead of you beyond what you could have imagined or planned. These may include a new job, an unexpected success in your current projects, or the recognition you have craved for your innovative ideas.
Finances Meaning
With the new opportunities that this card represents, you can also expect new and better sources of income. Your professional endeavors will pay off if you are wise with your finances.
To achieve financial success, you will need to take some calculated risks. This process will take a lot of courage and confidence but also a great deal of wisdom to choose when to take those risks. Not many people possess that wisdom—do you?
Reversed Fool Card Meaning
The Fool card in a reversed position can be interpreted as a corrupted meaning of its upright position. While it represents innocence in its upright position, it symbolizes poor judgment, naïveté, and even stupidity in its reversed position.
The reversed Fool card also symbolizes health issues, lack of direction, chaos, and unrealistic expectations. You may be blinded by your desires, with no plan to execute or follow through, or you might not understand the perils ahead of you.
Love Meaning
If your tarot spread is intended to give you some answers about your love life, listen to the message of this card carefully. The reversed Fool card represents immaturity and lack of commitment for those already in relationships. Unless you and your partner work on your relationship, it will crash and burn sooner than you might think.
For those who are single but interested in finding someone, this card is a reminder to live in the present moment. Before finding love and entering a new relationship, you must find love and happiness within yourself. Only when you find a purpose in life as a single person will you be able to fulfill that purpose with someone by your side.
Career Meaning
In career-related tarot spreads, the reversed Fool card represents a lack of direction. You are likely a free spirit—and nothing is wrong with that—but you must still follow some rules and structure to succeed career-wise.
You must also exercise caution and learn from your past experiences, especially your past mistakes. If a specific type of behavior only brings you issues, you can’t repeat it and expect a different outcome. After all, that’s the textbook definition of foolishness.
Finances Meaning
Answer this honestly: how responsible are you with your finances? The reversed Fool card may indicate that your finances are in far from great shape, even if your career is heading in the right direction. You might be living beyond your means, which can have a devastating financial impact over time.
If you rethink your habits and go through your purchases, you will likely notice some bad choices. Instead of recklessly spending money like there is no tomorrow, try to reduce your spending and consistently set aside some money to create an emergency fund. Don’t allow yourself to live from paycheck to paycheck, especially if you don’t have family and friends to rely on.
Other Cards With Fool Card
The Fool card is a wild card. In other words, this card can take on many different meanings, depending on the other cards in your tarot spreads. Below are some of the most interesting Fool card combinations and their key meanings.
The Fool and The High Priestess
These two cards contrast each other but can also act as a powerful tandem when guiding you on your spiritual journey. While the High Priestess represents mystery and intuition, the Fool represents innocence and a sense of wonder.
The High Priestess already possesses some valuable knowledge, and the Fool is yet to acquire it. When you think about it, this card combination is universally relatable—we are all on a quest for knowledge. As we live our lives, we learn so many things, but many other things surpass our comprehension, and we stay foolish until the last breath.
Being the Fool is not an insult but a reminder of how much we can learn. Our lives are too short to gain all that knowledge—but who knows, maybe we will have that opportunity in our next life?
The Fool and The World
The Fool is the first card among the Major Arcana cards, while the World is the last. Together, they are like alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. The Fool symbolizes new beginnings, while the World symbolizes the fulfillment and completion of one’s journey.
With The Fool card, you are just starting your journey; with the World card, you are finally reaching your destination. This duo represents a full cycle—a process you must go through. It serves as a reminder that even the most significant accomplishments start with one step, so don’t be afraid to take it!
The Fool and The Judgement
No matter how we live our lives and what decisions we make, we will all live with the consequences of our actions. Even if you think that your actions make no difference, they are still an important part of a much bigger picture, and even your most insignificant actions will leave a profound impact on your life.
Obviously, that doesn’t mean you should live your life without ever taking the initiative; it simply means that you should be ready to face the consequences of said initiatives. Ultimately, even the most dire consequences can be valuable lessons if you are willing to learn from them.
The Fool and The Sun
This card combination is particularly meaningful for those who plan to take on certain risks. While the Fool symbolizes the act of taking a risk, the Sun symbolizes success and achievement. If you need something to encourage you, these two cards together are the best encouragement you can get.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you have just received a green light to take any risk that comes to your mind. There are no promises or definitive answers in tarot, nor in life in general. These two cards are definitely a good sign, but don’t overlook the potential meanings of other cards in your tarot spread.
The Fool and The Wheel of Fortune
The Wheel of Fortune is the card of change, which makes it similar to the Fool card. When you get these two cards, significant changes will undoubtedly come your way. These changes won’t always be for good, but if you learn to adapt and embrace them, you will end up on top sooner or later.
The Fool and The Death
Don’t worry—the Death card doesn’t represent literal death; it represents changes. Something old will “die,” leaving the place for new things to be born. If you get these two cards, the Fool card reminds you to trust the process, so don’t ignore its message.
Sometimes, it can be painful to let go of familiar things, relationships, and habits. Destroying those things might feel like something inside you is dying, but new and better things will be born instead. As with a forest fire, the process is destructive, scary, and painful, but it also enables the rebirth of the whole ecosystem.
The Fool Card and Its Astrological Sign
Interestingly, the Fool card isn’t directly linked to any zodiac sign, but it has indirect connections to almost all signs of the zodiac sign. For example, many tarot practitioners associate the Fool card with the planet Uranus, the Aquarius sign’s ruling planet.
People born under this sign are open-minded, free-spirited, unconventional visionaries. Sometimes, their heads are “up in the clouds,” and the Fool card perfectly represents these character traits.
Apart from Aquarius, the Fool card has some connections to the Gemini sign. People born under the Gemini side are adventurous, playful, and curious. They enjoy change, and the excitement of the unknown is like a drug to them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Fool card in your tarot reading could be the harbinger of an unexpected new adventure or an opportunity that will boost your personal growth. You must keep an open mind and stay cautious of all dangers that could be waiting on your path.
Remember, no matter which tarot cards pop up in your readings, their meaning and impact on your life depend solely on you. Your choices and actions are the key to how certain situations will play out, and the tarot cards are your guides and advisors.
Leave nothing to coincidence—get your free tarot card reading now or speak online with our psychic chat and learn how to take control of your destiny!
