What Does The Fool Say?

          If you’ve never spent much time around tarot cards, you may not know that there are many different styles and, therefore, interpretations to card meanings.   I’ve had my tarot deck for more than 10 years.   I don’t remember where I got it. I just know it looked cool.   My deck is “The Dragon Tarot,” illustrated by Peter Pracowmik.   I mention this because the deck offers a unique perspective into the cards’ esoteric meanings, unlike the more mainstream ones that seem to offer only mundane and straightforward definitions.
          In the more commonly used Radiant Rider Waite Deck, The Fool is pictured as a hapless and optimistic wanderer, just starting out on his journey.   He is foppy and naive looking.   He has a tiny bag of food and a little dog to keep him company.   He looks toward the sky as he’s walking and doesn’t appear to see the fall he is about take, which, I suppose, may be symbolic of something like The Hero’s Journey.
          To me, this is a short-sighted view of The Fool.   The card’s meaning, regardless of which deck you use, is that of a new beginning, which the Radiant Rider Waite Deck does illustrate.   However, there are many stories and parables about how The Fool is more than just an idiot in funny clothes.   For example, The Fool is said to be the wisest of men simply because he knows that he knows nothing.   So, why isn’t this sort of thing reflected in this depiction?
          One of the reasons I chose the Dragon Deck, is the fact that The Fool is more than just a goof.   The figure, in this case, a dragon, still wears the traditional jester outfit, but everything else is different.   The figure is standing on a checkered, black and white floor, which is a tip of the hat to the duality of life and the balance of nature, much like the Taoist symbol, Yin and Yang.   In the background, bubbles float around, suggesting a playfulness at work.   Above his head are the aces of the four suits of cards, the beginnings of the suits, if you will.   In his left hand, he holds a die, which symbolizes chance or even the randomness of the universe. In his right hand, he holds a golden scepter of a jester’s head.   Down on the floor, there is a harp, which may represent the importance of music.   There’s also some suggestion that it is the same harp Orpheus used to travel to the underworld, a theme that is common throughout all representations of The Fool card.
          The Fool is, usually, numbered as 0, but has, also, been numbered XXII, in some decks, which suggests that maybe The Fool is more than a young man just starting his journey, but, rather, a wiser individual who has seen the inner working of truth and life.   The Fool is akin to a Wanderer, and is no less important than any of the other cards, despite being numbered 0.