What does the appearance of The Fool mean for you when it appears in a Tarot spread? Do you get excited or worried? In this short article we explain what The Fool means when he appears in the Tarot.

The Fool is perhaps one of the most important tarot cards in the deck. He is the first card of the Major Arcana, the first of 22 cards. He is also the only one of the Major Arcana to remain in our modern card deck, appearing as the Joker. His journey is at a deeper level the journey we are all on - the journey through life and life's troubles, as no matter how old we are or what experiences we have been through we will still contine to find ourselves in areas where we are unsure, and vulnerable.

The Fool has appeared in many guises over the centuries in the different decks that have appeared. In the Visconti Sforza deck he is seen looking a bit like a tramp without shoes in his stocking soles, and threadbare at that! He carries a large stick or staff over his shoulder as though ready to commence a long journey.

In the Wirth deck he looks a bit like the court jester of old, and most like the forerunner of today's joker in the traditional card deck. He has however a cat with it's teeth sunk into his left leg, and a crocodile in the distance. The picture on this card seems to indicate the urge of The Fool to get on with his journey in spite of all obstacles both past and future. The Arthurian Tarot portrays The Fool as Parsifal who sought the mythic Holy Grail, and the Mythic deck depicts him as the Greek god Dionysus, wearing animal skins of many colours, and dancing gaily at the edge of a cliff.

No matter which deck we use the appearance of The Fool is a sign that we should follow our own path no matter what. We need to have the courage to jump off the cliff into a new venture if that's what is called for. We need to have faith in our convictions no matter how hard this might be.

There are risks to everything in life and the appearance of The Fool in a spread is a great opportunity for a new beginning provided you are willing to make the jump!