Under The Microscope With The Fool

If you’ve been following along for awhile, you’ll know that Tim and I love to go deep into the cards, finding connections and contrast to help us better understand them individually and as a whole.

In our 78 Connections series, we take two cards and try to spot as many obvious and underlying links as we can. In doing this, we see just how interwoven this system is and how precise and intentional all the details are.

Today, in the spirit of that exploration, we thought we would begin a new series focusing on one card at a time. The purpose of this exercise will be to take a proverbial magnifying glass to the card in question, noting all the symbols we can spot, and then also considering where else in the deck they can be found. Think of it as a bit like a scavenger hunt!

For example, today we’ll be examining The Fool. In The Fool, we see a dog companion. What might the dog imply and also, where else in tarot do we see dogs!?

We hope this exercise will do two things. 1) help us (and you) hone in on the smallest of details to find additional layers of meaning and 2) help us (and you) to further understand each arcana by seeing how it links to others in the deck. Ultimately, we hope that we all can walk away with a more fulsome understanding of the card under the microscope.

If you want to play along, independent of what we’ve written below, all you need to do is take a look at the image of The Fool that we’ve provided. Go symbol by symbol and ask yourself: What does this symbol mean to me, and what other cards in the deck contain it?

Please note, our meanings and matches are not conclusive! They may or may not align with yours. Take what we’ve written as a guide, but also feel empowered to find your own personal connections and interpretations!

Sun

Meaning: Hope, inspiration, vitality, energy source, solar force, life.

Also Seen In: The Sun, The Lovers, Death

Dog

Meaning: Animal consciousness, guide, domestication.

Also Seen In: The Moon, 10 of Pentacles

White Rose

Meaning: Peace, purity, innocence.

Also Seen In: Death

Red Feather

Meaning: Red is a symbol of desire, and the feather a symbol of air. Positioned on the head, it may indicate a transmutation of desire toward more spiritual/higher pursuits.

Also Seen In: Death, The Sun

Green Laurel

Meaning: Laurel is the plant sacred to Apollo and is often seen as a symbol of victory or achievement.

Also Seen In: The World, 6 of Wands, 7 of Cups, The Empress, 2 of Cups, King of Pentacles

8 Spoked Wheel

Meaning: Elemental spirit, the 5th element, quintessence.

Also Seen In: The Wheel of Fortune

Eagle

Meaning: Higher octave of Scorpio energy, redirection of reproductive energy, higher knowledge.

Also Seen In: The Wheel of Fortune, The World

Stick/Staff (non-wand usage):

Meaning: Willpower, aid.

Also Seen In: 8 of Cups, 6 of Swords, 5 of Pentacles, 7 of Pentacles, The Hermit, Death, The Sun

Snow Capped Cliff

Meaning: Mountains are often seen as a symbol of attainment, while water often alludes to emotion or subconsciousness. In this case, the water is crystalized, which may indicate stabilization where emotion is concerned.

Also Seen In: The Hermit, Judgement

Exploring The Fool in this way highlights for us just how connected it is to Death in particular! Even the detail of the eagle, while not visually evident in Death, has a connection as the Eagle is associated with Scorpio just as the Death card is. So why the link between these two cards? Just as The Fool stands at the precipice of beginnings, Death points to endings. But we all know that every death is just a new beginning in disguise. In this way, all journeys have an end and each end promises something more. They are two aspects of the same cycle that assure us all stages are natural, to be expected, and can bring renewal and hope no matter what appearances may imply.

We hope you enjoyed our first Under The Microscope! If you noted something we missed, leave it in the comments below. We’d love to hear your insights!

Julia & Tim

P.S. For more tarot learning things see the following…
Tarot Card Meanings
Numbers & Tarot
78 Connections
Tarot Mentoring