Light as a Feather: Exploring The Fool, Death & The Sun

You know we love to play “link the cards” over here (see 78 Connections). The other day we were exploring a reading and we were reminded of a certain little detail that pops up in 4 of the 78 cards, 3 of which are majors. We touched on this briefly in a post we did sometime back exploring the symbolism of The Fool. The detail in question is, of course, the red feather.

The red feather can be seen on the heads of The Fool, Death and the child in The Sun. It can also be seen on the Page of Wands, and likely carries many of the same themes that we’ll be looking at, but for the purpose of this post, we’ll be sticking to just the Majors.

The reason for this is because, when laid out bare, they really do tell a very particular story. One of beginnings, endings and rebirths. If you want to play along, start by taking those 3 cards out of your deck and laying them side by side. We’re working through a RWS lens so if you’re using a different deck, you may be seeing something different - which is fine. I’ll also share the images below. Have a look in either direction, and make note of what you see. What is similar? What is different? How do the cards interact? What is the story being told?

There is clearly a lot going on between these cards. One of the simplest ways, in our opinion, to reduce it down might be as follows: The Fool dies and is reborn. That’s the kind of tl;dr version of events. It’s evidenced by the fact that we’re witnessing a primary figure traversing 3 very different seasons of life, and those seasons seem to go in a reverse kind of order. But, if we’re paying homage to the idea that spiritual evolution comes with a rebirth that is akin to a return to innocence or a child-like state, then this landscape makes perfect sense. I say “child-like” because the literature is clear that you’re not actually regressing, but that you’re shedding the conditioning that’s been acquired so that you can be refreshed - sort of like a child, but with wisdom and knowledge to bare. You can read this better articulated elsewhere. We highly recommend anything by Ken Wilber i.e. Up From Eden, The Spectrum of Consciousness, The Atman Project etc.

Anyway, back to the story. We have The Fool, a sort of symbol for anyone or everyone, embarking on a journey. Journeys of course give us all sorts of experiences - good, bad, ugly, beautiful. Those things form us in many ways, but if we are to transcend to the next “dimension” we must, in effect, cast off all that we know. Another way to look at it is dying before you die (as they say) or using the process of alchemy to transmute whatever you’ve consumed in this life into something greater. That process could be what we see playing out in Death (if we will allow it) and the rewards that we may reap can be seen in The Sun - our newly born Fool, free from the shackles of material experience and just living the life!

Before we get into it, there’s an important frame I want to wrap about this post. I worry some of our articles can read as a detached study of tarot and less of a practice of it (appreciation to all those who can see beyond this). So let me start this by saying that many of these connections are spurred from personal readings where we are interrogating real life situations, thought patterns or challenges. In the process of doing this we will often see something else and then a kind of greater conversation evolves. None of it is ever just to know the cards better. It is all ultimately to know ourselves better. So in the context of this post, I want you to consider that these points are more than just vague and elusive concepts - lofty spiritual goals and ambitions. In fact, these themes play out everyday in really mundane ways. For example, let's say you're in a heated argument, but for a split second you’re able to let your guard down and really speak from the heart and be vulnerable. This seems so simple, yet in this world of form it can be an impossible thing to do in the moment. It means letting the baggage go, forgetting the story of our life, rising above the moment. In fact, anytime you show up to do something hard which involves overcoming years of conditioning, we have the telling of the tale that is these 3 cards read in tandem. It is like, lightening the load, glimpsing behind the curtain and peeking beyond the veil. Even if it isn’t enduring, it gives a sense of something else - something which The Sun ultimately promises.

So now, let’s weave this narrative together with the myriad similarities in symbolism we see (we’ll leave the red feather for last since we have the most to say about it).

The Sun: Each card features a sun, perhaps all in different states (rising or setting). The sun of course is a symbol of vital or solar energy. It is a life baring force. This is important to remember when looking at Death. The presence of a rising sun in this card is a clear reminder that Death isn’t what it seems. There is more than meets the eye - more available to those traversing that path either literally or metaphorically.

Animals: All 3 cards feature an animal, and interestingly all 3 animals are white. White is a symbol of purity and in all cases, the animals can be seen as some kind of companion or aid.

Dress: Here we see a contrast, but one that really helps express the tale that’s unfolding. In The Fool, we see what could be described as “normal” street clothes. Perhaps a bit more costume-like than normal, but even that makes sense if you regard The Fool as something of an actor, entering the grand stage of life. Then in Death we see full armor. This also makes a lot of sense if you consider what happens to us, as individuals, as we spend even just a few years on this particular stage. We build up a lot of armor, defense, and settle quite thoroughly into our masks. At many points, we probably forget entirely that we’re only here for a bit, playing a part, and that there is so much more to the story. In order to pass trough the gates of death, into rebirth, that armoring has to shatter. And if it can, then we become the sun baby who in sharp contrast is entirely nude - a symbol for transparency, authenticity and embracing one’s truest nature.

Wand/Flag: In all cards, our primary figure is holding some kind of stick with an attachment. In The Fool, it is the sack, symbolizing experiences and other necessities for the travel ahead. In Death, it’s a flag featuring a white rose and in The Sun, it’s another flag through this time much larger and red. We’re not exactly sure what this means. But, flags are often used to symbolize something and to grab one’s attention. We wave a flag as a statement, to share a message or signal a cause. In Mario, flags are checkpoints as some of you will remember. Maybe it is just as simple as to say “these cards are waving to get your attention. Look at them, they have something you need to see, read, pass through or acknowledge.”

Flowers: Flowers are a symbol of life and beauty. We see flowers depicted in all 3 cards, though in totally different ways. The Fool carries a plucked white flower which means as pretty as it is, that flower is actually dying. In Death we see another flower (Mystic Rose) but this time, on the flag. Now the flower is neither living nor dead but merely a symbol. We should note that Waite also describes the flower here as a symbol for life, as is the sun in the background. So while the card is called Death, life is being depicted just as openly. Finally in The Sun our flowers are given their full living glory in the form of Sunflowers still tethered to their roots. In this way, they are wild, alive and growing free.

Scorpio: The sign of Scorpio is a symbol for life and death. It rules the reproductive organs and is associated with Death in tarot. While Scorpio is more commonly known for its connection to the scorpion, it is also associated with the eagle which we see on The Fool’s sack. We also see that eagle occupying the top right corner of The Wheel and The World. The very specific positioning (up and to the right) may symbolized the elevated height or perspective that eagle must take (as opposed to the scorpion who is limited in their reach) in order to transcend.

Posturing: If you look at The Fool and The Sun, you’ll notice a very similar posturing. Both figures have their arms stretched out in an open and inviting gesture. In The Fool, it may be said that our traveler is eager and excited due to ignorance - they have no idea what they’re in for! By the time they’ve reached Death, they’ve had to armor up as we already explored, but once they make that transition, they’re back to arms wide open in The Sun. This time though, they're excited not due to their ignorance, but rather in light of all the experiences they’ve transmuted and wisdom they’ve gained. It’s a similar sense of hope, but from a brand new perspective.

Red Feather: This symbol is so specific, it cannot be written off as a coincidence or design preference. In all three cases, the feather is situated on the head and bares a red hue. Red is a symbol for desire while the head represents the crown, or a higher state. In this way, situating a symbol for desire in a place of elevated consciousness is a lot like raising a certain energy field so it can be purified - not unlike turning lead to gold. The feather is also fairly large, which makes us think it could be linked to the eagle which we discussed above. Similarly, we wonder if the red may also be an nod to Phoenix energy. Surely the Phoenix would have big red wings and this would be another example of a type of bird (albeit mythological) which represents rebirth and resurrection. It is also interesting to note that the phoenix is considered the perfected form of Scorpio, which rises from the ashes only after one has successfully undergone the initiations of the scorpion and the eagle.

There is also the story of the Egyptian God Ma’at who wore a feather in their cap. In that myth, it is said that those who die need to pass through the Hall of Judgement where their heart is weighed on a scale against Ma’at’s feather. Only if their heart is balanced may they proceed. If the heart weighs more, well, the news isn’t as good. If this connection is relevant, then the feather could be a reminder to our traveler to keep their heart light (baggage free) so that when Death inevitably comes, they may “pass the test” and move on.

There is also a certain idiom that may hold some further relevance. According to Wikipedia, the term “put a feather in your cap” is derived from certain customs where a warrior would add a feather to their headgear for enemies slain. It goes on to say “or in other cases from the custom of establishing the success of a hunter as being the first to bag a game bird by plucking off the feathers of that prey and placing them in the hat band. The phrase today has altered to a more peaceful allusion, where it is used to refer to any laudable success or achievement by an individual that may help that person in the future.” In any event, it describes a certain victory by overcoming difficult odds. In this case, perhaps the “enemy” overcome is that of the self - or the self we thought we were. What greater achievement, after all, then becoming weightless in a world that seemingly would rather keep us encombered and thethered. Perhaps these cards could even hold the antidote to what we see happening in the 10 of Wands!

Tim has a beautiful poem in his collection that we think speaks this story really well. We wanted to include it to summarize the exploration and to provide some further food for thought on your own journey through the gates of The Fool, Death and The Sun. As always, we hope you are able to find some helpful tidbits in this post and more importantly, that it inspires further revelations for you personally which you can take forward in this work.

The Last Judgement 

If we combine both pain & pleasure
In equal parts and take a measure,
We'll find they form a sacred treasure —
A king and queen who reign together.

The king of pain wears snakeskin leather
Upon his body, pale and slender;
His lustful queen parades her splendour
In velvet robes with braids untethered.

On Judgement Day, they'll weigh a feather
Against the hearts of brave contenders,
Sentenced to their greatness whether
They fought back or feigned surrender.

If the heart is plain and tender,
Free of shame and blameful gesture,
Meek and faithful in its temper,
It's met with praise and bade to enter.

But if the heart is stained and weathered,
Full of shame and aimless censure,
Bleak and hateful at its leisure,
It's fallen prey to painful pleasure...

Embattled we remain, until
We cast away their reins forever.

Julia & Tim