And he said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3
And that is what the Fool is. He’s the innocent child who “just came out of life’s source fresh” (Osho). Like a little child, he has yet been exposed to the many forms of conditioning that life inevitably offers.
The Fool Represents Innocence and Hope
A child-like innocence that knows no fear and no doubt. And as a result of this, he is naive and too trusting in his demeanor, foolish and reckless in his actions.
Just like a child who has yet to develop any self doubt, he leaps across the ditch to get to the field on the other side without hesitation.
A child who has yet been exposed to the ugliness of society where prejudice and bigotry are commonplace, hence he believes and trusts everyone easily and openly.
A child who wakes up every morning with eagerness and joy, for every sunrise represents new hope, new adventure, boundless possibilities and freedom.
The Conditioning of The Fool
It is true when they say that a child is like a blank canvas. A canvas that starts to get filled with colors the moment he is born. In fact, labels such as nationality, race, religion are decided even before the birth of the baby. And along with these labels, the belief system, dogma, creed, prejudices and stereotypes are automatically inherited.
But the programming does not end there. As the child grows, he or she goes on to adopt more conditioning that is not out of their own experience. Parents, caregivers, educators, society as well as tradition and culture, feed the child with their own set of personal values, moral codes and collective precepts.
The innocence of the child is lost even before he steps out into the world as an independent adult.
However, to the society, the church, the school and the parents the child belongs to, the world is once again a safe place. They have created yet another individual who conforms to their values and social standards. One who will not rebel against or at the very least, cause an embarrassment to them.
The True Self Remains True
But perhaps we never lose that child inside of us. Perhaps deep within our subconscious lies memories of that free-spiritedness we were once blessed with. Call it the soul's quest for light, the primordial instinct or God’s calling if you may. Whatever it is, it has since the beginning of time, sent human on a journey, in search of this lost aspect of the self.
“The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it” – Carl Jung.
And thus, begins the journey of the fool.
Notable Symbols on The Fool’s Card
1. The Fool’s Garment
It is interesting to note that the fool in the Rider-Waite deck wears 2 layers of clothing. A white inner piece that seems thick and durable, and an outer piece that seems to be made out of thin fabric which is already worn and raggedy.
This reminds me of the 3 layers that make up the human being as told by Osho.
First Layer
According to Osho, the first layer is what Osho called the positive but phony layer. In Jungian terms, this is called the persona. It is the social mask that we put to present ourselves favorably to society and the people around us. We may even have more than one mask. Each one catered to different situations, environments or groups of people we meet. They allow us to interact with others with relative ease.
In the Rider-Waite’s Fool card, this layer is presented by the outer garment. It is beautifully decorated with floral prints, with attractive vibrant colors. As though to say, “Look at me, I am beautiful and cheerful, so there is no reason for you to not like me”.
Second Layer
The second layer is referred to by Osho as the negative but phony layer. This can be associated with the personal unconscious as described by Carl Jung. It lies beneath the ego (our conscious self) which the persona is part of.
Here is where all repressed emotions, suppressed memories and unwanted and undesired aspects of the self is stashed away. This is the ugly side of the individual hidden from society as well as his own consciousness. In Jungian terms, it is known as complexes. This is where sudden outbursts, slip of the tongue, aggravations and projection have their roots.
In the Rider-Waite card, this layer is represented by the inside of the outer piece of clothing – in very fitting fiery red.
Third Layer
The third layer is our true self – our essence, that lies in the center of our being. A child is born as a pure center, innocent and without duality. He is in a state of harmony and unity with existence. This center remains within us although we soon forget as we navigate through life and all of its programming.
This is represented by the white undergarment that the Fool is wearing. And as we all know, white signifies innocence and purity. Look closely at this piece of white clothing and we can see that it seems to be made out of thick and durable fabric. This could symbolize the eternal, immortal nature of the spirit within us.
The first layer is the positive that you have to show to other, and the second layer is the negative that you have to hide within yourself. – Osho (Unio Mystical I – Talk of Hakim Sanai’s The Hadiqa).
2. The Number Zero on The Fool’s Card
The number zero carries a significant esoteric meaning, it is the cosmic egg which gave birth to everything there is in the universe.
It represents the absence of quality as well as quantity – the no-thingness before everything was created. And it is from this no-thingness that we all came from and to which we shall return.
It represents the full circle that we make, from nothing at our birth, and return to nothing at the time of death .
Starting out from emptiness, we go on this journey of self discoveries, picking up labels and identities for ourselves along the way. But in the end, the journey back to God is only complete when we have dropped all of these false labels and identities.
Thank you for reading. Blessed be.
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