I had a meltdown recently. The details aren’t important, suffice it to say events occurred that weren’t about me, but that do have a great effect on me. Apparently loss of control equals high anxiety in the nether regions of my right brain. In an effort to regain my balance I turned to the cards, along with deep breathing and the Cube of Space meditation. The next thing I knew, I was seeing unexpected opportunities in my near future, and a big, fat Zero was representing the best attitude I can possibly have in this situation.
An attitude of nothing? How does that work?
According to numerology, Zero signifies the absence of quantity and mass. It’s an ellipse, not a sphere. It’s also one of only two numbers that can be written repeatedly without lifting pen from paper, which suggests infinity. In other words, Zero represents the great Cosmic Egg, the source of all life and everlasting Universal Light. Whew! How do I personally adopt that attitude, again?
The most prominent concept put forth in The Fool, the Tarot card to which Zero is assigned, is the idea of a profound moment just before something actually happens. In that moment, anything is possible, whether it be for good or for ill. The Fool represents a state of unlimited potential.
Now my left brain was getting back into the saddle, and along with it, my sense of equilibrium. Tarot interpretation is an art form that activates and balances the qualities of both hemispheres of the brain, something I find to be quite helpful. You might say that the the forces found in the cards actually practice what they preach, in a message that is repeated throughout the major arcana: A meaningful life is built on a harmonious exchange between the conscious and subconscious minds.
The state found in The Fool is above the powers of thought and reason. It surpasses feelings and instincts as well, for Zero is the number of Superconsciousness, in which there is not yet a sense of the personality.
As I contemplated the ideas contained in the Fool, things started to become clearer. It will be to my advantage if I can avoid taking events personally. My worst-case scenarios are truly unfounded, existing only in my own mind. It’s reasonable to assume that this change could be to my benefit. Perhaps even more important than any of those realizations, though, was the way in which I began writing about The Fool. Attacking a revision of that chapter of my manuscript was a good way to consider the meaning of the card in my reading, I decided. The Fool is especially dense with symbolism, and when I emerged from the pool of those many descriptions I found I felt a lot better, and not from any particular train of thought. I’d synched my personal brain-device with Universal Intelligence, and it felt great!
The Tarot works differently for everyone. Much of the art of interpretation is subjective, a matter of style and resonance. Decks differ and layouts vary. The forces at work in the Fool, however, carry across all of those conditions into worldwide culture. The Fool represents the force called Prana in Sanskrit, or Spirit in English. It is the “Limitless Light” of the Kabbala and the Holy Spirit of modern-day Christianity. The Fool of the Tarot symbolizes unlimited cosmic energy prior to actual manifestation, as well as freedom from lower forms of desire. Adaptation and the advancement of human consciousness are also indicated. The Fool contains a promise that there is great assistance and support for us in the natural world, if we are only able to recognize it. These forces remind us once again that we are at our most powerful when experiencing a strong connection with nature.
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