The Fool can easily be mistaken for the enlightened master.
The Fool can do what the powerful cannot.
Because it has no ego.
When there is no ego than the channel for spirit free flows.
Just like Froddo in Lord of The Rings.
Eckhart Tolle says even if we become 90% free of ego we
can achieve the currently unachievable...
As a young child we have no ego, we don't make judgments on ourselves,
on another, on our life.
We don't hold grudges from the past, we don't worry about
tomorrow, the thought hasn't even occurred to us!
We are in the first stage of The Fool's Journey.
As we grow we develop the ego, we begin to care about how others
see us, we start making judgments and changing our behaviour accordingly.
Causing inner restriction, attachment, untruth and disconnection.
Instead of being free with our imagination, ego takes over our
imagination and turns it into a fear mongering machine.
At adolescence, the ego kicks in and we come out of the heart
into the head, start making judgments on others, our lives, and ourselves.
We begin to feel the fear, causing the polarity of attachment
and separation. We are becoming conscious, but unconsciously.
This is the second stage of The Fool.
The task
is to develop the third stage of The Fool. We flow through the first is the child stage,
when the child is open and unconditionally loving, and isn't conscious of it,
but we tend to get stuck at the second stage, and it can take a lifetime’s work
to feel free in ourselves, with no fear, no restriction, no attachment,
heart-centred enough to match this quote -
“And still, after all this
time, the Sun has never said to the Earth,
"You owe me."
Look what happens with love like that.
It lights up the sky.”
Everyone on the Earth is on their own Fool's Journey, yes, all of
us.
But Tarot readers have an opportunity and a responsibility to be
forerunners of consciousness on the journey of The Fool.
Tarot readers are guides for others through their own Fool's
Journey. Which means to be at their best they must consciously work with the
energy of The Fool, embrace the journey, wholeheartedly, and constantly check
in with how they are doing.
How good is a Tarot reader if they care about looking like a fool?
How can spirit work through them if they are so in fear about what others will
think? How can they help anyone get to a place of freedom and love within, if
they themselves are restricted, constricted, or in fear?
Perhaps you don't see the practice of Tarot as helping someone to
get to a place of love and freedom within?
Perhaps you do, but Tarot has been associated with prediction for
such a long time, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.
People don't say I am going to go to a Tarot session to find inner
love and freedom!
No! They say -
I'm going to a reader to find out if I am going to get that
job/man etc...
If they want to find inner love and freedom,
they will go to a counsellor!
People come for a reading because they want the opposite of inner
love and freedom! They want to identify with the mind, make judgments, get
predictions, gain control of the uncontrollable and basically attach. Having a
prediction causes an attachment. Either a desire for the prediction to come
true, or a fear that it will or won't.
Either way it brings in the small egoic self of fear and control.
They don't realise this causes the opposite of freedom and self
love of course - because they are in the second stage of The Fool.
But if we are in the third stage of The Fool then our Tarot
practice changes, and we can begin to help people out of the need for control. Gently
fostering more trust, love and freedom.
Incredible alignment happens.
People start fostering trust in themselves and the universe that
all is as it should be. Restrictions fall away as they become comfortable with
the truth, not moving to try and hide or fix it. And from that the biggest
blessings happen…
They find themselves…
And the ripple effect is created, touching all those they come in
contact with, helping humanity to move in the third stage of The Fool.
So how do you know if you are at the third stage?
You feel it.
In your life, your walk is free, your talk is free.
I'm not saying that you are conscious enlightened beings. But you
will know when you are out of alignment. You will understand through your
feelings that you have become restricted, attached, in fear or in control, and
you will be able to look at what it is that is holding you to ransom and un-attach
yourself.
In this way The Fool mirrors the process of The Hanged Man - that
deep inner reflection for ultimate freedom - the archetype of the enlightened
master.
So The Fool is the most powerful archetype there is, not because
it's the only Major Arcana that found it's way into our playing cards, taking
the place of the wild card, being able to go anywhere, do anything and be
anything.
Not only because it is the only archetype that is free enough to
take the mickey out of royalty.
But because it is truly free inside....
This is why it can be so free on the outside.
And through holding that The Fool can journey through life,
causing ripples of freedom for others.
Here’s a spread for seeing where you are at with your Fool
1) Head consciousness - Example: The Hermit
2) Heart consciousness
3) Ability to walk consciously
4) Your unconscious will -
5) Your karma
6) Your instinct - Example: Justice
7) Your ability to let go - Example: The Fool
