Notes are from my knowledge of the cards in conjunction with reddit, learningtarot.com, and tarot.com. Their perspectives on the same journey are worth the reads. Links are attached to ALL underlined phrases, if you wish to see the journey as it pertains to the cards and/or you. We tried to focus on the metaphorical journey of the Fool.
0: The fool or the main character of the story. They are still naïve and innocent to the suffering paid forward to reap the benefits of the journey. They are optimistic in their goals and the adventure ahead with a willingness to embrace the journey in it’s whole
The Magician & The High Priestess
Steps 1 & 2: The magician and the high priestess are the first two people the fool comes across on their journey. They balance each other out but are both powerful forces of nature. A push with the High priestess and the pull of the magician. Ignore all that BULLSHIT about feminine and masculine energy. GENDER IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT!!!! We give everything meaning as humans.
The magician as a wizard living in the woods communing with spirits and nature at his alter, reminds us of our own inner power that can fuel our dreams with laser concentration. While the High Priestess is a title of power given to a woman for being a shining example of religious dogma, she listens to her inner voice to get there. She knows the tools needed to realize your potential waiting inside and reminds us, we do too. ALL answers lie in our minds whether that’s with conscious or subconscious awareness.
It is important to see the B and the J on her card. They come from the two pillars front and center of King Solomon’s mythical temple with the Hebrew names Boaz and Jachin traditionally meant to represent dark and light. You can look at the card and guess which means which or watch our video on this journey.
3: The Empress
Step 3: The empress acts as a mother as the Fool grows from the tools and knowledge given by the magician and high priestess. As mother earth, this card also teaches the Fool about the stewardship of the earth and the importance of nature in our lives as she surrounds us and supports us.
4: The Emperor
4th step: The emperor acts as the Fool’s father, teaching them rules, structure, and authority to survive in an ever-changing reality. There are certain behaviors that we need to adapt to in order to survive our current dog-eat-dog reality. The Emperor tells us out right we need to have a strong inner power and authoritative force to earn the leadership position he holds. It also requires experiences and achievements propelling us out of our safe havens or homes.
5: The Hierophant
5th leg of the journey: The Fool stumbles out of their “home” and across the Hierophant. Formal education is beginning for the Fool as they understand the larger cultural and religious beliefs that surround us. Someone who interrupts arcane knowledge and mysteries for the greater world. Discovers belonging by following the rules set out by the heavens as to develop a spiritual perspective early in the journey. Conformity that we all cling to in our youth that feels safe out in the World but strips us of our unique understanding developed over our own unique experiences.
6: The Lovers
6th leg of the journey brings the Lovers card. With discovering a belonging in community comes a connection to a certain person or people that evokes intense passion, possibly sexual feelings, and for sure the heighten feeling of first love. Being faced with this intensitiy they stand at a crossroads. The Fool is forced to understand their own beliefs and values as one does before entering any commitment. Understand each path/passionate choice in front of you, what it will cost and what will happen before moving forward. Does the outcome outweigh the risks? You must know and love yourself in order to love another.
7: The Chariot
7th Card describing the Fool’s journey is the chariot. Now the Fool is an adult. Strong identity and mastery over himself has been developed. Any adult should have those qualities including appropriate emotional regulation. This is achieved through discipline, will-power, and inner control. Assertive, visible control of himself and all that they survey is produced by the Fool’s natural drive and determination to reach their goal. This is the ego’s pride surfacing as the assured confidence of youth that has not learned the possibility of failure yet as the spark to create grows.
8: Strength
8th card gives us Strength for the Fool. Because as they move forward learning about suffering, pain, failure, and disillusionment in the world, strength is learned to survive. Along comes courage and resolution to keep moving forward despite setbacks. We also learn patience, tolerance, and the power of softer touches to situations. It is also a reminder of the disabling power of intense passion and emotion.
9: The Hermit
9 steps along this journey finds the Fool meeting the Hermit. A solitude comes upon you when this card shows as it did for the Fool who fell into the question of why and the answers that follow that lead to more questions. Remember, being alone does not equal lonely and the reverse is also true. Also, keep in mind that the Fool’s curiosity is not idle. Rather it is a drive to understand the bigger picture of the cycle of suffering that ends in death. This card is asking you to search for a teacher or mentor to get advice and direction. Always keep your inner knowledge in mind as you consider advice and direction. Do not take anything that won’t serve your goals or honor your values.
10: Wheel of Fortune
10 step in this journey is more of a whirl of the Wheel of Fortune as the Fool spins and waits to see. As he watches its patterns and cycles, he sees his destiny and how his thread moves in the tapestry of fate. Pushed by the sense of purpose, he feels he is ready for movement. Watch your wheel spin as you sit with Hermit to learn the flow of energy swirling around us.
11: Justice
11 steps along, we find the scales of Justice. The cause and effect of choices are thrown at the Fool as they are forced to take responsibility for past actions so they can have an honest, guilt free path forward. This is decision time. Know any harms done, you will have to make amends with sincere apology and better behaviors moving forward just like the Fool. You will not know everything moving forward so make sure your inner compass is solid, honest, strong, and loving. Justice only seeks those that need it or owe it.
12: The Hanged Man
Over the halfway point now, comes the 12 step of the Hanged Man. The Fool pushes on but has to face circumstances thought to end in death. When facing overwhelming challenges that force him to let go or give up control as anyone facing the Hanged Man’s noose. Martyrom – earned or self-imposed is being exposed. Life is turned upside down for the Fool, suspending life. At this point, they have sacrificed more than everything but find by letting go of control or a situation or a person, he finds the support of his inner self to endure death before thriving in joy as the cycle begins to carry them away again.
13: Death
Lucky 13 is Death. The death of old habits and things that no longer serve him. It is the ending of one cycle, which brings the beginning of a new one. The Fool takes the time to understand the outgrown aspects that he wishes to leave behind to create that better beginning to turn into a steady success.
14: Temperance
14th leg of this journey is the learning of Temperance. A time of rest and healing for the Fool. It provides the steadiness and stability of balance that develops from a true equilibrium between the extremes of life encourage us to embrace peace, patience, and a hippie-dippie attitude of going with the flow. Temperance teaches us and the Fool to appreciate moderation as it makes centering “the whole” as it grows in a healthy regulated manner easier if not in an outright, elegant beauty as a dancer owning the stage. Because as our World/reality grows, we must be flexible enough to change with it.
15: The Devil
15th stage of this journey makes the Fool face the Devil. A trickster of ignorance and hopelessness, he blinds the individual with the material world. It is the reality of living as shadows controlled by the demands of this world the foster the feelings of being stuck, powerlessness, and being held back. We are chained to our needs and those who are stuck in darkness, but this card reminds there is so much more than just our current existence. We, just like the Fool have the power to break free from our prisons as the keys are inside ourselves expressed through our actions and words.
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16: The Tower
16th comes a Tower moment for the Fool. What does that mean? The only release the Fool will find from the bonds of the Devil is to toss themselves from the tower where they are being kept or outright destroy it. You need a sudden change through release. Another way to look at it is the stones of the Tower built by the Devil to keep us in place, surround the inner core the Fool has built up until running into the Devil. Blow that shit up! (I’m not talking to you! We don’t literally blow things up or blow up our lives or other people’s lives. We change to create something better. Pivot and adapt.) The good news is that the hardships faced will be worth it when you release the old. A healthy perspective on it reminds us that renovations to any building are necessary to weather the storms of time.
17: The Star
17th step brings the rest of the Star. Just like a light bathing the soul, the Star brings a calming, peace or tranquility to the Fool. A beacon of hope, inspiration, blessings, and trust, it heals the negative emotions the Fool carries from the Devil and the Tower. Healing leads to joy, generosity, and faith in the future. Healing allows us to see the ways the universe is working in our favor and opening the door to a path lit for you to follow.
18: The Moon
18th allows the Moon to shine above the Fool clouding their vision with the full spectrum of the creative imagination, fears, bewilderment, and fantasy as it mingles in the Star’s energy creating a sense of being lost. But just like a dream, truth can be found if you push away the shadows. Like the Fool, see through the deception by drawing these confusing aspects of the shared playground into the light.
19: The Sun
19th step brings the Sun and it’s light to bring clarity to the Fool’s imagination. It dispels the lies we tell ourselves to survive the long night. Just like the life giving, dangerous Sun in our sky, this card holds real power. It also enlightens our emotions along with the truth of life and the goodness that exists in the World. The Sun also nourishes our souls with vibrant energy and enthusiasm. With the darkness gone, the Fool is free to realize their greatness in the assurance at their core, they are good. It also shows ALL the good around them.
20: Judgement
20th step makes the Fool face Judgement before they get to experience the world again. Judgement acts as a mirror of our choices and actions. It is a calling to rise up and fulfill the promise of following their dream. Judgement also allows us to be absolved and be reborn if we are willing to face our mistakes and missteps. It is NEVER too late to choose better.
21: The World
21st and last step is into the World. The Fool is more complete in their understanding of who they are and how the World works, making their integration into the flows of energy around them streamlined. They also have a new level of happiness and fulfillment adding to the Fool’s life with meaning and healthy fullness. We become involved through a balance of service and self-care in sharing their inner gifts and talents with others until the cycle begins again.
We here at the GUC want to highlight a Bonus Card:
The Happy Squirrel
Just like the Happy Squirrel following their own path and collides with the Fool, expect the unexpected and don’t take life too seriously.
This card is a bonus card that indicates a wild journey in your future, present, or past. When you do engage in intention with this card, be goofy. Be happy.
It is important to remember this journey is a metaphorical one that each of us takes multiple times throughout our lives. It teaches us how to learn, adapt, and grow out of adversity. The Fool’s Journey teaches every person willing to walk the path how to reach self-actualization in a healthy manner through shadow work and therapy. We can learn to let go of the bad while holding on to ALL the good out there in this reality we are actively and intentionally shaping with our choices and actions. We give everything meaning, even we cannot agree on those meanings. Tarot, (whether in the form of the mystical energy work or through very real mental/shadow work done through storytelling to ourselves), it allows us to see our own patterns and choices in a new perspective.
Journaling our card sessions collects these cycles in one place to document our self-growth or failure to learn our lessons. Write them down in a book or keep recordings of spreads online, work either way. Either way, to get the most out of the tool of Tarot along your own Fool’s journey, remember and look back occasionally as you rest before letting go and moving onto a brighter, better future.
XOXOXO The GUC Mom
