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The Fool is the first tarot card of the Major Arcana deck. However, even though the Fool is the first tarot card in the deck, the number assigned to this card is 0. That is because the Fool has unlimited potential, and he represents a young and innocent individual who is ready to learn what there is to learn and to experience new things.

Let's Talk About The Fool

The Fool can also be placed at the end of the Major Arcana, after The World card, because that is when a new journey begins. However, the Fool's journey represents someone's experience from start to finish. The Fool is all about having an open mind that is curious and ready to take in the unexpected. There is a desire to take in some brand new experiences and enjoy the adventure. Get ready to experience many surprises as there is innocence associated with this card. The Fool is all about being carefree, sharing new beginnings, curiosity, innocence, and having a free spirit.

The best way to describe the Fool is that you do not know where you are going or what you will experience, but it is all about taking a leap of faith. The message from the Fool is that you should have an open and curious mind and have a sense of enthusiasm as well. You cannot worry about what will or won't happen. You just have to have a leap of faith and do what you need to do whether you feel it is time to go after it or not. You do not have to have everything figured out before going after what you want. Additionally, it is a time to be carefree and live your life to the fullest.

Who Takes On The Traits Of The Fool?

Those who would take on the traits of the Fool are those who are confident and more daring. Therefore, someone like Risa Green would not have much in common with this card. Because of her mental conditions, she is not the type that would be daring and want to experience new adventures. I want to make it clear that you do not have to have any mental illness not to be explorative. But this is about Risa. Not only is she not daring and explorative, but she cannot think for herself and does not even know what she wants for herself.

However, if that were 100 percent true, Risa would have stayed at home with her abusive parents. She didn't, so the Fool did apply to her when she got a job, got married, and had her child. When you get married, unless you have been married before, whether you live with your partner beforehand or not, that is a perfect example of the Fool. Marriage is brand new territory, and so is having kids. You enter a life-changing situation that you know nothing about and go in on it blindly. How you handle the hardships that come with those things depends on your nature and mental and physical health.

Risa is not in good physical and mental health, as you know. She seems to be okay with her job for the most part but never advanced herself at all. When she got that job at the furniture store, the Fool matched that situation since she had never worked before. But it certainly does not now. Regarding her marriage, there are problems there since she has not been honest with her husband about some things.

For example, she did not want Ron to find out that she was prescribed antidepressants because she was embarrassed. She also could not cope with being a mother, especially to a child with significant special needs like her son has. So, for the most part, the Fool does not represent Risa too much because other than her getting one job, getting married, and having one child, she relates more to the Fool in reverse. A lot more!

When The Fool Is In Reverse

When the Fool shows up in reverse, that can represent a few things, such as having the fear that is holding you back from trying something new. You do want to do things you have something in mind to do, but you are terrified that no one will take you seriously if you go ahead with it. So there is a lot of fear and self-doubt regarding the Fool in reverse. But, on the flip side, it can also mean that you are reckless and taking unnecessary risks. There is a time and place to act with an open mind and a carefree attitude, but if you are irresponsible, such as daring a friend to race you on a neighborhood road, that can represent the Fool in reverse.

As you see, Risa fits a lot more with the Fool in reverse. She holds herself back and does not dare to push forward. At this point, Risa may be too run-down and exhausted to try. Risa never traveled, she never moved away to a new city, she never broke contact with her abusive mother and enabling father. And when you have mental illnesses such as depression or any trauma-related disorders, you will be more likely to allow these conditions to hold you back because they take a hit on your self-esteem, which is why Risa is the way she is. She is full of self-doubt and fears so much that no one will take her seriously, allowing herself to be a doormat. It is not a surprise since she has been abused and bullied. It would cause that type of reaction. Risa also never got proper therapy to help her manage and cope with her trauma.

However, does Risa ever take on the opposite traits of the Fool in reverse, which is showing any reckless behavior? Well, Risa is a stress eater, but that does not mean she is a binge eater, and Risa has at times spent a lot of money on things she never uses but has not gone into severe debt. So I would have to say, not really. When you think of that type of behavior, you may think of the mania aspect of bipolar disorder. I mean, again, I am not a mental health professional, and I don't have bipolar disorder, but that is what comes to my mind. And I happen to watch General Hospital, and the character of Sonny Corinthos has bipolar disorder and has been in many manic episodes. The actor who plays that character, Maurice Benard, also has the condition, and I commend him for also doing a significant part in helping to increase awareness about mental illness. Anyway, I am going off on a tangent here, so let me get back to the Fool.

How Can You Bring Some Aspects Of The Fool Upright Into Your Life More?

Here is the thing, if you want to be more of a well-rounded individual, you need to find a way to bring some adventure into your life. You don't have to do anything too far out of your comfort zone. But you do need to inch out of it. If you feel so much dread and self-doubt, but you know you need to attempt something new because you will feel worse otherwise, such as traveling somewhere new or even trying a brand new restaurant that you have never tried before, here is something to try.

Take the Fool tarot card out of your favorite deck, and meditate while holding it. Then, imagine the Fool encouraging you to go out and do that new thing and imagine the Fool telling you what you will gain from it when you do. Either you will discover a new food or restaurant that you will love and try again, or the worst that can happen is that you will not like it and add it to the lists of restaurants never to visit again.

That is an example. The Fool will remind you that you only live once, and you may regret it if you don't take the chance on experiencing the thing you wanted to experience because fear held you back.

Now, everyone has big dreams, and there may be things that you may want to do that you are not in a position to do at the time, such as moving to a new city if you have too many tied where you currently are moment. But that does not mean there won't come a time when it will be right.

Even though the Fool is innocent, a free spirit, and very childlike, he will not expect you to do anything that is not sensible either. That is what the Fool in reversed will tell you to do, and you don't want to listen to him. The Fool in reverse either holds you back more or tells you to do something completely careless.

You want to expand your horizons and inch out of your comfort zone. And you may have to crawl out of it even slower if you struggle with mental illness, and as long as you keep making progress, every baby step counts. If this practice does not work for you, it's okay, but it is something to keep in mind. The next card I will go over will be the Magician!