Beyond Keywords: The Fool Tarot Card Meanings In Context
The Fool Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Card Meaning
Learn to apply The Fool tarot card meanings to any reading (Rider Waite Smith system).
To move beyond keywords and truly understand The Fool card in the Rider Waite Smith tarot, it is helpful to learn how to apply the meanings across various contexts.
That is why this guide covers:
Meanings for all major life areas (including general, love, career, spiritual, and intellectual matters).
Interpretations for common spread positions (like situation, advice and outcome).
Key card combinations (like The Fool and The Tower).
Waite's original vision for the card (from The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911).
The RWS Fool at a Glance
Keywords: Beginnings, Innocence, Spontaneity, Leap of Faith, Potential
Reversed Keywords: Recklessness, Naivety, Stupidity, Inaction, Fear, Ignored Warnings
Element: Air
Yes/No: Yes
A.E. Waite’s Fool Card (Rider Waite Smith Deck)
Key 0: The Fool from the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck (1909)
A.E Waite’s Fool card shows a young vagabond in a half-relenting stride, poised at a cliff’s precipice. This position suggests both the importance of choices and their potential consequences. He is seemingly unaware of the danger, embodying a profound naivety regarding the physical dangers of the path ahead.
Next to him, a dog, representing the lower mind, barks in warning. In his right hand, he carries a knapsack with the bare essentials for travel, symbolising a commitment to spiritual seeking. In his left, a white flower stands for innocence and purity of heart. Behind him are mountains, representing obstacles and challenges, while the guiding light of the sun symbolises Spirit.
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings of The Fool
In his 1911 book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, A.E. Waite gives the divinatory meanings for The Fool as follows:
"Folly, mania, extravagance, intoxication, delirium, frenzy, bewrayment. Reversed: Negligence, absence, distribution, carelessness, apathy, nullity, vanity."
Upright Fool: Meanings in Context
In Life Areas
Generally: The Fool is about beginnings, inexperience, and taking risks. It often points to actions done in a brave, naive, innocent, or spontaneous manner.
In a Love Context: This card can relate to casual or non-committal relationships, romance, and the act of falling in love. It can represent anything from a one-night stand to a marriage proposal or a first date.
In a Money/Career Context: This card can indicate unclear financial ventures. In a career reading, it might point to mass applying to jobs, starting a risky dream business, or the experience of being in an entry-level role.
In an Intellectual Context: The Fool can represent novel ideas, dissenting opinions, or learning without a structured plan. It can indicate casual auto-didactic study or learning through innovative technology like AI language models.
In a Spiritual Context: This card can represent a preacher, a missionary, a religious reformer, or the Soul itself.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice: Fear not, go for it. Start the venture or relationship. It is essentially a card of “yes,” unless other cards indicate a need for diligence or fact-checking before committing.
As (Ultimate) Outcome: Can point to events such as liberation from constraints, a healthy detachment, dreams coming true, or the start of a spiritual journey.
As Obstacles: The care-free nature or lack of planning associated with The Fool may be a hindrance rather than a help.
As Hidden Energy: The adventurous, care-free spirit of The Fool may be an unknown, untapped, or underestimated energy within the situation.
As Resources/Alliances: Suggests using humility, originality, bravery, or innovative technology for success.
Reversed Fool: Meanings in Context
In Life Areas
Generally: This card often points to foolishness, psychosis, or reckless risk-taking. It can also signify inaction produced by an excessive, almost phobic, fear.
In a Love Context: This can suggest ignoring red flags in a relationship, risky sexual behaviour, or a crippling fear of commitment.
In a Money/Career Context: This card can warn of risky or scam investments, missed financial opportunities due to fear, or a significant lack of experience holding you back.
In an Intellectual Context: This may represent unconventionality for its own sake, provocative ideas, extremism, or conspiracy theories.
In a Spiritual Context: Can point to bad spiritual ideas, beliefs, or actions.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice: A clear warning. Do not act.
As (Ultimate) Outcome: May lead to error, humiliation, or consequences born of arrogance.
As Obstacles: Can indicate that fear, arrogance, rashness, or a complete lack of preparation is blocking the way forward.
As Hidden Energy: May point to enemies playing dumb, unconscious self-sabotage, or insidious errors.
As Resources/Alliances: Suggests that "who dares wins," or that wisdom can be gained from experience.
Journal Prompts for Personal Reflection
Where in my life am I being called to take a leap of faith, even if I do not feel fully prepared?
What past experience of "beginner's mind" can I draw upon to tackle a current challenge with fresh eyes?
If I were to completely trust the journey, what would my next step be?
The RWS Fool in Key Card Combinations
Combinations with Major Arcana
The Fool & The Tower
The Fool (↑) & The Tower (↑): May indicate an ego death or a karmic retribution.
The Fool (↓) & The Tower (↑): Can point to an ignored warning or a disproven idea.
The Fool (↑) & The Tower (↓): Suggests a disaster has been averted, though not necessarily avoided entirely.
The Fool (↓) & The Tower (↓): Could represent being saved by grace in spite of recklessness; sheer "luck".
The Fool & The World
The Fool (↑) & The World (↑): Victorious change and transitions. May indicate newborns or special occasions such as marriage.
The Fool (↓) & The World (↑): Resting on laurels, an undeserved or uncontested victory.
The Fool (↑) & The World (↓): Progress may be blocked or delayed due to not meeting criteria.
The Fool (↓) & The World (↓): Could suggest underachievement or a responsible failure.
Combinations with the Suit of Pentacles
The Fool & The Five of Pentacles
The Fool (↑) & The Five of Pentacles (↑): May point to systemic financial barriers or powerlessness.
The Fool (↓) & The Five of Pentacles (↑): The consequences of bad decisions; a foolish choice leads to hardship.
The Fool (↑) & The Five of Pentacles (↓): A meagre financial opportunity, such as an internship or social support.
The Fool (↓) & The Five of Pentacles (↓): An obviously bad opportunity is sussed out and avoided.
The Fool & The Nine of Pentacles
The Fool (↑) & The Nine of Pentacles (↑): "New money" or the beginnings of young adulthood and independence.
The Fool (↓) & The Nine of Pentacles (↑): An unwillingness or inability to handle wealth or independence.
The Fool (↑) & The Nine of Pentacles (↓): Suggests a commitment to minimalism.
The Fool (↓) & The Nine of Pentacles (↓): May indicate a feeling of entrapment or imprisonment.
Controversies & Notes
The “Fool’s Journey”
The Fool’s Journey is a popular modern concept where the Fool travels through the subsequent Major Arcana cards, learning life lessons. This idea was invented by Eden Gray in the 1970s, long after A.E. Waite's death, and is not part of the original RWS system. I do not like the idea of the Fool’s journey. It gives off a stench of Jungian psychobabble. Yes, I am a psychology graduate. But I am interested in psychology for its practical benefit to society; any time someone starts talking about archetypes I start meditating on the atom (I zone out).
The “Second Fool” Card
A more interesting idea is that of Key XXII (22): the second Fool card. If the first Fool is the soul yet to gain experience, the second Fool is he who possesses it and has achieved a state of "enlightened madness". This concept has tangential relevance to the RWS deck, as Waite was an initiate of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and some modern Golden Dawn-based tarot decks include two Fool cards.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Fool
What does The Fool card mean as a 'yes' or 'no'? As a card of new beginnings, potential, and taking a leap of faith, The Fool is one of the strongest indicators of a 'yes'.
Is The Fool a positive or negative card? The Fool is generally seen as a positive card, representing exciting new potential. However, its shadow side, especially when reversed, can point to naivety and recklessness, so context is always key.
What is The Fool's elemental correspondence? In the system of correspondences used for the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which is derived from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the primary elemental correspondence for The Fool is Air. This links the card to things like the realm of the mind, intellect, new ideas, and beginnings.
