The Tarot of Eli 2: Jungian Tarot- The Fool & Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- 0 The Fool

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The Rider-Waite deck, which is represented here by the Radiant Tarot rendition, is the one most people are familiar with, suggest the Holy Spirit in the wheels of spirit on the Fool's robe. The concept of the Scintillating Intelligence, a phrase coined by Dr. Paul Foster Case, is implied in the radiant sun and the white rose in the Fool's hand; a white rose symbolizes freedom from lower forms of desire.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck, the wand, the symbol of Will, is elongated to support the wallet that displays the eye of Horus; the All Seeing Eye of Spirit. This wallet represents all the experiences of the Soul, that are kept in the Akashic records.

If you look closely you can see a girdle of 9 ornaments symbolizing the houses of the Zodiac even though there are 12 houses of the Zodiac. The artist field of view is limited to 9, so the viewer has to imagine the other 3 around the back of the Rider-Waite-Smith's Fool's image. Therefore, this girdle of coins does symbolize the Zodiac.

The faithful dog is the symbol for the intellect of the body, mankind's faithful companion.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Fool is seen as staring at the bright sky while walking off a cliff into the abyss, implying absolute faith in spirit and the fearlessness of the truly innocent. All of this combines to symbolize the unknowable beginning that is Spirit.

Carl Jung ( 1875-1961), was a Swiss psychiatrist and colleague of Sigmund Freud. Jung is considered one of the pioneers in the psychoanalytic movement. His creative thinking process was an observation of correspondences between world religions, mythologies, and the dreams of his patients, all of which, led to his unique overview of the "human condition".

Jung emphasized the reality of the psychic life, a unique fact that separated him from the empirically-oriented mainstream of academic psychology. He also coined the term "Universal Collective Unconscious" as he believe that all human consciousness is linked together much like a small pond which trickles into the ocean of a shared "Collective Unconscious".

He also involved the contents of this collective unconscious as a key principle called Archetypes.Archetypes are "cultural imprints" , images and ideas built up by the thoughts of mankind throughout history. One great example of this is the generalize concept of "mother" that has developed over the centuries as a cross-cultural idea seen in mythologies, fairy tales, and in world religions. "Earth Mother", or "Great Mother" appears under an incalculable variety of forms; especially in dreams. Hence, this Universal Mother can be nurturing or she can be a kind of a Medus, and/or a hag whose very glance destroys.

Not wanting to go far into Jungian Psychology, (you can read his books for that), I will say that the Jungian Tarot follows Jung's suggestion of a relationship between the archetypes and the Tarot. Therefore, the 78 paintings created by Robert Wang, of the Jungian Tarot have been created as "archetypal images". By using them, we can begin to tp into the irrational materials of the personal unconscious and then into the Universal Collective Unconscious realm (The Astrals) which, in principle, determines our conscious behavior.

I would recommend that one get the book by Robert Wang, titled: Tarot Psychology when purchasing his cards. This will enhance understanding of Jung's Psychology and the Archetypes represented in the 78 cards. Also a scheme based upon astrology and Qabalistic philosophy provides values for the cards so simple that anyone who has studied astrology will know a card's meaning immediately. Those who are comfortable with the various mystical paths of the Judaeo-Christian Qabalah, will appreciate the remarkable parallels between Jungian archetypal imagery and that of Qabalah. To clearly relate tarot interpretation to these studies is to align it with a mystical and organic tradition which has been developing for more than three thousand years. Hence, I would recommend that the reader log onto the Thoth blog @ :

Where one will gain the astrological, Qabalistic, occult, mystical insights for these cards.

As illustrated on the Jungian Fool card, a young man carries a flaming rose, symbolizing the "spark of life", as he is about to step off into the starry sky. This is the equivalent action of the Rider-Waite-Smith Fool stepping off of the cliff. The act of stepping off into the starry sky, will create a universe that will be eventually destroyed by the Panther at his right. At his left is the Orphic Egg in which the Cosmos is the source of All, that which directs and controls the framework of consciousness at all levels. Symbolically the Fool, is the youthful aspect of spirit, a "forever youth" as it is infinite and therefore timeless. This youthful aspect embodies all potential and from which all other cards of the Tarot derive; so conversation with this figure tends to a great deal more philosophical than with the rest of the 21 keys.

The Fool Card represents the totality of Self, often called the "God head" of Individual consciousness. When we converse with the Fool, we address totality of our own capacities. Here we may ask the difficult questions such as: Who am I ? Where to I come from? Where do I go? Also when conversing with the Fool, this Greater Self, may change shape often, appearing in extraordinary ways---sometimes bringing a great sense of peace as if a Buddha sitting on a lotus or at other times, creating fear that is beyond description as the journey of self discovery is not for the faint hearted and fears must be faced and conquered to "Above all things, Know thyself". We may converse with a youth, an old man, a dragon, a crocodile, or with some other animal "spirit guide". The Fool may appear as a ball of light or even a thunderstorm. This is because we are dealing with the creative act within ourselves. After all, we are the inheritors of God's or Goddess's Image-making " ability as "All is Mind."

It is recommended that we meditate with this card. At the bottom right, below the panther is a mandala that will enhance this meditation. The deeper our meditation, the closer we come to the very ideological source of the unconscious, the more profound, and often more irrational, the answers we "receive" become. No matter how absurd the answers seem, we must remember that what is represented here if far beyond thought (especially worded thought) and the effects of addressing the Energy of I AM (fool) may be most disquieting to a mind which sees reality only in terms of the waking consciousness. Therefore, Robert Wang recommends that meditation with The Fool be postponed until experience has been gained with the other cards. Advanced discrimination skills are required to make sense of the experiences which are likely to result from interaction with this archetypal figure.

When THE FOOL card is thrown during a reading:

• The querent is in or experiencing a state of  ecstasy and/or a state of Peak experience.
• Fearlessness. 
• Courage.  
•  Is completing all motion  by Faith, absolutely trusting THE SPIRIT. 
• A feeling of being protected, and that everything will work out. 
• Being open to what the future brings!
• Rescuing the "Child within" from the lies of indoctrination and dogma.

If ill defined by accompanying cards - Reversed.,

• The Fool, is then the harbinger of folly, mania, extravagance and even negligence.

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