I've read tarot for some thirty years. Through that I have long struggled to find more spiritual interpretations of tarot decks. In modern times tarot has become synonymous with dodgy fortune telling rather than spiritual pursuit. Over time, I have had to balance the original intent of Tarot cards and their individual meanings, the truths I have experienced from working with the spiritual plane, and with what I have found in the writings of Rabbi Yitzhak Saggi Nehor (1160 - 1235) and similar ancient works.
This represents an personal project to create a tarot deck that exemplifies Hermetic Qabalah. However to do this, I will be aligning Hermetic Qabalah Tarot more tightly with its roots on Jewish Kabbalah, and the works of Paul Foster Case. As always, Tarot is a gateway for spiritual development. It works as a guide to how you need to interact with the spiritual plane in order to grow.
Hermetic Qabalah Tarot breakdown of - The Fool
As humans, when we are born, we are all thrust into life on the temporal plane whether we wanted it to happen or not. The quality of our life is then up to us. We are all born foolish to the ways of the world. That is what we see in this card.
The Symbology
The Ox is often depicted as a symbol of 'the Most High'. In the Bible, the ox or bull is sometimes used metaphorically. For example, in the book of Ezekiel, the prophet's vision of the cherubim includes faces resembling a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a human (Ezekiel 1:10 KJV). In ancient Egypt, the bull was associated with Apis, a deity symbolizing strength and fertility. Similar associations can be seen in the worship of Baal in Canaanite religion, where Baal was often depicted as a bull. These cultural exchanges influenced the symbolic language used in various religious texts, including those of the Israelites. In the case of the imagery above, the Ox is pulling a young man on a cart, which represents the Divine thrusting each of us into the temporal plane, or in other words, life. Once we are born, life happens whether you want it to or not. Whether you care or not. And in the case of this card, whether you are paying attention or not.
I've always liked Pamela Smith's illustrations that made the Ryder-Waite deck. They are a good basis, but again, I've always felt this card missed the fact that life happens whether you want to participate or not. That is the point of the cart in the illustration above. It represents the passage of time, yet the Fool has yet that events are coming to pass, not just the beauty of the world around him, but also the dangers of driving off the cliff or falling away from the path before him.
The cart is gilded, representing the preciousness of our own lives, and how important of a duty we have to ourselves to provide the best lives for ourselves that we can with the opportunities we find on the paths that we are all on.
The clothes the Fool is wearing are basic, representing the Fools newness in life. We aren't born into wealth. We may be given material wealth by others, but spiritual, personal and material wealth built of our own doing, doesn't happen until we are much further down the path.
Hermetic Qabalah
On the right of the title bar of the card is the Hebrew letter 'Aleph'. It represents unity and oneness with God, and also symbolizes beginnings and primal energy. It is represented by the the pathway between Kether and Chokhmah. Kether being the oneness of God, and Chokhmah translates to wisdom. Ok, but wisdom of what what are we talking about here. Much like a tarot spread, the tree of life has to be interpreted according to the context of the placement of each sefirot. In this case, Chokhmah holds a place of great importance in traditional Kabbalistic thought, representing the beginning of conscious and distinct divine energy within the creative process. In my effort to bring tarot of Hermetic Qabalah back to its roots, we apply these ancient findings to create a tree of life, much more aligned with the roots it came from.
For the pathway of the Fool to Chokhmah it means the Fool can be the beginning of individual conscious thought, for one's life at birth, or for a specific situation.
Card meaning
The modern meaning is fairly on-the-money to the traditional Jewish Kabbalah, and therefore is retained in Hermetic Qabalah Tarot.
Upright:
The Fool advises you to recognize that true wisdom and enlightenment come not from the illusion of possessing control or knowledge, but from a state of receptiveness and openness. Kether, symbolizing the pure potential and divine light, connects to Chokhmah, the fountain of wisdom and intuitive insight. To navigate this path, release your ambitions to control outcomes and instead, immerse yourself in the present moment with a sense of unity and joy. Let go of expectations and fully engage with the unfolding reality, allowing the divine flow to guide you without resistance.
Reversed:
The Fool also acts as a double-edged sword, don't be so carefree that you completely neglect everything in your life. It is time to reign in and become more strategic, as you may have overindulged in carefree pursuits.
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