The Fool is the card of following one’s bliss. The character on this card is living entirely in the present moment, utterly detached from consequences or outcomes.
For most of us, much of the time, there are limitations to our freedom. Sometimes these are imposed from without, by laws, societal constraints or the political economy. Often, they are self-imposed. We don’t just grab what we can fit into a knapsack and head aimlessly down the road. We either fear the consequences, or at least choose not to accept them. The life of a “free spirit” just seems too selfish and risky.
For me, the Fool card is not so much about abandoning convention, throwing caution to the wind and wandering off. It is about bringing some balance to our lives. We can get so caught up in our routines, or in the expectations that we hold for ourselves (or that others hold for us) that we forget how to live anything approaching an authentic life. The Fool asks us to lighten up a little. Take a breath. Follow an impulse now and then. Take some time each day to get in touch with the spirit which animates us, and to consider the place of that spirit in the Universe.
When was the last time that you did something entirely spontaneous?