The Fool

redd fezz

Is it a fair assessment to say that since The Fool represents both balance and a vacuum that by itself it is a fairly neutral card? I presume neutral is also rather good, as things are in balance. In general, I presume The Fool to be more of a positive card than a negative card, considering the associations of Aleph.

Then again, there is the issue of the Fool's folly, which is why I chose to ask this question. It being spring again, and since I have had certain similar experiences as I had last year at this time, I decided to draw simply one card from the THoth deck. I know this is not how people do Tarot and I know with my previous examples, Jim said something to the effect of, "well, since you're just using your own method, you're the only one who can make any sense of it," which I appreciated. Anyway, the card I pulled after a good intentional shuffle and 3 cuts was The Fool... perfect for this time of year and my thoughts of late, I thought. I just hope Thoth isn't calling me an idiot. Which he very well may be.

Uni_Verse

I tend to think of it in a "positive" light. That there is no limitation to the possibilities besides the ones I impose myself.

"Negative" in that, it does not provide any direction (if that is what you were looking for).

The 'folly' of the Fool, is when he realizes that he is a Fool and tries to change that. Which is just foolish

Jim Eshelman

Remember that akasha is probably best translated "space." That is, it refers to the emptiness wherein is all-potential.

And, or course, the card has especialy relevance to springtime. As the poet wrote,

"Spring is sprung,
De grass is riz,
I wonder where dem birdies is?
De little birds is on de wing,
Ain’t dat absurd?
De little wing is on de bird!"

redd fezz

Thanks to you both for the helpful answers and confirming my feelings.

Jim, I really like that poet. If I knew who he was, I would hire him to write all the lyrics for my next album!

redd fezz

I just found this interesting free PDF available through Google books called "The Word" Volume XXV April 1917 — September 1917.

It says it's "A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Philosophy, Science, Religion, Eastern Thought, Occultism, Theosophy and the Brotherhood of Humanity" by HW Percival, Editor:
inyurl.com/24mvyj

This particular part about the Fool and Akasha is from a portion titled "The Secret Doctrine of The Tarot" by Paul Foster Case.

It is the Ether of modern science, filling
all space, and pervaded by an inherent electro-magnetic
energy. This reminds me that the First Matter is said to
be indestructible by fire, because "she is herself fire, having
within her a portion of the universal fire of nature, and a
secret, celestial spirit, animated and quickened by God."
All this takes us straight back to the Hindu doctrine of
Prakriti, the universal subjective mind, which is both substance
and energy. As substance it is known as Akasha;
its name as energy is Prana.
The Kabbalistic interpretation of these two Sanskrit
words is particularly interesting. I am not quite ready to
defend the position that Gematria, the process by which
I have obtained this interpretation, is properly applicable to
Sanskrit words. All that I can say is that some of the
results that may be reached in this manner are great aids
to memory and association, especially when used in conjunction
with the Tarot. Here, then, is the Gematria of
Prana and Akasha:
P= 80=Tower A= l=Fool
R=200=Sun K= 2Q=Wheel of Fortune
A= l=Fool A= l=Fool
N= 50=Death Sh=300=Judgment
A= l=Fool A= l=Fool
332 323
Prana is the fire of heaven, the lightning, or universal
electric energy, which, because it transforms everything,
is also the destructive principle (Tower). This energy
comes to earth as solar force (Sun). It is the life-breath
that descends into all forms of manifestation (Fool). Its
transforming power, which causes old things to pass away
to make room for the new, is what the unwise call death;
but they who see realize that this is the basis of all progress,
just as the skeleton is what makes possible the various
kinds of muscular activity; change, say the wise, is the
framework of the universe (Death). Finally, Prana is the
indestructible principle that survives every change, for-
ever youthful, and able always to transcend anything that
it has thus far accomplished (Fool). The sum of the numbers
corresponding to the letters of this word is 332, and
the reduction of this number is 8. This is the letter-value
of Heth.
The same letter is the synthesis of the letter-values
of Akasha, for the total of these is 323, which also reduces
to 8. Akasha is the undifferentiated existence at the beginning
of every cycle of manifestation (Fool). It descends
from finer to grosser, and reascends at the end of the cycle
to its original state; consequently one of the oldest symbols
for it is the wheel (Wheel of Fortune). Its very nature,
the inherent law of its manifestation, is therefore the promise
of rebirth and regeneration to every soul (Judgment).
All this is but a development of the fundamental doctrine
that One Reality descends into manifestation and ascends
from it eternally (Fool).
According to this interpretation, Akasha and Prana are
fundamentally identical. Each is represented by the letter-
value 8, and, being equal to the same thing, they must be
equal to each other. Every student of Hindu philosophy
knows that this is exactly what the scriptures teach about
Prana and Akasha. My point in working it out by a Kab-
balistic computation, with the aid of the Tarot, is to show
that the Tarot is, indeed, a book of universal philosophy
for those who know how to use it.
Other Sanskrit words that give 8 as the final reduction
of their Gematria, and may therefore be said to correspond
to Heth, are:
Aditya, the Sun; Ajna, the sixth Chakra, a nerve-center
in the brain, behind the eyebrows; Dhyana, meditation;
Guru, "the dispeller of darkness," who is as a sun, enlightening
the mind of the chela; Kama, desire; Manas, the vehicle
of Buddhi; Moksha, freedom, or liberation; Purusha; Upa-
dana, the material cause of the world; and Vasudeva, the
manifestation of the highest Being.

.........

There seems to be lots of interesting stuff in this magazine. Since it is a free PDF of about 400 pages of this sort of material, it seems like a good find. And most likely the rest of the Magazine is archived and freely available at Google books, too. Just thought I'd share.

gmugmble

And let us not forget what we proclaim when formulating the second point of the Cross in the Star Ruby ritual: "O Folly!"

Asraiya

93!

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool” -Shakespeare

"if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise” -I Corinthians 3:18

"Only a genius can play the fool
To madmen who deem themselves wise." -anonymous

Frater SOL

@Asraiya said

"93!

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool” -Shakespeare

"if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise” -I Corinthians 3:18

"Only a genius can play the fool
To madmen who deem themselves wise." -anonymous"

"...only on this now solid, granite foundation of ignorance could knowledge rise so far —the will to knowledge on the foundation of a far more powerful will: the will to ignorance, to the uncertain, to the untrue! Not as its opposite, but —as its refinement!" - Nietzsche