This Tarot Card Calls You to Free up Your Spirit

In this series, Jamie Richardson of Ember + Aura Tarot explains how to embrace the message of each major arcana card. 

In Tarot, The Fool is depicted by a childlike adventurer awash in the energy of her own reckless optimism. She feels the unknown path before her pulling her along and doesn’t get too caught up in the details of where she’s going, nor how she’ll get there. She’s unburdened by any pressure to look cool and couldn’t care less about the looks or whispers that may come along the way. Each step brings her closer to her highest self—that’s all she needs to know.

These days, the world seems like a pretty serious space. Every headline is foreboding. Every social page is a contest. Everyone wants to sell us something. If we’re not careful, we wind up guarded, dissatisfied, and jaded. So, naturally, the time is right to revisit our inner Fool.

How do you recover this valuable flood of naivety when the well is seemingly dried up? Begin by scanning your mind for signs of attempted perfectionism, as this is not in keeping with sweet release. The Fool wears mismatched accessories just because it feels right. She leaves the bed unmade so she can do some morning journaling instead. She ignores the chipped nail. She doesn’t return the text while driving—and promptly forgets to return it at all.

Discover what’s in the cards for you!

Next, close your eyes and ask yourself, “Where are the white-knuckled areas of my life?” Where have you allowed yourself to think you must have total control? What if everything actually doesn’t depend on you? What a concept! The Fool moves in a state of pure flow. Embrace this want of comfortability by putting on something long and drapey; wear cashmere, if you have it. Literally let your hair down and go barefoot. Visualize yourself un-structuring. Practice letting go.

Finally, the Fool defies convention by listening only to her inner guidance. For children, this comes naturally, as the judgmental voices of nay-sayers and critics have yet to take root in their minds. What did you love to do as a child? When you picture childhood, what does it look like in its happiest moments? I see myself sitting beneath trees, surrounded by my watercolors and paper and dogs. Can you remember your original sense of rightness? It remembers you.

When The Fool comes for you in Tarot, you can be sure the Divine is calling you to trust in Her again and to take a bold step in faith. Your path will most likely be anything but straight, with the next destination forever just out of your line of sight. But with the wisdom of The Fool you can throw caution to the wind. She is here to remind you that your own originality is, and always has been, enough.

Jamie Richardson is a Tarot reader, Reiki and Shamanic healer, and the creator of Ember + Aura Tarot. With roots in Christian mysticism, she blends elements of the Divine Feminine, Mary Magdalene, dream interpretation, and sacred imagery into her spiritual practice and healing work. She lives in Denver, CO with her husband and two children, whom she is raising in the Goddess tradition. You can follow her on Instagram @emberandauratarot as well as on her blog at www.emberandaura.com.