Be More Fool

In a tarot reading you can expect the unexpected when The Fool shows up. Even he doesn't seem to know where he is going, depicted, as he often is, with his foot floating in mid-air over a deep ravine. Perhaps his dog sees the danger but The Fool is unaware, unafraid and undiminished by any baggage, emotional, mental or otherwise. He always looks happy, carefree and (in the best possible sense) care-less. When he shines up at me in a reading from a freshly turned card, it's a moment which always causes a second's pause. Almost as if I am with him at the edge of that cliff wondering what next? He brings with him a frisson. A thrill. A nice sort of 'oooeer' as opposed to the Devil showing up which may cause an inward intake of breath or a faintly raised eyebrow.

So The Fool is always welcome on my reading table as all my cards are. All characters in their own right, each with their own energy and message. Yet we call people 'fools' as an insult, a pejorative term dismissing someone we feel is acting unwisely or out of character. Sometimes that judgement will turn out to be true. But sometimes what we mean is the person we are decrying doesn't share our values. Maybe we even have a sense of jealousy tied up in our cry of 'fool'. Just a little bit envious that this person is 'going for it', ignoring critics and nay-sayers to just do their thing.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and foolishness rests there too maybe?

In intuitive coaching sessions my lovely clients and I spend a lot of time contemplating The Fool in his various incarnations. Often clients come to me facing a big decision, a life dilemma, the wish to step out into the unknown of a new career, new relationship. Moving house, contemplating retirement, divorce, becoming a parent or embracing a new sexuality and identity are all 'sliding doors' moments. More often than not they are about authenticity, being yourself, trusting your innate you-ness and going with your gut, often in the face of stiff opposition. The Fool handles these situations with his own energy. Meditating on the feel of right instinct and uncovering your own take on risk when facing these situations is hugely helpful in forming the right solution. I am privileged to walk this journey with my clients and together we find a way through. The Fool has instinct married with the courage to proceed and to trust. Coaching often embodies Fool energy and magic.

I recently found myself reflecting on what The Fool would have made of the pandemic. In some ways the emergence and spread of the virus has been itself an act of surprise and has certainly led us on a journey into the unknown. Still more so with the emergence of variants, still more twists and turns in the road. Yet the pandemic has robbed so many of us of the ability to be Fool-like and spontaneous. Travel has been blocked or stopped, social lives have been curtailed or paused, careers have been sidelined, ambitions have shrunk, families have been torn apart, individuals consumed with fear and sadly often with grief. The tendency of so many people has been to head deep into their bunkers and stay there.

Covid has certainly encouraged all of us to reflect on risk, The Fool's travelling companion for good and ill. The adrenaline burst which moves mountains and the shadow-side where we mis-step and fall down the ravine. Approach to risk has in itself has exposed deep divisions and differences. One person's risk is another's normality by choice or circumstance. One person's version of acceptable behaviour is another's example of paranoia.It has exposed issues of trust, of lifestyles analysed and judgements passed amongst friends and families. What 'being careful' means to one is being reckless to another. As well as uniting us the pandemic has also put us on different sides in unexpected ways.

I think The Fool embraces all views with his 'live and let live' approach to life. The Fool by his very nature leaves judgement at the door and accepts different stances at face value. The Fool is all about action and consequence. He is nothing if not democratic. Our friend The Fool would delight in the ingenuity of scientists as they developed vaccines in record-quick time, the warmth and dedication of medics, key workers and volunteers who have been at the forefront of care, keeping food on our tables and the lights on in our homes. The Fool will have watched enthralled, drumming or whistling along as communities rallied together seeing each other afresh and all in it together.

To a greater or lesser extent we have all had to set expectations aside and go with the flow. And perhaps the joy we have found in small, unexpected moments, whether of kindness, aliveness or reflection, is what The Fool is all about.

In this world of over-thinking we can easily lose track of that simple sense of destiny, of following our gut and beginning The Fool's journey. Sometimes it leads to a big life-changing adventure. Sometimes to just taking a different route to the supermarket so we discover a new coffee shop. It won't necessarily change your life direction but it might help you find the perfect Macchiato. It is too easy these days to lose our child-like trust of the unknown in a hail of data, opinion and second guessing. The Fool is not pondering 'what if?' in a querulous, angst-ridden fashion. He's not riddled with doubt about whether his journey is wise, whether he will regret it in five years time or whether he should 'just sleep on it' one more time. He's putting his best foot forward and committing to action. A spontaneous act of trust in his gut and the universe. Like Odin's Rune, the unknowable force, a blank canvas waiting for a vibrant image, a hidden ambition awaiting fresh trajectory, a new story bursting to manifest.

So perhaps this year we should commit to being more in the moment, more generous of spirit, more trusting of our inner voice. Be More Fool.