The meanings of the “Fool” card from the Aleister Crowley Tarot Thoth deck based on the book “The Mirror of the Soul Tarot” by Gerd Ziegler. Features of the Tota Tarot deck The jester leading to the innermost secrets

MAIN VALUE:

So, before us is the first card of the Thoth Tarot deck, zero, the beginning of the beginning, so to speak. And the beginning of anything usually reflects the basic, fundamental property of the phenomenon or object to which it relates. This case is no exception. And since all the cards in this deck primarily reflect a very vast area of emotional manifestations of human nature, A. Crowley associated our lightest feelings with this card. Lightness, optimism, naivety, gullibility, love, growth, spring mood - these are the main positive characteristics of this card. Its negative characteristics are overestimation of one’s strengths and capabilities, frivolity, and most importantly, irresponsibility. The last meaning is especially worth highlighting, since it is manifested here exceptionally clearly. Be very careful - such frivolity and recklessness can bring you a lot of trouble.

THESIS:

“Everything is so good and calm that I am sure that nothing threatens me and there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. After all, the world is so beautiful. People are kind, and I can trust them. I am sure that no matter what I start, I will succeed.”

RELATIONSHIP:

Ease; carelessness; complete trust in the partner; Love; sympathy; spiritual and physical intimacy; complete satisfaction with your partner.

PERSONALITY:

Carefree; ease of feelings; naivety; gullibility; irresponsibility; unwillingness to accept responsibility for one's actions; promiscuity in sexual relations; inconsistency; not finishing what you started.

WORK, BUSINESS:

Start of business development; unclear goals; underestimation of the real situation and difficulties; lack of profit; a successful and satisfying start to work in a new place; overly optimistic forecasts and expectations.

HEALTH:

Very good positive dynamics; complete recovery.

Enjoy this spring and ease. This doesn’t happen often in our lives. This may be your happiest time. It is quite possible that everything is really good and calm. Perhaps this is really the person you need, perhaps this business is truly your unique chance, and the inheritance you received lies in the account of a reliable bank. However, you still shouldn’t relax completely. You need to persistently resist the feeling that your safety is absolute. This is an aggressive world in which our main enemy is ourselves. "Simplicity is worse than theft." The meaning of this proverb is that our naivety, stupidity and gullibility can greatly harm both ourselves and the people around us. Pull yourself together and constantly monitor both the situation and your own behavior. Don’t spend money without counting, don’t take out loans without properly assessing your ability to pay them back, don’t engage in dubious sexual relationships, and don’t bring people you don’t know close to you who make all sorts of promises to you and assure you of their honesty and decency. This list can be continued, but I hope you already understand everything. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about...

Rider White values:

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Uranus/Mercury in the sense of openness of character, curiosity, spontaneity and a bit of crazy; in interaction with Neptune - a feeling of guidance from above.

JOKE.
The jester is our inner child. It means the spontaneous start of something new, impartiality, openness. This is a carefree game, the most elementary joy of life, a period when we enter the unknown with cheerful surprise and without any specific expectations. However, it can also mean infantilism with all its attributes - frivolity, naivety, gambling, and simply stupidity. Or - wise simplicity, modesty of requests and humility, which we usually come to only at the end of a long and difficult path. A jester can also be a cunning, mischievous person. One way or another, he lives only in the present, he is a frank, sincere, mobile person. Is this good or bad? What this card means: our stubborn reluctance to become an adult or, on the contrary, the simplicity acquired along with long experience - will have to be judged by the whole scenario as a whole. The jester always warns about something completely new that is ready to burst into our lives, which causes chaos in it, and we ourselves may get a couple of bumps, but there is actually nothing dangerous about it.

From the book: Hayo Banzhaf. TAROT SELF-TUTORIAL.
Translation from German by E. Kolesov.
Publisher: Center for Astrological Research, 1999

0 - Fool
Uranus
The zero card FOOL (another name is Jester) is likened to the material Universe. But she, like the mortal human body, is nothing more than a robe, a motley suit, suitable for a jester, under whose clothing, however, there is a divine substance, for which buffoonery is just a shadow. Tarot cards were given by enlightened priests to be kept by stupid ignorant people, who made them playing cards, in many ways even an instrument of vice. Man's diabolical habits, therefore, became the unconscious guardian of his philosophical precepts.
If the FOOL is placed in the first place in the deck, and the other cards are laid out in a row from left to right, then you can find that the FOOL goes to other characters, as if passing through all the cards. He, like a neophyte spiritually blind because of a blindfold, is ready to embark on the most difficult journey leading through the gates of Divine Wisdom.

Uranus - embodies the principle of primordial movement. In the TAROT, this principle is compared with the concept of “living nature” and the picture of the Jester, symbolizing divine power before manifestation. This is a divine genius, capable of creating the Universe and destroying it, but... The Universe does not yet exist, and therefore the FOOL is only zero, nothing, absolute emptiness, which can become anything, and the absolute freedom of this becoming: in this there is nothing, in potential contains everything.
The planet Uranus says that God creates the Universe easily, accidentally and not on purpose - and such is the spontaneous Nature of human genius. Most often, the Jester is depicted holding a bundle on a stick over his shoulders and balancing with it (the bundle) on the edge of a precipice. In this bundle there is that “everything” and “nothing” that forced the Jester to set off on his journey.
In a narrowly practical projection on human life, this card is interpreted as a warning against dangers and everything unexpected, fundamentally new and unknown. But behind this unknown there is a broader meaning of higher creativity - creation from scratch, from the fullness of one’s being.
And even though creation is a violation of the original order of being - and therefore there is an abyss before the Fool - but still it is dictated by the highest moral laws and therefore simply cannot be a creation if it does not carry the original principle.

In the upright position, the position of the Jester card can mean the beginning of a new life cycle, any new business. There is energy, optimism, strength and happiness. The map shows unexpected, unplanned circumstances that can turn the current state of affairs upside down. It also indicates the need to make important decisions: - you are free to choose any direction, go anywhere, do whatever you want.

In an inverted position, the Jester’s position speaks of restless, impulsive activity, rash actions. Symbolizes madness and carelessness, a waste of energy, time and effort. The problem is not being solved. You are very careless about something important. Your choice may turn out to be bad, your decision may be fatal. Sometimes this card symbolizes a person who is tirelessly looking for a change in environment and activities, starting a lot of things, but not finishing anything. In addition, the card can mean thoughtlessness, whims and caprices, extravagance, lack of discipline, immaturity, irrationality in thoughts and behavior, exaltation, defenselessness, inability to calculate consequences, and in extreme cases, frenzy.

"A symbol of a blind man who has turned himself into the slavery of matter. His knapsack is overflowing with his delusions and senseless actions. A broken obelisk is the death of his deeds. The crocodile (in Papus's cards a crocodile is depicted instead of a dog) is an emblem of inexorable fatality and... inevitable atonement and retribution for what he has done , since nothing in life is done “just like that” - and you have to pay for everything.”
Papus

Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot cards are named after the mythological character - the Egyptian wise god Thoth. They differ from the general tradition. Some, even very experienced tarot readers, are afraid to use the Thoth deck in their rituals. Others use only these Tarots, and would never exchange them for any others.

Tarot Thoth - a deck that has received great recognition

The creator of the Thoth Tarot, the most mysterious dark magician of his time, Aleister Crowley, acquired a terrible reputation and was known to everyone as a very cruel person. Despite this fact, his Tarot became widespread. They carry rich symbolism that draws on the ancient mythology of many cultures.

History of the Thoth Tarot

The Thoth Tarot cards, along with the Book of Thoth, were developed in the early 20th century by the English mystic, occultist and tarot reader Edward Alexander Crowley, better known as Aleister Crowley. The cards were created together with artist Frieda Harris, who was also passionate about mysticism.

Aleister Crowley was a dark magician and Satanist, one of the most famous ideologists of the occult of his time. He created his own doctrine of Thelema and was a member of the Order of the Silver Star. Because of his views and immoral behavior in public, Aleister Crowley's relationship with society did not work out; many were afraid of him.

Crowley studied already known Tarot decks for a long time. He was not satisfied that the interpretations of the cards were unclear and the meaning was revealed only to a select few. He decided to create such a deck of Tarot cards so that everyone who decided to study magic would discover their symbolism.

Artists, out of superstition, did not want to collaborate with Crowley, all except Frieda Harris. She was an Egyptologist, interested in mythology and mysticism. Alistair explained to her the meaning of each Arcana and each individual card. Work on the deck took a long time, and they were printed only after the death of the creators. The Second World War prevented the work from being published on time.

The drawings turned out to be very complex, abstract, they differed from traditions. The reverse side of the cards depicted the Rose and Cross of the Golden Dawn.

Description of Thoth Tarot cards

According to the Tarot tradition, Aleister Crowley's deck is divided into Arcana - Major and Minor.

Tarot Thoth is a deck that is traditionally divided into the Major and Minor Arcana

The Major Arcana are called Tarot Trumps, there are 22 of them.

Crowley changed the names and meanings of some trump cards from the traditional Tarot, and rearranged some into other positions.

The Major Arcana Gallery includes cards.

Fool or Jester. Opens the deck.
High Priestess.
Empress.
Emperor.
Hierophant or high priest.
Lovers/Brothers. Crowley gave the card a double name.
Chariot.
Regulation. The original name was Justice, and position XI.
Hermit.
Fortune. The original name was Wheel of Fortune.
Lust. The original name is Strength, and position VIII.
The Hanged Man or the Gallows.
Death.
Art (Alchemy). Original name Temperance.
Devil.
Tower.
Star.
Sun.
Eon. Original name Court.
Universe. Original name Mir.

The Thoth Tarot traditionally has four suits of the Minor Arcana, each with 14 cards.

Wands.
Swords.
Cups.
Disks. Traditionally, this suit is called Coins (Dinars, Pentacles). Crowley changed the name. The disk symbolizes the Earth. In the Middle Ages it was represented as a flat disk.

The images of the first ten cards of the suit do not have a plot that is suitable for interpretation. Each card has its own content and symbolism. The next four arcana have changed names compared to the canonical ancient Tarot. The Page card received a new name and a new meaning. The Knight became the Prince, the King became the Knight, and only the Queen remained the Queen.

Each Aleister Crowley Tarot card of the Thoth Tarot has an astrological correspondence.

Symbolism of the Thoth Tarot

The signs depicted on the Thoth Tarot cards belong to the mythology of different peoples and different spiritual practices. Thoth cards contain mystical symbols:

Ancient Egyptian mythology.
Mythologies of India.
Astrology.
Cabalistics.

The interpretation of the meaning of each lasso is ambiguous, it is multifaceted. Aleister Crowley gave his cards a detailed interpretation from his personal, very specific point of view on magic and astrology. The symbolism of many cards coincides with the traditions of the Tarot, but the meaning of some cards has changed or received additional meaning.

This refers to the Arcana, which Crowley renamed. The magician believed that at the beginning of the 20th century the old era ended - the Aeon of Osiris, and the countdown of a new milestone began - the Aeon of Horus, which would last the next two millennia. Based on this conviction, he did not give his cards an unambiguous classical interpretation. A change of era changes the astrological framework, and therefore the meanings of the Tarot arcana.

The meaning of the Thoth Tarot cards is described in detail in the "Book of Thoth"

A comprehensive description, symbolism and meaning of the Thoth Tarot cards are described in The Book of Thoth. This is a valuable work in which mystical secrets are revealed. Those who want not just to tell fortunes, but to seriously study the magic of the Tarot, should definitely read the book.

Practicing sorcerers who use Tarot, based on their personal experience, give a simplified interpretation of the cards. Sometimes their interpretations differ from the canonical ones intended by the creator. Especially these are the renamed cards - Aeon, Art (Alchemy) and Lovers.

Interpretation of the Major Arcana of the Thoth Tarot

The Major Arcana of the Thoth Tarot are the most important in the Tarot deck. They are most saturated with symbols and reflect all aspects of human life and its events. Each card received an interpretation in the Book of Thoth. But practicing magicians often disagree with existing interpretations. They assign some cards, if not a new meaning, then additional properties.

Jester

The first card in the Thoth Tarot deck. Symbolizes the beginning, new potential, an abundance of ways of self-realization, creative disorder, the recklessness of youth, naivety, irresponsibility. Irresponsibility is the negative meaning of the Jester. Layouts for future business development, if the Jester appears in them along with a negative card, will signal that you need to take the matter more seriously and gain new experience.

Mage

It means willpower, desire for life, determination, skill and experience, cunning and mental acuity. If the Mage is given in the reading, this may mean that the person has a magical gift. This card always carries a positive message.

High Priestess

Symbolizes the feminine principle, and everything connected with it - wisdom, intuition, the ability to wait, creativity.

Empress

It also carries feminine power and symbolizes cyclicality. It means the birth of a new life, renewal, thirst for life, sensuality, trusting relationships in the family.

Emperor

A strong power card. It symbolizes a sense of reality, a willingness to answer for oneself and others, leadership qualities, pragmatism, tenacity of character, and uncompromisingness.

Sage Card

Symbolizes understanding, indicates an intelligent person. If the alignment gave the Hierophant card, this may indicate that soon a person will understand himself, learn the truth, find harmony between the soul and the body, or learn about an important event.

Lovers/Brothers

Map of love, friendship and trusting human relationships. In plans for the future, it may directly indicate an imminent marriage.

Chariot

It symbolizes the path - the path of life, the path to success in business, the path of knowledge or comprehension of the truth.

Regulation

Regulation - a card symbolizing the restoration of justice

It is a symbol of balance and harmony. In fortune telling for the future, the card means that affairs and relationships with people will return to normal, and justice will be achieved.

Hermit

A very controversial card. Its positive side is solitude and self-knowledge. Negative meanings – isolation, selfish actions, depression.

Fortune

A positive card of luck, especially in matters of finance. And it also symbolizes the beginning of something new, serious changes in life.

Lust

The interpretation of it in the books of Aleister Crowley differs from the modern one. Practicing magicians define Lust as a powerful energy card. It means fearlessness, love of life, passion, willingness to take risks.

Gallows

The card is considered negative. It means powerlessness, difficult life circumstances, doubt, the need for sacrifice, and the lack of an alternative.

Death

A negative card symbolizing death and destruction. May warn of the imminent death of a person, a pet, destruction of a business, loss of a job, divorce.

Art (Alchemy)

The card always has a positive message. It means achieving harmony in business and relationships, overcoming difficulties and conflicts, and recovery from illness.

Devil

Symbolizes the worst manifestations of man - envy, greed, deceit, selfishness, lust. The Devil appearing in the chart suggests that you need to beware of the manifestation of these qualities in someone or in yourself.

Tower

Symbolizes the emergence of a new one in place of the destroyed old one. Changes can be both positive and negative. Positive – clearing thoughts, realizing something new, breaking up unnecessary relationships. Negative – bankruptcy, divorce, separation from loved ones.

Star

A strong positive card of new hope. It means happiness, harmony, the emergence of new previously unavailable prospects, new relationships.

Moon

Negative card. Symbolizes difficulties, obsession with fears, depression, bad feelings.

Sun

The interpretation of this card is diametrically opposed among different practicing magicians. Some consider it extremely positive, symbolizing happiness, the birth of something new, the development of oneself and one’s creative abilities. Others call it negative. They say that the Sun falling in the chart means that failures, quarrels, and nervous breakdowns await in the future.

Eon

Aeon card - the beginning of something new (for example, a work project)

The map was created by Crowley as a symbol of the beginning of a new era - the Aeon of Horus. And the meaning put into it was the same - the beginning of something new, a change for the better.

Universe

It is a symbol of successful completion, reaching peaks, assertion in one’s knowledge, and recovery.

Minor Arcana

The major arcana carry the main meaning in Tarot layouts; the remaining cards complement the overall picture with new symbols and meanings. Each suit of the minor arcana symbolizes one of the four elements.

Wands – Fire.
Cups – Water.
Swords - Air.
Disks - Earth.

The interpreter gives the cards from Ace to Ten of all the minor arcana classic meanings; only the meanings of the last four cards, which Crowley changed their names, differ.

Wands

Wands are a fiery suit; they are responsible for the emotional aspect of life. Basic meanings of the arcana.

Ace – creative energy, logic, new beginning.
Two – possession, dominance.
Three is a virtue.
Four – completion (usually good).
Five is a struggle.
Six is a victory.
Seven – valor, active actions.
Eight – speed, dynamic development.
Nine is strength.
Ten – suppression, obstacles, problems with the law.
Prince – active development, the path to achieving a goal, energy.
Princess - overcoming fears.
Queen – activity, thirst for development, passion.
Knight - unbalanced excessive energy, cruelty, aggression.

Cups

The suit of Cups is watery, they are responsible for feelings and everything connected with them. The simplest and most popular interpretations of the cards of the suit of Cups of the Thoth Tarot.

Ace – love and kindness, a supporting set of human feelings.
Two is love.
Three – abundance of feelings, fruitfulness of work.
Four – luxury, a feeling of fullness.
Five is a disappointment.
Six is pleasure.
Seven – imposed stereotypes, self-doubt, alcoholism.
Eight – lethargy, laziness, depression.
Nine is happiness.
Ten - satiety.
Prince – pessimism, negative attitude towards life, depression.
Princess - lightness, optimism, inspiration, hopes for the best.
Queen – ambiguity, an incomprehensible situation.
Knight – leadership qualities, awareness of strength, movement towards a goal.

Swords

The airy suit of Swords is responsible for the intellectual sphere, issues of understanding and awareness of events, ideas, one’s role in the world, etc. Basic meanings of cards.

Ace - understanding, clarification.
Two – peace, tranquility, unambiguous clear thoughts.
Three – grief, anger, jealousy.
Four – a truce in a complex conflict.
Five – defeat, fear of failure.
Six – science, pure reason without emotions, high order.
Seven – futility, pessimism, awareness of one’s uselessness.
Eight is an active intervention that will lead to negative consequences.
Nine – cruelty, self-accusation.
Ten – collapse, emotional imbalance.
Prince – indecision, lack of understanding of the situation.
Princess - conflict, scandal.
Queen - radical changes of views, changes of opinions.
Knight – understanding of the task, self-confidence.

Knight of Swords - self-confidence

Discs

The earth, which is represented by disks, always symbolizes everything material and tangible. These are finances, real estate, the fruits of labor and all the emotions that the possession of material values evokes. Basic interpretation of cards by suit.

Ace - small capital, profit from working on the land.
Two – changes, positive or neutral.
Three is work. The map indicates only the activity, not its result.
Four - strength, power.
Five – anxiety, complication of the situation.
Six is success.
Seven is defeat.
Eight – prudence, stability of position.
Nine – acquisition, can be material or energetic (finding a friend, stable relationship, etc.).
Ten – prosperity, in monetary matters or in matters of human relationships.
Prince - advancement towards a material goal, receiving the fruits of one’s labor.
Princess – high material potential. In a reading, it may indicate pregnancy.
Queen - growth, the emergence of vitality, finding something you like that will bear fruit.
Knight - indicates that the time has come to collect the fruits of your activities and enjoy the process. A strong material card.

Fortune telling with Thoth Tarot cards will reveal aspects of life, events and emotions in all their diversity. This amazing and unique deck is not inferior to the ancient Tarot cards, and in some ways even surpasses them. It was designed by its creator taking into account the variability and cyclical nature of life. Crowley believed that magicians should reveal secrets, and not create them, fooling everyone's heads. He managed to fully realize the idea in his Thoth Tarot.

. At the feet of the old man are a lion and a dragon; it is unclear whether they are attacking him or caressing his feet; however, he apparently does not pay attention to them .
Hebrew letter: Aleph (ox).
Path of the Tree of Life: 11th, connecting Kether (Crown) with Chokmah (Wisdom).
Colors: bright light yellow; sky blue; blue-emerald green; emerald, flecked with gold.

“Know nothing!
All paths are lawful for innocence.
Pure stupidity is the Key to Initiation.
Silence explodes into ecstasy.
Be neither a man nor a woman, but both in one.
Keep silence, O Child in the Egg of Blue, so that you may grow up worthy to carry the Spear and the Grail!
Travel alone and sing! The royal daughter is waiting for you in the King's palace." .

This may seem strange to you, but I intend to begin my discussion of the first arcana of the Tarot, the Fool, with a quote from the section of the Book of Thoth dedicated to the last arcana, the Universe:

“...the Universe card contains a symbol of the completion of the Great Work in its highest sense - exactly as Atu the Fool symbolizes its beginning. The fool is non-existence passing into manifestation; The Universe is manifestation in its entirety, having reached its goal and is ready to return to the beginning. The twenty cards lying between them represent the Great Work and the forces that carry it out at various stages." .

By and large, there are no twenty-two major arcana. There is only one Fool, and all the other major arcana are contained in him and come from him. None of the seventy-eight cards of the Tarot have evoked such reverence among interpreters as the Fool - and none have been so misunderstood. Crowley, in The Book of Thoth, devotes twenty-four pages to this map alone, taking the reader on a dizzying tour of the main attractions of Greek, Roman, Indian, Jewish, pagan and Christian mythologies.

In the most familiar image for us, the Fool is a young tramp, crowned with a wreath of laurel or ivy. He is dressed in colorful rags and holds a white rose in his hand. On his shoulder is a bundle on a stick. In some versions of the card, the Fool is bitten on the heels by a dog or crocodile. Raising his head and looking into the sky, the Fool carelessly steps to the edge of the cliff and takes the last fatal step: one of his feet is still on the ground, but the second is already raised above the abyss.

But Lady Harris's Fool turned out to be completely different. He has both feet firmly planted... in the air!

What is so mysterious and formidable about the Fool’s card? Isn't this just another actor in a medieval troupe, an ordinary Jester, amusing the Emperor, Empress and Hierophant? May be. The Fool of the Thoth deck retains many elements of traditional imagery. However, from a mystical point of view, the Fool is something much more (that is, in fact, much, much less). The Fool-Jester contains the final, ultimate mystery. Creation and the meaning of life are a huge, incomprehensible joke. The fool is not even God, but something even greater. The fool is the very “nothing” that we mean when we say: “God arose from nothing.” The fool is completely empty-headed: if he had anything in his head, he would have lost his innocence.

As the first of the major arcana, the Fool, logically, should correspond to the number 1. But in reality, his number is not 1, but 0. And this is his first and main joke: he creates one (and therefore everything the rest) out of nothing.

“This is complete madness!” - your mind will scream, and, to some extent, it will be absolutely right. There is not the slightest sense in the appearance of something out of nothing. But if we want to illustrate this very irrational idea of the emergence of something from nothing, then what could be a better symbol for it than an idiot - a fool who does not understand anything?

I have seen several early sketches of this map that Crowley rejected. To my complete delight, two of them bear the unmistakable portrait of Harpo Marx. Amazing! In the Marx Brothers' films, Harpo was precisely the archetypal fool. A hint of this can be found even in his very name. Harpo doesn't just chase girls and, in turn, make fools of the most prissy and uptight characters - he does it all without a single word. He remains silent, exactly like the mythological characters to whom the image of the Fool goes back: like Harpocrates (almost the namesake of Harpo) - the Hellenistic god of innocence; like Dionysus in response to King Pentheus’ question “What is truth?”; like Christ, who stands silently before Pilate, who asks him the same question.

Sketches of the Fool card

Harpo Marx

The Fool of the Thoth Tarot retains many of the elements familiar to us from traditional decks, but at the same time frankly demonstrates that the character with whom we are dealing is none other than the incomprehensible supreme deity of all eras and cultures. He is the pagan Green Man, the personification of spring; he is Parsifal, the simple-minded fool who obtains the Holy Grail; he is Harpocrates, the innocent child, the Egyptian god of silence; trampling the crocodile god Sebek, the Devourer. His “wild” eyes and horns, as well as the tiger, pine cones, grapes and ivy present on the map, reveal in him the innermost essence of the cosmos, which was worshiped for centuries under the name of Dionysus. This is Dionysus Zagreus - the horned son of Zeus; This is Bacchus Diphius - the drunken and insane pansexual god of divine ecstasy.

We can only guess about the meaning of these symbols. In my opinion, it is very likely that they allude, at least in part, to some aspects of sexual alchemy that Crowley preferred not to discuss in detail in print. The power and limitless potential of the processes of reproduction are fully consistent with the general symbolism of the “creative light”. But no matter what hypothesis we settle on, one way or another, I ask you, during the study of subsequent arcana, not to lose sight of the obvious fact that the genitals of the Fool are hidden by the solar disk.

See the section "Chariot". - Note L.M. Duquette.

The Book of Thoth, p. 69. - Note L.M. Duquette.

The Fool of the Thoth Tarot is the card to which Crowley himself paid the most attention in his book about the deck. It is unlike any other zero Arcana and combines many different images. Beginners are sometimes frightened by this jumble of symbols, but, if you look at it, everything is not at all as scary as it seems. Although without knowing what the author wanted to tell us, you won’t go far.

General description of the map, plot

You won’t even see a person with a knapsack or a Fool walking into an abyss on Crowley’s Arcana. This is a completely different idea. The Fool of the Thoth Tarot hangs in the air, thereby symbolizing its belonging to this element. On his head are horns (what kind of symbol this is I will say later) and a white phallic cone. The Jester's skin is golden in color, and he is dressed in green robes and golden shoes. In our hero’s right hand is clutched a staff topped with a white pyramid, and in his left hand is a pine cone, engulfed in flames. A bunch of grapes hangs from the left shoulder of the Fool of the Thoth Tarot; just below it we see coins. A bunch of grapes, represented by a huge spiral, wraps around the Fool. On the curls of this spiral we see the Maut kite, the dove of Venus, an ivy plant, a butterfly and a winged ball with two intertwined snakes. In addition to these symbols, two twin children on the middle curl of the spiral and a strange light blue flower attract attention. Under the Fool’s feet we see a crocodile lurking in the Nile River, and a tiger bites our hero’s leg. Pay attention to the character’s groin area - the sun’s disk is shining on it. Oh, and Frida Harris, who created this magnificent illustration, tried!

Symbolism of the card

First, let's look at the most difficult thing - the symbolism of the Arcanum Jester. Crowley did not leave a single random symbol on the map; each of them has its own special meaning.

Symbol	Meaning
The fool hangs in the air	Reference to the air element
Jester Pose	The pose of unexpected breakthrough and manifestation in this world
Horns on the head	Symbol of Dionysus Zagreus
Phallic white cone	Symbol of the influence of the sephira Kether (Crown)
Green clothes	Spring traditions, vitality, freshness, Celtic Green Man symbol
Golden Shoes	Gold of the Sun
Wand with white pyramid	Symbol of the Allfather
Flaming pine cone	Plant growth
bunch of grapes	Fertility, sweetness, root of ecstasy
Grapevine in spiral shape	Shape of the Universe
Three turns of the spiral	Triple Veil of Nothingness
Kite	Symbol of the goddess Maut
Pigeon	Symbol of the goddess Venus, Isis or Mary
Ivy	sacred plant
Butterfly, winged ball	Reflect the form of transformation, the cyclical nature of life and death
Twin Babies	Innocence, lightness, the beginning of life
Triple flower	Blessing
Nile crocodile Sebek	A reference to the legend of Harpocrates, the idea of initiation
Tiger biting the Jester's leg	A reference to the legend of Bacchus-Dionysus
Nile	Father symbol
Lotus	Mother Symbol
Coins	Materialization of the archetype

Main meaning of the card

Crowley in his works never gives a traditional interpretation of the cards, as other authors do. He expresses their meaning through symbolism and legends. Those. in this case it cannot be said that “Crowley the Fool - the essence of the situation is such and such.” You must determine for yourself what exactly this card will mean in the layouts. The Master himself says in his book that the image of the Fool contains several archetypes at once. This is at the same time the Green Man of the Spring Festival, the April Fool, the Holy Spirit, the Great Fool of the Celts (Dalua), Parsifal, who went on a journey for the Holy Grail, the ancient Egyptian deity Harpocrates, the androgynous hypostasis of Zeus (Zeus Arrhenothelius), Bacchus-Dionysus (Dionysus Zagreus), and partially even Baphomet. To understand the meaning of all these archetypes, you must read mythology or turn to Crowley’s “Book of Thoth” itself - everything is perfectly explained in it.

In short, Crowley's Arcana the Fool symbolizes creative chaos, absolute freedom, original potential, venturing into the unknown, new beginnings, innocence, the birth of creativity, curiosity.

Shadow value of the card

It is difficult to imagine in a nutshell what the shadow of Crowley's esoteric Fool might be. It is necessary to turn to each represented archetype included in this image in order to determine the possible shadow side of each. The most banal words that come to mind are recklessness, chaos, unclear goals, irresponsibility, progress “by touch” without any experience.

The meaning of the card on the psychological plane

In general, it is actually very difficult to interpret Crowley’s Arcana on an ordinary, everyday level, in isolation from the context of the layout, since each card reflects more and more new aspects of itself, depending on the question asked. Therefore, do not take my words as the only true ones - derive your own meanings. Most often, for me personally, the Fool of the Thoth Tarot on the psychological plane most often symbolizes some kind of initial emptiness that a person is just beginning to fill with something. He is both a Fool and a Wise Man. It's like returning to some kind of original source.

The meaning of the Arcana Fool in love and relationships

The meaning of the Fool of the Thoth Tarot in a relationship is the initial impulse, the first sympathy, nascent feelings, the very beginning of a romance, when complete uncertainty still looms ahead. Sometimes it is a renewal, a reset, a new stage in life, when a person, for example, has finally gone through a divorce and now seems to be starting life from the very beginning.

What does the Jester mean in work and finance?

Most often, the card symbolizes a completely new experience that helps a person shake himself up, and this experience can be both positive and negative. This is openness to a new business, a new project, the emergence of some idea, sometimes some chaotic events. On the financial plan - opening a new source of income, first salary, first self-earned money.

The meaning of the card in health matters

Here you always need to evaluate neighboring cards, since the Fool of the Thoth Tarot can speak of both complete healing, recovery, and the very beginning of some serious illness, for example, next to.

I recommend that everyone studying this deck be sure to read the author’s book, since often what other Tarot researchers write about these cards turns out to be very far from the original ideas laid down by Crowley himself and Frieda Harris. And this especially applies to the Fool.

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