The Fool
A Beginning is a good beginning
In the beginning, is the Fool. The Fool launches themselves into manifestation, and the universe is that manifestation. The purpose of this journey is to accomplish, and then to return. This is the very beginning Great Work of the alchemists, the Magnum Opus of our lives.
The Fool is an umbrella cockatoo. Umbrella cockatoos are endemic to Indonesia. Their Latin name is cockatoo alba, alba being the feminine for white. These Cockies also have beautiful yellow inside of their wings and on the bottom side of their tails that flash brilliantly when they are flying and when they are displaying.
Like the traditional Fool, this cockatoo is stepping off into the unknown, into the new, and into creation. They are standing on the disc of the sun, a symbol of creativity and the absolute self. The sun is being held up by a scarab beetle. In the Harris and Crowley Thoth deck, there is a crocodile on the bottom of the card that the Fool is almost, but not quite, stepping on. The crocodile is symbolic of the god Sobek, but also a symbol of parthenogenesis, which is a belief that life and birth came from nothing. Instead of using a crocodile for this card, I decided to use the scarab beetle because the scarab beetle was also believed to be born not through sexual reproduction, but emerging fully formed as a new being.
Here, as tradition dictates, the scarab beetle is holding up the sun. The scarab's wings are beautiful tiger's eyes. The tiger, again from the Thoth deck, represents fear. Whenever we start something new there's always the fear of the unknown, and we must fight it. That fear is symbolized by the ferocity of the tiger which reminds us of the pre-historic terror of being hunted by something we can't see. The Fool bravely, or foolishly, as is yet to be determined, takes that step into uncertainty anyway.
To the left of the scarab is a butterfly. The butterfly represents newness. This one is a blue morpho butterfly, the same beautiful sky blue of the queen's scale. Its tail makes the shape of a caduceus, which is carried by the messenger god Hermes, also known as Mercury, and is a blessing for new undertakings and new beginnings.
The plants on the side are bamboo, papyrus, and lavender, all plants that represent the idea of starts and beginnings, and fortitude in those beginnings. Bamboo can grow in nearly impossible places, papyrus is a really healthy, vital plant, and lavender’s properties are cleansing and renewing. They serve to ground the Fool in their journey.
Behind the Fool are the coins, or currency, in their metaphysical "bag," which here is represented by the rainbow. There are both planetary symbols and zodiacal symbols on the coins, so they’ve got everything with them to be able to go anywhere they please on this journey.
If you have ever met an umbrella cockatoo or have seen one in a YouTube video, it's pretty obvious why they are representing The Fool. They are unbelievably courageous, investigative, and highly social. They're also really funny and intensely affectionate. In the wild, these traits are what helps them survive and what allows them to be dominant in their landscape. But as a pet or companion, it can make them very difficult for some people to manage if they don’t understand. They’re too much for a lot of people to handle who expect a pretty white cuddly bird and don’t realize that they are getting a small, highly intelligent dinosaur with the bargain, and many of them are misunderstood, mistreated, and abandoned because of it. Like all beings, they deserve respect and understanding. Yes, cockatoos can make amazing companions but our expectation of loyalty and loving has to flow both ways, not just from them to us, but from us to them. Parrots never leave their flock, or family group and they live a very long time, up to 60-80 years (that’s people years). Getting a pretty white cuddly bird comes with the responsibility of adopting a long-lived, smart, demanding member of the family that requires a lot of special care. If this isn’t something you are willing to do, then don’t get a cockatoo, or a parrot of any kind for that matter. But for those that are willing to change their whole lives to accommodate their feathered friends, the rewards are huge.
Umbrella cockatoos are listed as endangered by the IUCN specifically because of the illegal pet trade. That's going to be a big theme in this deck and in all of these descriptions—that because of their beauty, because of their uniqueness, because of their intensity and because they are amazing companions for people who can handle them, these birds are highly valued as pets. This has led to their status declining in the wild, ironically making the pet trade their only hope.
For now, though, umbrella cockatoos are a perfect start for this journey of discovery. They symbolize something unique in the bird world because of their intense affection and courageous behavior. They were also very popular in China during the Tang Dynasty, where they became associated with Guan Yin, known as the goddess of mercy. This goddess is also known as Avalokiteśvara in Buddhism, who is the bodhisattva of compassion.
Avalokiteśvara can be translated as "sound perceiver" which literally means "they who hear the cry of sentient beings that need help.” This is perfect for the Fool, who comes into being, into manifestation, to take the journey of creation. There's something foolish and fated about that decision, even if there are endless possibilities ahead.
Taking that first step and moving into something new requires both fear and compassion. Taking that step in the first place while knowing that there are unlimited possibilities that you can create, and understanding that there is an ultimate end awaiting us all, is essentially the journey of life itself.