I thought I’d talk to you about The Fool, the first card of the Major Arcana in Tarot. There are a lot of negative connotations to being a “fool” in our society, but in Tarot, if it’s upright it’s a positive card. The Fool is who we are any time we start a new venture. If you get this card, it is telling you to take that leap of faith because you are divinely protected and guided as you begin moving forward on accomplishing your goal. In a sense, we are all The Fool every time we wake up in the morning and start a new day, and our attitude in many way dictates how we perceive it, too. Do we want to look at life as a series of adventures and lessons that lead us to more understanding, or do we fear change and remain stuck in our ways? The Fool challenges us to not necessarily see the bright side but instead to remember we choose how meaningful we want our lives to be.
The reason why I’m sharing this here is that I have begun working on my own tarot deck. It is inspired by both Art Nouveau and botanical illustrations from that time. Each card will have a different flower or plant as the main focus, but there will be additional imagery that is inspired from the symbolic tarot traditions. I want it to not just look good but also be something that a reader can dive into or can easily be included in someone’s spiritual practice. I personally have been reading (and collecting) tarot for about 29 years now, and I love being able to dive really deep into it as I create my deck.
In the design of my card, the flower I chose to represent The Fool is the same flower that is often shown to be held by The Fool as a symbol of innocence and divine guidance and protection: the White Rose. In addition, the white rose also means divine and spiritual love, or love on a higher plane. White also is the color that represents “Spirit” of the 5 elements (which includes Earth, Air, Fire, and Water as well). And the thorns on the rose remind us that life isn’t always easy, but the beauty of the flower tells us it’s all worth the trouble. In the background there’s a cliff with the water below. Again, The Fool is traditionally shown at the edge of a cliff ready to take a step over as they take that “leap of faith.” I wanted to give that same sense of danger and awe because who doesn’t get at least a little nervous just before we start something.
And I have another announcement: I will be teaching an online class called “Fundamentals of Tarot – The Major Arcana” starting July 26, at 4:00 PST. This class is very interactive. We will meet using Zoom, and there will be discussion each time we gather. And because I can be a bit of a taskmaster, I will be asking you to do some homework, too. This class is for those who want to go beyond reading the little book that comes with the deck and who want a relationship with their cards. We will discuss not only divination but also how to include it in rituals or your spiritual practice. And those who sign up by Thursday, July 23, you will receive a free 10 card tarot reading ($33 value), and all who sign up will also get a digital copy of my Fool Card Coloring Page. It can be used in a ritual, especially if you incorporate coloring it, to bring in good fortune as you start on a big project. Either look at the menu above and click on “Online Studios” or follow this link: https://linktr.ee/Juliet_A_Kurth_Studios if you want to learn more.
Soon I will enlarge this black and white drawing and fully paint it for the final image for the card set. I am also planning on making art prints of each of the Major Arcana as I go, and I promise I will post my progress here as well. And in the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram and see what I’m working on right now!
Juliet A Kurth 