The Fool

Welcome to my first blog post on my first blog! I am excited to be embarking on this new journey and invite you to join me.

On this journey, I will be exploring the tarot archetypes and images of the Major Arcana, the first 22 cards of the tarot deck, through a coaching lens. In my experience of tarot in my own life and in doing readings for others, I have seen how the images in tarot speak to core and universal human experiences, from major life transitions to the most mundane aspects of our daily routines. Tarot intersects beautifully with coaching, since coaching is a process of unveiling layers of meaning within ourselves in order to gain a deeper sense of who we are, what we want, and where we are going. Tarot can help us see aspects of ourselves in a new light or reflect back realities that we have not previously been able to articulate.

It feels so appropriate to start with The Fool, the first card in the deck. The Fool is all about new beginnings. The character in this card is generally depicted as about to step off a cliff- there is a sense of youth and naivete, a blissful ignorance. In some cards, the fool is looking away, as if they are not aware of what is about to happen. The journey before them is one of uncertainty and requires either great faith or great stupidity, speaking to the term "Fool." Is this person just an idiot who has no idea what they are doing, blithely stepping/falling to their own death? Or is there a deeper wisdom (the "wisdom of the fool") that trusts in the process of taking that leap, not knowing where it will lead, but having faith that it will be worth it.

I feel a bit like the Fool myself as I launch this blog and my new vision for tarot-informed coaching. There is a sense of anxiety that accompanies this step, but along with it, great optimism, excitement, and a sense of purpose or destiny. I have no doubt there will be metaphorical mountains to climb, and this journey of entrepreneurship will be far from easy. I also wonder if not knowing everything that lies ahead helps me move forward; would I still take the leap if I could see the future?

When have you felt on the precipice of something new and unknown, like you were leaping off a cliff?

How did not knowing what was to come either serve you or hold you back?

What did you learn when you took the leap?

What helped get you over the edge?