Majors: The Fool

As someone who works in science, I’ve always enjoyed the few science decks out there in tarotland. They speak a language that is familiar and comfortable for me. And so I have selected them to begin my comparative exploration of the Major Arcana. The decks I will be using are the Tarot of Physics, the Mathematics Tarot, the Science Tarot, and the Quantum Tarot. Our first step on this journey is the Fool, an optimistic and naive spirit, full to the brim with potential and oblivious to the dangers that may befall him. Let’s see what these cards have to say about this intriguing character.

(counterclockwise from the top left)

The Science Tarot: This deck portrays the Fool as a student, lab coat in hand and so immersed in his studies that he is about to take a tumble off of a stack of books. I love this interpretation of the Fool. Here we see someone who is too absorbed in his life to see the world around him. He is short-sighted and overly confident. He is thirsty for knowledge, but is not yet wise enough to use all the information at his fingertips. Although he is still quite naive, we can still sense that great things are ahead for him. Given time and experience, he can build success.

Tarot of Physics: Another great interpretation of the Fool. The Tarot of Physics chooses the Big Bang as their example of card 0. Here we see a perfect starting point for the journey. Everything that is needed for the journey is available and the timing is just right for the journey to begin. And the potential! This singularity is just begging to become something new and exciting. With the big bang in mind, you get a feeling of exhilaration. Let’s get this party started!

Quantum Tarot:  This deck also selects the Big Bang to represent the Fool. In addition to all the imagery that the Big Bang calls to mind, we also see a representation of a butterfly on the card. It reminds us how the fool can transform itself from a cocoon of possibilities and safety to a world where it can spread its wings and experience all that the world has to offer. This new world has both dangers and opportunities, and the butterfly must learn to navigate this new and exciting world. It is reminiscent of a child with their

Mathematics Tarot: This deck shows the Lorenz System for card 0. Very interesting indeed! Here we have one solution which makes a butterfly shape. Again, we see this idea of a butterfly and all the potential and beauty that represents. But this choice shows us some other ideas too, including chaos and an impulsive nature. The accompanying documentation for this deck even references mania. Yes! Indeed that Fool does sometimes find himself experiencing mania when excitement, potential, and naivety all come together to create quite the perfect storm.

And this is why I love comparing a single card across different decks. I love to see that they each share and where they differ. What a great way to learn. And, at least for me, nothing makes the concepts of the tarot sink in more than seeing all the various ways that a card can be interpreted! So, here is what I think of when I think of the Fool, thanks to cards like these: Impulsiveness, potential, excitement, having all the ingredients for success at your fingertips but not always knowing how to utilize them, potential for danger and failure, naivety, mania, beauty, childlike happiness.

Learning Through Comparisons

Comparing and contrasting different interpretations of tarot cards has been my primary way of learning the tarot. Treating Tarot like an academic pursuit just never worked for me. Memorizing key words, making flash cards, or constructing charts only left me frustrated and annoyed. And so I found that just observing the cards was not only more enjoyable, but also more effective for me. Although I’ve spent some time comparing decks, I’ve never put it down on paper, so to speak. And that is what I hope to do here. I will be comparing a single card from various decks in an effort to see what they all share, and how they differ. I’ve found that it truly helps me to connect that meaning to the image on the card, and I hope it helps you too.

I hope to get through all the cards with the chosen decks, but for now, I have chosen 5 sets of decks with which to explore the various suits and the majors. The groups are as follows:

Majors:

Tarot of Physics

Mathematics Tarot

Science Tarot

Quantum Tarot

Wands:

Victorian Romantic

Bohemian Gothic

Baroque Bohemian Cats

Tarot of the Absurd

Cups:

Druidcraft

Morgan Greer

Anna K

Wild Unknown

Swords:

Paulina Tarot

Joie de Vivre

Shadowscapes

Revelations

Pentacles:

Tarot of the Sweet Twilight

Fey Tarot

Steampunk Tarot

Deviant Moon Tarot