With
all his worldly possessions in one small pack, the Fool travels he
knows not where. So filled with visions, questions, wonder and
excitement is he, that he doesn't see the cliff he is likely to fall
over. At his heel a small dog harries him (or tries to warn him of a
possible mis-step). Will the Fool learn to pay attention to where he's
going before it's too late?
Traveling
on his way, the Fool first encounters a Magician. Skillful,
self-confident, a powerful magus with the infinite as a halo floating
above his head, the Magician mesmerizes the Fool. When asked, the Fool
gives over his bundled pack and stick to the Magician. Raising his wand
to heaven, pointing his finger to Earth, the Magician calls on all
powers. Magically, the cloth of the pack unfolds upon the table,
revealing its contents.
To
the Fool's eyes, it is as if the Magician has created the future with a
word. All the possibilities are laid out, all the directions he can
take: The cool, airy Sword of intellect and communication, the fiery
Wand of passions and ambition, the overflowing Chalice of love and
emotions, the solid Pentacle of work, possessions and body.
With
these tools, the Fool can create anything, make anything of his life.
But here's the question, did the Magician create the tools, or were they
already in the pack? Only the Magician knows - and on this mystery, our
eloquent mage refuses to say a word.
Continuing
his journey, the Fool comes upon a beautiful and mysterious veiled lady
enthroned between two pillars and illuminated by the moon. She is the
opposite of the Magician, quiet where he was loquacious, still where he
was in motion, sitting while he stood, shrouded in the night where he
was out in the bright of day. Sensing that she is a great seer, the Fool
lays out his sword, chalice, staff and pentacle before her. "The
Magician showed me these, but now I'm in a quandary. There are so many
things I could do with them. I can't decide."
The
High Priestess doesn't speak. Instead she hands him a pair of ancient
scrolls. Seating himself at her feet, the Fool puts his decision-making
on hold and reads by the light of her crescent moon.
"I
did not know any of this," says the Fool. The scrolls, like a secret
manual, have given him insight into his new tools. "This information
helps me to narrow things down, but I'm still afraid of making a wrong
decision."
The
words come to him then, not from without but from within: "What do your
instincts tell you?" The Fool reflects on that, and that's when he
knows what he should do. Decision made, he rises to leave even though he
suspects that the High Priestess has more secrets she could reveal to
him--like what lies behind the pomegranate curtain. Right now, however,
he is focused and ready to be on his way.
Thanking
the High Priestess, he heads off. But as he leaves he hears that inner
voice, rising like the waters which spring and flow from beneath her
throne: "We'll meet again...when you're ready to travel the most secret
path of all."
Having
decided what he will create with his tools, the Fool strides forward,
impatient to make his future a full-grown reality. This is when he comes
upon the Empress. Her hair gold as wheat, wearing a crown of stars, and
a white gown dotted with pomegranates. She rests back on her throne
surrounded by an abundance of grain and a lush garden. It is possible
that she is pregnant.
Kneeling,
the Fool relates to her his story. And she, in turn, smiles a motherly
smile and gently gives him this advice: "Like newly planted grain or a
newborn babe, a new life, a new relationship, a new creation is fragile.
It requires patience and nurturing. It needs love and attention. Only
this will bring it to fruition." Understanding at last that his
creations will take time to develop, the Fool thanks the Empress and
continues on his way.
The
Fool was given options by the Magician, and decided on one with help
from the High Priestess. He learned how to develop it thanks to the
Empress. Now it has reached as stage where he must find a way to manage
it. How to do this? He approaches a great Emperor seated on a stone
throne. The Fool is amazed by the way the Emperor is instantly, eagerly
obeyed in every particular, at how well his Empire is run and organized.
Respectfully, he asks the Emperor how it is he does this. And the
Emperor answers: "Strong will and a solid foundation of laws and order.
It's all very well," he explains to the Fool, "to be imaginative,
creative, instinctual, patient; but to control one must be alert, brave
and aggressive."
Ready now to lead and direct rather than be led, the Fool heads out with new purpose.
Having
created a solid foundation on which to build his future, the Fool is
struck with a sudden fear. What if everything he's worked for is taken
away? Is stolen, or lost, or destroyed or vanishes? Or what if what he's
created isn't good enough? In a panic, he heads into a temple where he
finds the Hierophant, a wise and holy man. Acolytes kneel before the man
ready to hear and pass on his teachings. The Fool tells the Hierophant
his fears, and asks how he can be free of them.
"There
are two ways," says the Hierophant sagely, "Either give up that which
you fear to lose so it no longer holds any power over you, or consider
what you will still have if your fear comes to pass. After all," the
Hierophant continues, "if you did lose all you'd built, you would still
keep the experience and knowledge that you've gained up to this point,
wouldn't you?"
"That
is true," the Fool says. "But what about the community, society and
friends I've discovered thanks to what I've created? More than knowledge
or experience, I value them. If I lost all, I'd lose them too, wouldn't
I?"
"Not
necessarily," the Hierophant answers with a warm glow in his
compassionate eyes. "If your community has traditions that you all
share, ethics and beliefs, then you will never lose that fellowship even
if circumstances force you to part. You can even pass such onto your
children giving them the same fellowship with each other and with past
generations."
Hearing
this, the Fool feels his heart ease, as if knots of fear have been
loosened. A sense of peace blankets him, and he takes a moment to thank
the good Hierophant most profoundly. Stepping out of the sanctuary he
makes his way to a meeting with his friends. Tonight they will talk
about how they can create lessons and traditions to preserve not only
their experience and knowledge, but their community
The
Fool comes to a cross-road, filled with energy, confidence and purpose,
knowing exactly where he wants to go and what he wants to do. But he
comes to a dead stop. A flowering tree marks the path he wants to take,
the one he's been planning on taking. But standing before a fruit tree
marking the other path is a woman. The Fool has met and had
relationships with women before, some far more beautiful and alluring.
But she is different. Seeing her, he feels as though he's just been shot
in the heart with cupid's arrow.
That's
how shocking, how painful is his "recognition" of her. As he speaks
with her, the feeling intensifies; like finding a missing part of
himself. It is clear that she feels the same about him. They finish each
other's sentences, think the same thoughts. It is as if an Angel above
had introduced their souls to each other.
Though
it was his plan to follow the path of the flowering tree, and though it
will cause some trouble for him to bring this woman with him, the Fool
knows he dare not leave her behind. Like the fruit tree, she will
fulfill him. No matter how divergent from his original intent, she is
his future. He chooses her, and together they head down a whole new
road.
The
Fool is close to completing what he set out to create long ago, back
when the Magician revealed those tools to him. But enemies are now
standing in his way, devious human enemies, bad circumstances, even
confusion in his own mind. There's no more forward momentum; he feels he
is fighting just to stay where he is. Walking along the shore, watching
the waves come in, he puzzles over how to defeat these enemies and get
things moving forward once again. It is here that he comes across a
charioteer, standing in his gold and silver chariot, his black and white
steeds at rest. "You seem a victorious warrior," the Fool remarks. "I
feel beset by my enemies, unable to move forward. What should I do?
"First,
you must armor yourself," the Charioteer strikes the chariot and then
his breastplate with a gauntleted fist, making both ring out. "Next, you
must focus on your goal, where do you mean to go, what do you mean to
do." The warrior nods to his beasts. "Your steeds keep the wheels
turning, but it is your control and direction of them that gets them to
their destination. Dark and light, they must be made to draw in harmony,
under your guidance." The Fool nods. That makes sense. "What if an
someone or something gets in your way?"
The Charioteer coolly
meets the Fool's gaze. "You run them down. Your aim is victory, and to
be victorious you must have unwavering confidence in your cause. Never
question, never doubt what you're trying to achieve. Never lose your
focus or your motivation."
The Fool is impressed and inspired. He
thinks he now knows how to get past all the distractions and setbacks
that have been keeping him trapped in place, like a riptide in the
ocean. He thanks the warrior, but before he leaves, the warrior stays
the Fool.
"One thing more you should keep in mind," he says,
"Victory is not the end, it is the beginning. Remember that before you
decide to enter into any contest."
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