0- The Fool

The Fool is either the first card in the deck (as in the Rider-Waite tarot deck) or occasionally, the last (and numbered 22). It depicts a youth carrying his worldly possessions with him, looking at the sky, seemingly unaware of the cliff’s edge at his feet. In most decks, a small dog (or other animal) is at his feet, perhaps warning him of the danger ahead.

The Fool depicts a leap of faith, or the idea of taking a chance, leaving what is known behind, and moving forward. Sometimes, depending on the surrounding cards, this leap is unadvised, sometimes it is uncomfortable, others, it is the absolute right action. Always, though, there is the element of proceeding down a path that is, at least to some extent, unknown and uncharted. The Fool is the beginning of the deck, so often refers to the start of something important.