What is the Fool’s Journey?

A common phrase among readers, the Fool’s Journey refers to the concept that the Major Arcana depicts and explains our individual journey to of self-development as a narrative through different stages of growth towards self-actualization. It is used as an exercise to better understand how the cards work together, as you move through each card in numerical order. You can look at it as a general life path, or use it to examine a certain area/period of your life. For example, you decide to look back on your career as you desire change and don’t know where to turn. Start with:

0 – The Fool

This is you, let’s say, fresh out of school, ready to start work (at the end of one chapter, at the start of a new). Ask yourself:

• How would you describe yourself during this period?
• Where you open to trying new experiences, or were you fearful of taking risks?
• Did you feel optimistic and protected or did you act in a careless, lazy manner?
• During this time did you listen to your inner voice regardless of what other people were saying to you?
• Were any of your actions fearful or doubtful?

Now consider your responses and decide if you are content with your response. Do you feel you acted conservatively, and wish you had taken more a risk, many accept another roll in another company? Ever you ever followed advice that went against your inner voice, and now regret not going with your gut?

Once these conclusions are articulated, then you can move on to the Magician.

The Magician

The conscious application of your focus and skills. Think back to your professional career and ask yourself:

• Do you feel good about the way you energy and focus have been used?
• Have you been able to complete work or projects you have started?
• Have you cheated to achieve your goals?

Again, contemplate these points, and decide if you need to be better at working towards your goals, and if you feel confident that you can honestly create your own reality with your own creative energy.

You cycle move like this from card to card, contemplating each individual card’s message, taking what you can from it to improve, learning from each lesson. The World, card number 21, brings the Fool’s Journey full circle but doesn’t it. The Journey comes right back to the Fool to start a new cycle, a new chapter, with all he has learned in the past.