The Fool, Path 11 on the Tree of Life

The Fool walks Path 11, the Path of Aleph (Alef) on the Tree of Life which connects the Sefirot of Keter (Crown),found at the top of the Pillar of Balance and Chokmah (Wisdom) found at the top of the Pillar of Mercy.

Aleph is considered a “hidden” path because it is not included in the usual paths that connect the sephirot of the Tree of Life. Instead, it represents a pathless path, signifying that the spiritual journey cannot be fully mapped out or understood. Aleph’s path symbolizes the unification of the divine and the individual and the journey toward spiritual evolution and enlightenment. It represents the willingness to take a leap of faith into the unknown, trusting in the divine, and embracing the limitless potential of the spiritual realm. This path teaches that each day must be seen as new and approached without fear.  It reveals the simple wisdom of the child within.  At this stage we are joyful & experience the wisdom that comes from laughter (joy & creative).  This is the path of simplicity, of pure energy before thought or action have arisen to complicate matters.

The Hebrew Letter representing this path Aleph describes the principal and primary force of creation.  Aleph is most commonly symbolized as an Ox implying a great and powerful force.  Thousands of years ago, the Ox was a symbol of the raw power of the earth and the power that can be harnessed to do all manner of things.  Aleph represents the first and only creative force where all proceeding creative forces are simply different states that this original force can move into.  In this primal state of pure beingness it is not a force in action.  In fact it is not doing anything.  It is the essence of infinite potential in perfect stillness.  To us it represents perfection beyond human comprehension.

In her book Kabbala Pathworking, Sandy Anastasi suggests some of the areas Path 11 can helps us work on include: Energizing, especially the Crown Chakra and the head; Learning the feeling of emptiness, stillness - pure existence; a vessel waiting to be filled: Being able to recognize symbols, especially of infinity, active in your life; Relaxation, calmness, peacefulness: Finding the ultimate seed of creation within yourself: Recognizing that you are just as responsible for your inner creations as for your outer ones.

Andy Matzner, in his book Tarot for Transformation, Using the Major Arcana to Discover Your Best Self and Create a Life Worth Living says of The Fool:

Not knowing is true knowledge. Presuming to know is a disease. Lao Tau.

He starts his discussion of the Fool with the following: Everything and Nothing; Pure potential; Innocence, Spontaneity; Beginner's mind, Trust, Freedom; Living in and with awe; Seeing things (as if) for the very first time; Lacking self-consciousness; without baggage; Living in the moment; Speaking one's truth; Having faith; Embarking on the journey; Our original face; Before expectation; Before family; Before society; Before trauma; The chicken is the egg.

He continues: The fool exists entirely in the here and now, unencumbered by pain from the past or worries about the future. Therefore, your journey starts with Mindfulness, as it will influence every aspect of your self-growth moving forward. Everything that follows depends on this skill.

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion. Thich Nhat Hanh

In his book The Soul's Journey, Finding Spiritual Messages in the Tarot, James Ricklef says of the Fool:

Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The Fool is an innocent who lacks the fetters of an ego. Thus, he takes a leap of faith and discovers his full potential, not yet having forgotten his divine Self. And being the number Zero, i.e., nothing, he possesses the pure potential to become anything he wants to be.

One of the ways he suggests one might wish to use his book is to do a daily draw and review the basic messages and then consider one of the messages for the card as a lesson or insight to keep in mind throughout the day. In the case of The Fool the messages to chose from are: Nothing about the Fool; Nothing, something, and everything; Achieving nothing; Beginner's luck' Assume innocence; Seize the day!; Leap of Faith.

I wonder which one of these speaks most to you right now.

While both Andy Matzner and Sandy Anastasi focus only on the Major Arcana, James Ricklef also has information on the Minor Arcana. Since I chose a card for each of the Sephirot I thought I'd share some of his information on these too.

Ace of Pentacles: The Ace of Pentacles indicates an opportunity or boon, and it can signal the advent of abundance and prosperity. A common image on this card is that of a divine hand offering a pentacle, which says that seeing the divine with the manifest world is one of the essential aspects of a spiritual path.

His messages to consider with the Ace of Pentacles are: Basic, primary needs; Appreciation and gratitude; Opportunities; Create a beautiful life; Spiritualize your life.

Page of Pentacles: The youthful innocence typical of the Tarot's pages is, in this case, directed toward worldly things. At its best, it turns to awe, wonder, and excitement such as what a child feels on Christmas morning.

His messages to consider with the Page of Pentacles are: A kid at Christmas; Seven million wonders of the world; The magical world.

Where will your journey take you?