Key Meanings

Upright

New beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, free spirit, leap of faith, adventure, optimism, trust, unlimited potential, fresh start, open-mindedness, living in the moment

Reversed

Recklessness, naivety, poor judgment, fear of change, holding back, carelessness, risk-taking without thought, stagnation, being taken advantage of, foolish choices, hesitation, lack of direction

General Interpretation

Upright

The Fool is card zero of the Major Arcana. It sits at the very start of the tarot journey, and that in itself tells you everything you need to know. This is the card of beginnings. Brand new, wide open, anything-is-possible kind of beginnings. When The Fool appears in an upright position, it indicates that something is about to begin. There is a wonderful childlike innocence when this card appears, and the person is ready to embark on a whole new adventure. The Fool is carefree, optimistic and embraces the unknown.

Reversed

When The Fool lands reversed, that carefree energy is distorted. In one sense, the reversed Fool indicates someone who wants to take the plunge but cannot. They are afraid to take the leap. They feel that something new is waiting for them, but they keep making excuses to stay in their current situation. Alternatively, The Fool Major Arcana Tarot card reversed can indicate that you are making poor choices. Acting without thinking. Making snap decisions with no regard for consequences. It can also signify that you are being taken advantage of due to your naivety and are trusting the wrong people at the wrong time.

Love & Partnership

Upright

For people already in a relationship, The Fool upright can signify a breath of fresh air. It is a new beginning for two people. Perhaps the two of you are rediscovering each other after a period of stagnation, or maybe you have a major adventure you're about to embark on together. It signifies fun and excitement in a relationship. It's the kind of fun that makes you remember why you got together in the first place.

For single people, The Fool is one of the best cards you can get. It signifies the beginning of something unexpected. A new romance may come out of the blue, and it may not be quite what you expected. The Fool tells you to approach love without a checklist, without expectations. To just be curious about another person.

Reversed

In relationships, the reversed Fool can indicate a lack of commitment or someone behaving in an uncommitted manner without regard for the impact on their partner. There may be some impulsive behaviour leading to conflict. It can also be an indicator that one person in the relationship is treating the other person's feelings in a careless manner, not because they want to hurt them but simply because they are being thoughtless. It can also indicate that a relationship is feeling stagnant because both parties are too scared to take a different path.

If you are single, the reversed Fool can indicate that you may be rushing into something without having a clear look at who the other person is. It's ok to wear rose-coloured glasses, but don't ignore red flags! However, it can also signify the opposite: that you are a serial hesitater. You want love, but you sabotage every opportunity to let it in because the risk of being vulnerable is too scary.

Social Relationships

Upright

Within existing friendships and social circles, The Fool upright breathes new life into things. Old friendships may be reinvigorated. You may find yourself being more open and authentic with the people around you, dropping the pretence you may have built up over time. Group dynamics take a more lighthearted direction. People are more willing to experiment, be silly and not take everything so seriously.

When it comes to new social connections, The Fool can indicate that you will meet people who will change the way you see the world. These will not be superficial acquaintances. These are the people that drag you into adventures you never would have discovered were it not for them.

Reversed

In terms of existing social ties, The Fool in a reversed position can signify being careless in the way you maintain your friendships. This could be in the form of someone constantly flaking on plans, saying inappropriate things, or simply not turning up when they need to. Trust is broken a little bit at a time when someone acts thoughtlessly. This card in a reversed position can also indicate feeling like you don't fit in, or that everyone else is progressing and you are going backwards.

Again, the emphasis with new connections is on caution when The Fool is reversed. Remember, not everyone who is fun and exciting is a good person. The reversed Fool can indicate being attracted to people who are flighty, phony or even downright toxic and manipulative. Or it can simply indicate that the timing is off for new friendships to develop, as you have too much upheaval going on internally to manage new relationships at the moment.

Work & Career

Upright

The Fool upright in a career reading is a great omen, as it indicates new opportunities in a work context. It can signify a new job, a career change, a new business idea, or a project or task that is completely different to anything you've done before. This card has an entrepreneurial spirit. The Fool upright in a career tarot reading indicates that you are better off taking a risk on something that might work rather than staying in a job that's not fulfilling for you any longer just for the sake of security. There is potential for success with this card in your spread. It's raw potential at the moment, and it's up to you to build on it.

Reversed

Reversed in a work context, The Fool can be an indicator of reckless decisions in a career or business context, or of being completely paralysed. Quitting your job with no plan of action to back it up just because it felt right in the moment. Or staying in a job that is going nowhere because you are so afraid of failing that you would prefer to stay stuck than risk your dreams. It can also appear when you are constantly leaping from opportunity to opportunity, never sticking with anything long enough to get results. There is no plan, no groundwork, and everything is shaky as a result.

Money & Finance

Upright

Financially, The Fool upright indicates that you may receive new money opportunities. It could be an unexpected windfall or an opportunity to invest in something new. It may also simply indicate you have the funds to try something new and adventurous. There is no certainty with The Fool in terms of money, he doesn't guarantee riches. He does, however, signify a possibility, an opening, a door that didn't exist before. What happens next is largely up to you!

Reversed

In a financial context, The Fool in reverse can be a sign of reckless spending or investments. You may find money is slipping through your fingers, as you have no real plan for it. It can also signify financial naivety, putting someone else in charge of financial decisions without doing your own due diligence. Alternatively, it can indicate that you are so risk-averse that you are letting good financial opportunities pass you by.

Spirituality

Upright

Spiritually, The Fool is one of the strongest cards in the deck. It signifies the beginning of a spiritual path. Not a "by the book" kind of spirituality, but a raw, personal kind. It indicates that you are willing to explore this path without knowing where it will lead. The Fool indicates that you have an energy of approaching the unknown with a sense of wonder rather than fear. The faith of The Fool doesn't have to be religious. It's about having faith that life is leading you somewhere, even if you don't have the map.

Reversed

When reversed in a spiritual context, The Fool indicates either spiritual bypassing or spiritual stagnation. Spiritual bypassing is when we use feel-good spiritual concepts to avoid dealing with our issues. Stagnation is when we want to grow but we're too afraid to challenge our old beliefs or experiment with new spiritual practices. Sometimes this involves a disconnection from our intuition. We are spiritually lost, but we don't know it! Your spiritual inner compass just needs a bit of recalibrating.