This is a modern re-working of “The Fool” from the popular ‘Rider Waite’ Tarot Card Deck, using the original colour scheme and deeply mystical, illustrative imagery which Pamela Colman-Smith produced for the mystic A.E.Waite, as a guide.

Pamela Colman-Smith (1878-1951)

A. E. Waite

Arthur Edward Waite (October 2, 1857 – May 19, 1942) was a scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. As his biographer, R.A. Gilbert described him, “Waite’s name has survived because he was the first to attempt a systematic study of the history of western occultism — viewed as a spiritual tradition rather than as aspects of proto-science or as the pathology of religion.”

Waite is best known as the co-creator of the popular and widely used Rider-Waite Tarot deck and author of its companion volume, the Key to the Tarot, republished in expanded form the following year, 1911, as the Pictorial Key to the Tarot, a guide to Tarot reading. The Rider-Waite-Smith tarot was notable for being one of the first tarot decks to illustrate all 78 cards fully, in addition to the 22 major arcana cards. Golden Dawn member Pamela Colman Smith illustrated the cards for Waite, and the deck was first published in 1909. This deck has become the standard classic for many professional-standard tarot readers, due to it’s mystical depth and simplicity, and no-less for it’s innocent and timeless cheerful illustrations.

The Fool represents a dual idea, of which both apects might be considered when drawing this card in a Tarot Reading…

On one side the Fool is the obvious fool who is treading foolishly without thinking about the safety of her next step and the other EQUALLY valid and vital meaning… is that situation, where we are feeling very certain that our next step is one we must take, regardless of inconvenience or benefit to ourselves, for what is unavoidably the ‘greater good’….

We then take that step off a metaphorical cliff-top JOYFULLY, not caring for the “life and death” of our situation or even our self, depending upon the situation…we are a couragous, innocent cosmic child.

When you draw this card it is good to weigh how you feel, in your inner Self, about making your next step…