There comes a time in every persons life where they must decide on which path to take forward. There may be many different options laid before you, but typically, there are always at least two. One of them being the path of least resistance that exists inside your comfort zone. The other; more frightening, option is that of the journey of The Fool. A leap into the unknown.
It's such a shame that this was classified as a journey for the "fool" because I think it puts a lot of people off this option. This option will certainly make you feel foolish and maybe even a bit naïve. So, it's not a complete misnomer and I've learned to love it.
You start this journey with almost no information but a ton of instinct and emotion. It is the journey of the heart; the journey of the soul. We see this journey laid out in the Major Arcana. The Major Arcana refers to 22 specific cards in the tarot deck with the remaining 56 cards making up the Minor Arcana - similar to playing cards.
So, what does this journey look like and feel like? It is almost always terrifying in some way. The Fool's Journey is not for the faint of heart and will often ping-pong between exhilarating and devastating. Think back on a moment in your life where you could have taken the leap. That's what the start of this spiritual journey feels like. It feels like a huge gamble and you would be right! The secret to accepting this journey is to know that the gamble you're making is on your own self. Having the confidence in yourself to move forward into the unknown, knowing full-well that you may fail, is key here.
You may fail. In fact, you will at times. All throughout the journey of The Fool we see highs and lows; ebbs and flows. It's uncomfortable! If you're not uncomfortable, you're not growing. I have some good news for you though! Even when you fail; especially then, is when you do most of your growing on this journey. It's riddled with obstacles you'll need to approach with grace and patience. Grace and patience for yourself.
What does The Fool's Journey look like in reality? In the artwork on the card you see a person holding little belongings, stepping off of a cliff. There are blue skies above and the person is smiling with their eyes closed. This is the feeling of the journey. Not the reality of it. Do not step off of any literal cliffs expecting The Magician to be there to save you. This is spiritual.
Things that feel like stepping off of a cliff:
Starting your first small business
Going to college
Moving away
Getting a divorce
Loss of a loved one
Traveling alone
A lot of the times our journeys present themselves in a pit of despair. When a person has reached "rock bottom" they have no other choice but to go on this journey. There is no other option but to leap into the unknown then. You have nothing. Maybe you have no one either. Ignoring your heart can send you to these depths and stir anxiety inside of you. Maybe it's happening right now.
Imagine a man in his mid-thirties who has been married for ~10 years. House, kids, joint bank accounts, businesses, etc. etc. My point; he's in deep. But he's unhappy. And when he thinks about his life over the past decade he realizes he was rarely at peace. He gets anxious, shoves the feeling away under the premise of sunk-cost-fallacy, and continues to soldier on.
This man is now 60, his kids have moved out and the empty space left just made way for more marital arguments. That anxiety he had shoved down 30 years prior? Rears its head in every single one of these fights until it becomes overwhelming. So much so that he shuts down completely out of resentment for himself that he has now displaced onto his partner. Is this the end? Does this man become a robot husband for the remaining years of his life? Or does he do something about it.
What if he had listened to that feeling in his mid-thirties? Done the not-done thing and gotten a divorce? It takes an extreme amount of bravery to get a divorce. People don't like to admit when they're wrong and being wrong about a life partner is devastating. We take it personally. Maybe you've convinced yourself you're an idiot by now. It's not easy to accept that we made a mistake especially when its this big. Divorce can be one of the journeys of The Fool.
This journey looks different to everyone and it's not always step 1, step 2, step 3 and on. You'll bounce around the Major Arcana in a way that makes sense to you. The beginning of this journey is different for everyone. The only thing that is the same across the board is the conscious decision to go on this journey. It is a choice. You will know it when it presents itself because it will scare the shit out of you but excite you more than anything in life ever has.
Don't wait until your Tower moment forces you to find your authentic self. Take the leap now! I dare you ;)
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