Fool as a Person (Upright & Reversed) Tarot Card Meaning

The Fool is the card of new beginnings, amazing opportunities, and unlimited potential. Labeled card number “0,” The Fool is traditionally the first and the last card in the Tarot. The Fool is there as the bridge between each cycle of endings and beginnings. As a result, the Tarot is called “The Fool’s Journey,” as a metaphor for the cycles of love and life. 

The Fool is young and full of wonder, innocence, optimism, and freedom. He overlooks a cliff, but is too inexperienced to be afraid. Like the white rose he holds in his hand, he is pure. With his companion by his side, and the sun shining on his back, he is ready to love freely and dive into life headfirst.

Upright Fool as a Person

If the Fool appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is, more often than not, not literally a fool or foolish. This person may exude an aura of innocence and wonder, no matter what age they are. It is astrologically associated with Uranus, the planet that rules Aquarius and the 11th House. They can be curious, inquisitive, and approach life in a scientific yet quirky way. Because Aquarius is a masculine sign, this card carries an active, assertive energy. We all have a little bit of both energies expressed in a balanced way, regardless of which gender we identify as. 

Because this is a Major Arcana card, some of these defining traits make up a major part of their identity. So, for example, being a quirky creative will play a major role in who they are, or how they view themselves. Note that they may not reveal this side to you at the beginning stages of your relationship, to others, or ever.

For physical characteristics, the Fool as a person represents someone who is innocent looking or they may appear androgynous. They could give off a youthful energy in their body language and mannerisms. This person will also tend to be outdoorsy, so they’ll be fit, active, or sun kissed. One of most noticeable things about this person is probably their style: they’ll be unique, daring, and even avant-garde. However, they’ll never appear to be trying too hard, in fact they embody effortlessness. As the first card of the Tarot, they’re the pioneers and the trendsetters.

For emotional characteristics, the Fool as a person represents someone who is exciting and gets excited easily. They’re a pure-hearted friend, loyal, and sees the best in everyone and everything. Even though this person has been hurt in love and friendships, they’ll still have hope for humanity. They’re open to anyone and everything, and they’ll try anything once. This person doesn’t take offense in being called “weird” or “eccentric”, they wear it like a badge of honor. They’ll have friends and lovers from all walks of life, from all around the world, and they’ll experiment with different alternative lifestyles.

For careers, the Fool can represent someone who works as a creative, an artist, or an inventor. This is the type of person who’s built for social media fame: they can make the most mundane daily activity look exciting. There’s always a new angle or a new twist in most of the things they do, which usually makes for content creation gold. Alternatively, because this card is astrologically associated with Uranus and Aquarian energy, they can work in the tech industry or a STEM field. They don’t bother hiding their quirks at the workplace, and they will come up with unconventional solutions to common problems. In their best manifestations, they can become inventors, or their inquisitive nature may lead to scientific discoveries.

The Fool as a person represents someone who makes you feel relaxed, but also optimistic. Their mantra is “don’t worry, be happy” and “YOLO” (you only live once). Although they’re not usually a “salesperson” archetype, they can sell you new ideas and convince you to try something new. They’re that friend who discovers the newest social media app or technology before it was cool. There’s never a boring day with this person, everything seems interesting. Most importantly, they’re extremely accepting, non-judgmental, and they view everyone as equals.

Fool Reversed as a Person

If the Fool reversed appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is jaded.

They may have gone through something that caused them to lose their innocence and develop a more cynical view of the world. If they’re young this may give off the illusion that they’re “wise beyond their years”, but they’re really prematurely bitter. Especially because this card was drawn in the reverse, this person has no intentions to change. They’re stuck in their ways, even proud of their bleak view of life. Because this is a Major Arcana card, some of these traits will be inherent aspects of their identity. Good or bad, nobody is perfect and people can change, if they choose to.

For physical characteristics, the Fool reversed as a person represents someone who is afraid of being seen in their natural state. They’re very particular about the way they present themselves, to the point of overthinking. This person may have developed a sense of shame for the way they appear, possibly due to body-shaming, a strict upbringing, or exposure to negative beauty standards in the media. Additionally, they rarely appear to be happy or carefree. You may notice that they’ll have a furrowed brow or a look of mistrust. They’re sense of “style” is being afraid to express a personal style – they may have a “uniform” that they’re comfortable wearing, or they may copy styles or follow trends they deem “edgy” for attention. 

For emotional characteristics, the Fool reversed as a person represents someone who is pessimistic and unenthusiastic about life. They’re full of doubt and don’t believe in taking risks. Most of the time they view the world through the “worst case scenario”-tinted glasses. They can be judgemental and closed-minded, sometimes even bigoted. In the reverse, the Fool’s energy is expressed in the extremes: they can have an aversion to adventure, or they can be completely reckless and irresponsible. In the reverse, this person can be literally “foolish”.

For careers, the Fool reversed can represent someone who works as a follower in any career they choose to pursue. In some cases, they never chose a career for themselves, they just did whatever everyone else was doing, or whatever career was deemed safe. This card is astrologically associated with Uranus, and Uranian energy in the reverse is uninspired. They may be naturally inclined to pursue a career in the arts, technology, or the STEM field. However, no innovation, creativity, or originality comes out of them. This person may even shame coworkers for their out-of-the-box thinking, only to copy their idea or claim credit for it in the end.

The Fool reversed as a person represents someone who makes you feel silly for wanting to try new things, start a project or business, or follow your dreams. Having a rational friend to give you a reality check and constructive criticism can be a wonderful thing. However, the Fool’s reversed energy is a Debbie downer who could write a book about all the things that could go wrong. In addition, they’re judgmental of people who dare to be different. Misery loves company. Their lack of enthusiasm and zest for life, and they’ll infect you with it.

Conclusion

For love readings, the Fool is full of duality. Just as the Fool, as the 0th card, is the start and end of the Tarot (often aptly titled as the Journey of the Fool), the Fool is also at the beginning and end of any relationship. The Fool can be a new beginning for a reconciliation reading. If you are willing to start again at the beginning, you will need to see where it goes, and if the relationship will develop into something deep and meaningful. If you are nearing the end of the cycle, you may need to decide if you’ve learned its lessons and are ready to close out this circle gracefully.

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your relationship matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on love & relationships, as a neutral and objective third party.