Tarot The Chinese Tarot Deck's Fool by HH
The Fool Deck: The Chinese Tarot Deck Artist: Jui Guoliang Copyright 1989, US Games Systems, Inc
ISBN 0-88079-373-2 This theme deck has wonderfully rendered art, but like so many theme decks the cultural images do not always make a good match for tarot
However, having said that, I hasten to add that this is one of the more workable theme decks
The LWB is standard Stuart Kaplan, with the *usual* DM's, and the *usual* historical misinformation, "Today's ordinary playing cards descend from the Minor arcana of the tarot
" Although this deck was first published in 1989 such obvious misinformation should have been corrected
I view the tarot as a metaphor/allegory for my personal spiritual journey and the individual cards as certain aspects of myself at various stages of growth and evolution
From The Fool _singularity_ through life to finally reaching The World card where all the aspects, lessons, understandings and actions come together, _universality_
Thus, it is ME who sorts through what I garner from my environment, the people in my environment, and the experiences I have as I move through my life
It is ME who lives my life, and it is me who is responsible for how I do live my life
Thus I KNOW from where this Fool arises and to where he is bound
Although this particular Fool is not named in the LWB, the Orient has many noteworthy fools, mythological and historical
One of these Fools left a wondrous body of work for the world, including great courtly works of poetry
His name was Ryokan, and although he was Japanese, I am strongly reminded of him as I study this Fool
So, taking license… Ryokan named himself the Great Fool, and in doing so raised himself above the artificiality and the narrow conventions that surround most of us in our daily lives
It was said that although Ryokan looked the part of a pointless and aimless wastrel, he was totally emancipated and free from every fetter
That does not happen without an acute understanding of what is important and what is not
To have the whole world as one's residence may seem carefree and uninvolved; I contend that to understand the world well enough to live in it in a simple way takes great skill, greater understanding
The seemingly simple playing with the children and allowing them to mock him as he is turn mocked them, is anything but simple
His behavior shows a deep understanding of human nature and without a doubt his antics were a form of teaching
He had arrived at an effect way to bring joy
If Ryokan would not have been using his rational mind, he would not have been aware of this
Ryokan was a Great Fool on a journey, a journey to reach the state that the Zen masters call the beginners mind
A place of pristine and unencumbered knowing and of understanding that it is only when we are _inside_ that we can make judgements that are critical to our long-term well-being
Ryokan may have acted the role of a fool, but he was NOT foolish
other posts in this tarot thread
The Fool by HH
The Chinese Tarot Deck's Fool by HH
by WolfChild
by HH
by WolfChild
by HH
*Traditional* Fools by HH
Lösche's Cosmic Tarot by HH
by HH
Some random thoughts, Fool that I Am
by HH
The Fool - couragous? by startide
by HH
The Fool by Witchywoman
by HH
by Witchywoman
by HH
by bluemoon
by bea