Perhaps the most important thing in trying to understand the meaning of this card is its attribution of the number 0. This is not only indicative of emptiness and absence, but of the infinite potential which this implies .There is a connection with the three veils of negative existence here – Ain (nothing, 0) carries the implicit existence of Ain Soph (eternal, the absence of limits or boundaries) which carries in turn the implicit existence of Ain Soph Aur (the limitless light, infinite potential). Just as the Ain Soph Aur, the Qabalistic conception of 0, is considered to be the underlying source from which all particular things arise, so the Fool card of the Tarot is considered to be the original source from which all the other cards emerge.

              In the mediaeval pack the title of the card is Le Mat, derived from the Italian word Matto, which can mean equally fool or madman. The pure creative energy of the Ain Soph Aur is here manifested without any controls by discretion, differentiation or discrimination; any one thing is equally as good as any other, and each thing is a new beginning in itself, existing independently as in a vacuum. There is therefore no aspect of organization or logical and ordered progression. Any action described by this card is entirely predicated on creative and imaginative impulse, and is unmodified by any other thought or event. From this it is clear how one comes to the names of the madman and the fool, both of whom may be said to live ‘in a world of their own’, and whose action are based purely on some imaginative impulse, wholly unconcerned with the reality of the situation and its implications, as well as the future consequences of said action. One is also reminded of the ancient mythology of Pan, whose name means ‘All’ (infinity + minus infinity = 0, the Ain Soph Aur), which tells that anyone who sees this horned god is doomed to become a madman.

            Both the titles of madman and fool appear to be negative things which a person would wish to avoid, but it is vitally important that in interpreting this card you should recognize that in itself it is neither positive nor negative. If this card comes up in a tarot reading such value judgments must be made according to the surrounding cards. Let us now consider the positive aspects of the meaning of this card.

            The most obvious positive traits of this card are creativity and, as the first card of the major arcana, the indication of a fresh start or the beginning of something new. In readings this interpretation of the Fool is particularly prominent when the card is shown in combination with one or more Aces.

In Crowley’s Thoth Tarot cards the central image of the Fool card is that of the Green Man of pagan mythology, the God of spring and the creative force of nature. There is therefore a strong link between the Fool and this time of year, and in readings if the fool card is shown in combination with a high number of wands, which also have an association with the spring, it may be that the reading is referring to events around this time of year. From the perspective of meditationa and path-working the Green Man personifies a similar aspect of nature to the Greek God Pan, and both deities are relevant to the study of this card.

It is said that only a fool can be truly fearless, and this is an important thing to remember when looking at this card because sometimes it is a very positive thing to live without fear. Within the Fool card is an extreme kind of naïve optimism; it shows a life lived entirely in the joy and rapture of the moment, instinctively acting out ones inner nature without any kind of reflection upon this impulse, nor any concern for the consequences of one’s actions. The Fool is care-free in the fullest meaning of the expression (in readings this interpretation of the Fool card is particularly prominent if it occurs in conjunction with The Sun). It is also a card which speaks of innocence;  but it is important to remember that this is not an innocence of action, as in one who causes no harm whatsoever to others, but rather an innocence of intention, which is that innocence possessed so endearingly by children. The Fool is utterly devoid of any kind of machination and quite incapable of causing harm for its own sake; but at the same time the Fool is equally incapable of altruism, or of thoughtful actions towards another, for this would imply a deliberateness and conscious control of behaviour which is alien to the nature of this card. In this aspect the Fool shows us a positive way of being which is often neglected in a world so burdened by reason, responsibility, ego and introspection; and a trait which must be nurtured within us to allow spiritual growth. But, of course, that does not negate the fact that when this card come up in a reading it can also have the negative meaning of folly, of acting without thought and so making mistakes, and of putting oneself in danger without realizing it.

                     In readings Mediaeval Italian tradition states that when the first card turned over is the fool then that means you are asking the wrong question.

                     The fool card is associated with the Hebrew letter Aleph. The literal meaning of aleph is the ox, which refers to power, energy and force, however in qabalah aleph has strong associations with the element of air, and the meaning is often given as being ‘breath’. The breath of aleph should be interpreted as having the same connotations that breath has in eastern spiritual philosophies, namely Prana, chi, life force; the breath of the world, the vital essence of all things.