Design Inspiration: The Fool
0 The Fool
The Fool is the main character in the story of the Major Arcana. As such, it’s a very important card for setting the theme of a deck. My inspiration for this card was entirely personal. It represents the sense of mental and physical freedom I was yearning for at the time. The figure looks upon the bird soaring in the sky and mirrors their movements as if ready to fly with them despite not having the ability to do so. It doesn’t matter to them, they’ll try anyway. It’s that kind of blind, stubborn faith in myself that set me off on this journey in the first place.
“Only a fool would try to fly
before their wings have time to grow
and venture forth in blindness
from the comfort of above for the inevitable chaos of below.
But if you don’t take the leap, you’ll never know.”
-L.L
Symbolism Breakdown
The Dog - The Fool’s faithful companion and spirit guide. They are here to support them and protect them on their journey.
The Bird - Birds throughout the deck represent the spirit. Here it also symbolizes freedom and the element of air that governs the energy of this card.
Clouds - This setting is meant to illustrate that the fool is starting from above to journey below to the physical world. They are high above everything, but at the same time surrounded by nothingness.
The Rising Sun - This is the dawn of a new journey.
Color Theory
Yellow - Instinct and confidence.
Green - A strong heart, love, and emotion.
Blue - Clarity and truth.
Inspiration
As in The Moon card, the inspiration for the pup is my own, Dusty. He represents all faithful animals that serve as our companions on our life’s journey.
Someone reached out to me upon receiving the deck recently and told me that they were having trouble coping with the loss of their best friend, who happens to look a lot like mine. When they saw the illustration they were moved and felt as if it were a message saying that they were still with them. I thought that was beautiful. One of my intentions for the deck was to help people deal with difficult emotions and I am so glad it’s coming through.
I hope you enjoyed this post! Reach out to me on social media if you have any questions or requests for other posts in my design inspiration series. -Liz
