Poetry of the Tarot: The Fool

A 'fool-ish' dream and a gentle nudge to share

“Poetry of the Tarot: The Fool” by Lin Gregory

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” ~ Carl Jung

Dear Reader,

Last night, I dreamt of being in a café, reading a poem aloud while everyone around me was busy eating cake, sipping tea and chattering away. I felt so out of place - like a fool - standing there with my journal in hand. Yet this morning, that dream inspired me to share the first magickal step I took on the Tarot’s Major Arcana journey. I do love how dreams work, weaving their way into our waking thoughts with a gentle nudge!

So here’s another poem to accompany your brew, whatever the hour. In the third verse, like my ‘Queen of Cups’ poem, you’ll uncover this card’s reversed position, revealing its shadowy, darker side. Without further ado …

The Fool

The poet reflects on the cliff’s edge
with a pure, inspiring naturalness,
her greatest journey about to begin.
In her left hand a single white rose,
granting her virtue, purity of soul.
Knowing she is protected by love,
she holds softly the faith of a child,
hearing not the whispers of others.

The artist who plays the wild card,
in search of liberty, love and truth.
She who steps out of the shadows,
her spirit in pursuit of open spaces,
spellbound by the sacred feminine,
a blank scroll of infinite possibility.
She who wanders in peace not fear.
She who leaves the past behind her.

Reversed she declares infatuation,
trusting this to be the same as love.
No longer heeding Gaia’s wisdom,
she travels into hobgoblin country,
resisting all change and originality.
Crossing borders into a wilderness
of wastelands, where she hurls off
Calliopean riches and pens poison.

Yet as the sun rises tall behind her,
shepherded by her intuition alone,
this poet retrieves her imagination,
stirring our hearts with soul verse.
Leading us to take the leap of faith
into those numinous realms below,
where the next step on our journey
guides us to the Magician’s wand.

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For those interested, you can find my “Poetry of the Tarot” series from ‘The Fool’ to ‘The World’, along with the four radiant Tarot Queens nestled in my second collection, The Shepherd’s Daughter. It's waiting for you between pages 27 and 81!

A heartfelt thank you to all the dear kindred spirits who have engaged with my work since I took my first magickal step into this space two months ago, much like the Fool on the Tarot’s journey. The love, light and laughter I’ve found here brings a smile most days. I often think of you all, and my heart – well, my heart just pirouettes with delight! With endless gratitude always.

Yours in words, Deborah

If my words strike a chord and you feel inspired to dive deeper into my poetry or explore my essays on Jungian thought, I invite you to visit: The Liberated Sheep