April What?
The month of showers is upon the land and people will start to get restless, echoing the essential upheaval of Spring. The pollen in the air will soon tickle the cilia, and those who don’t inure themselves with cigarettes will reap its full blessing, whatever that is. Reproduction is the motivation behind this arc of the cycle, and some will take that impulse too literally. And yet others will channel it into strange and sundry activities, which will be on display all over town.
Breathe in deep and absorb the fecundity- for within time the simmering, sweltering, languid heat of summer will lay like a heavy wool blanket over your spirit and make you careless.
And so it is that this first day of April is a holiday. It’s been given an ignoble name- with a message of playful warning. Suppose this was the birth of the God of Mischief. How would you choose to honor that event? Would you do a head count of your friends, taking care to plan a surprise for every one of them? Or would you alternatively plot to release your demons in what appears to be a temporarily acceptable manner? Which of these would make you the fool, and who would be fooled?
Take a moment to consider that the number of The Fool is often said to be “0”, the value itself a great cosmic joke causing much consternation. But remember too that this figure is Major Arcana, and thus has multiple faces. (S)he is alternatively a jester, a mad man, a vagabond, and a beggar. (S)he may carry roses or a bindle… may be pursued by a cat or a dog, and situated between judgment and the world. Even in modern translation, this joker is most often a wild card. If you play a game with “trumps”, the Fool is an excuse for not following suit.
Apparently April 1st is a day of sanctioned irreverence. Perhaps we can indulge ourselves a bit. Bereft of reason, The Fool stands at the edge of a precipice, and risks a long slide or heavy collision, depending on the nature of the fall. And yet… and yet… perhaps (s)he will sprout wings (or a parachute) and attain smooth landing. The spirit seeking experience has earned the chance to risk a leap of faith.
And so we return to this day, year after year, and people give themselves the permission to act out their scripts. But just as with jokes, there is a seed of truth embedded in every trick. Perhaps it’s wise to pay close attention to deflection, obscuration and diversion- for likely there is someone sizing you up and spinning a web. Pay attention to the signs along the road. The Fool’s Journey can be many things, but don’t be shocked or embarrassed if you find yourself rendered naked in front of the eyes of the World.
Breathe in deep and absorb the fecundity- for within time the simmering, sweltering, languid heat of summer will lay like a heavy wool blanket over your spirit and make you careless.
And so it is that this first day of April is a holiday. It’s been given an ignoble name- with a message of playful warning. Suppose this was the birth of the God of Mischief. How would you choose to honor that event? Would you do a head count of your friends, taking care to plan a surprise for every one of them? Or would you alternatively plot to release your demons in what appears to be a temporarily acceptable manner? Which of these would make you the fool, and who would be fooled?
Take a moment to consider that the number of The Fool is often said to be “0”, the value itself a great cosmic joke causing much consternation. But remember too that this figure is Major Arcana, and thus has multiple faces. (S)he is alternatively a jester, a mad man, a vagabond, and a beggar. (S)he may carry roses or a bindle… may be pursued by a cat or a dog, and situated between judgment and the world. Even in modern translation, this joker is most often a wild card. If you play a game with “trumps”, the Fool is an excuse for not following suit.
Apparently April 1st is a day of sanctioned irreverence. Perhaps we can indulge ourselves a bit. Bereft of reason, The Fool stands at the edge of a precipice, and risks a long slide or heavy collision, depending on the nature of the fall. And yet… and yet… perhaps (s)he will sprout wings (or a parachute) and attain smooth landing. The spirit seeking experience has earned the chance to risk a leap of faith.
And so we return to this day, year after year, and people give themselves the permission to act out their scripts. But just as with jokes, there is a seed of truth embedded in every trick. Perhaps it’s wise to pay close attention to deflection, obscuration and diversion- for likely there is someone sizing you up and spinning a web. Pay attention to the signs along the road. The Fool’s Journey can be many things, but don’t be shocked or embarrassed if you find yourself rendered naked in front of the eyes of the World.
Labels: Holiday Fun, Major Arcana, Shenanigans, The Fool
posted by Merge Divide at 11:59 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home