Of all the symbolism in the Fool card,the most important is the number 0. Zero means nothing or no thing–no fixed category or rigid belief,no rules,no preconceptions,no boundaries,and no role. We write zero as an egg shape to signify that all things come from it. The Hindus wrote zero as a point,the nothingness out of which all things emerge into reality. Zero,the Fool,means the perfect beginning of any phase or activity,the moment when everything is possible. We are all familiar with the image of the Fool from fairy tales and myths. In real life,most societies have made a place for fools. The Haindl Tarot shows him in the clothes of the court jester,as the medieval clown who had no fixed place at the table. Instead,he sat at the king’s feet,and had permission to say anything,no matter how shocking,as long as he said it was a joke. We still follow this tradition,allowing comedians on television to say things that would get a politician or serious commentator fired. The Fool speaks of a time in life when planning,analysis,and caution are all useless. This is a time to act intuitively,to take chances. If we are facing some possible action and all common sense (and maybe the advice of friends) tells us not to do it,the Fool urges us to trust the adventure. This meaning can be reinforced if the Hanged Man also appears. We need to realize,however,that the Fool may not always be wise in his risk-taking attitude. Other cards,such as Alchemy or the Hierophant,may urge us the other way. In those cases,we need to look at the positions of the cards,especially cards of result or outcome,to see what the reading as a whole is recommending