Youve probably heard a few different versions of this classic fairy tale: The kingdom is in trouble; stagnant, or dying, or under threat. Some great task must be carried out. The oldest prince, the one who will one day become king, volunteers. He is in a hurry to get the task done; to slay the monster, rescue the princess, or bring back the healing elixir. He rushes off with his sword, his overconfidence and his bravado. He doesnt take the time to share his bread with the beggar, or save the mouse from a trap, or heed the advice of the old woman. So he blunders ahead until he gets stuck, or gets turned into stone. Next the second son rides off on the same mission. And the same thing happens. Finally only the youngest son, the foolish son, is left. The one whos never been groomed for anything. And this son isnt so clear or single-minded about his task. He stops and shares his bread. He shows kindness to animals, the old, and the poor. And in return he is given guidance about how to defeat his foe. This guidance is always counter-intuitive. The elder sons would never have come up with it on their own. The youngest son succeeds because he relies on intuitive forces outside of his intellect and pride and training. He gets it done because isnt constrained by prior knowledge of how to do it. New challenge requires innocence and lack of hubris. The characters in fairy tales represent different parts of ourselves. Older sons represent the ways that have worked in the past, that cannot work for this challenge precisely because the whole purpose of this challenge is the souls growth. When the kingdom of our lives is stagnant, when we are called to a new quest, we are always tempted to rely on the skills and power that have gotten us this far. But what we need is the “foolish” willingness to listen to the small, timid, up-until-now ignored voices in our psyches. Any challenge, any stagnation, any frustration, any boredom, is the universe calling our souls to grow. The “Holy” Fool~ Theres another aspect to the Fool: the holy fool of the kings court. The only one who can speak the truth to power and get the message across. You have a holy fool in you, trying to get your attention. With wisdom and insight and intuitive guidance that your kingly ego needs to hear. The “Shadow” Fool~ Theres a shadow side to the fool. Being truly foolish. Doing things that are harmful to yourself and others. Sticking your head in the sand out of pride. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. On this April fools day, its time to liberate the innocent fool and the holy fool from the recesses of your psyche. The Tarot Fool~ The first card of the tarot deck is the fool. Hes at the edge of the cliff but doesnt even realize how close he is to falling. Hes got everything he needs in the bundle tied to his stick, although hes never needed to unpack it before. And the little dog yips at his heels, his intuition warning him away from danger and toward the road of adventure and challenge, the journey of the hero that is the birthright of each of us. If youve been feeling like the eldest son – over prepared, over qualified, and yet unable to save the kingdom, wake the princess, slay the dragon, restore balance and prosperity to the world – then its time to let go of that story and tap into the archetypal energy of the fool. -Howard Jacobson
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 23:23:16 +0000