Bob Schwartz

Tag: tarot

April 1, 2025

Coyote talks about the Day of Fools and the tarot

Coyote:

Today is the Day of Fools and I want to talk about the tarot.

Some say I am wise, some say I am a fool. I do not care what they say about me. I am both.

I do know something about fools. For example, above you see the first card of the tarot deck, The Fool. It is so basic that in some decks, such as Rider-Waite, it has no number. It is just zero.

The card shows The Fool at the edge of a cliff. This may remind you of the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote, who ends up at the edge of a cliff while chasing Road Runner.

This chase results in Coyote running beyond the cliff and crashing at the bottom of a ravine. I am not a fan of that character. It makes me look like an idiot, which I am not. In many cultures I am considered one of the most significant figures in all of creation. Roadrunner, the interesting bird who I do like and respect, is represented in the cartoon as much more clever than me. It is not.

I will also mention that The Fool is traveling with a little dog. I will admit that coyotes have been known from time to time to attack and eat small dogs. Very rarely. Coyotes can and will eat almost anything, so there is almost always something else to eat besides a dog in a backyard.

The Fool is associated with the Hebrew letter Aleph.

According to an expert:

The Fool is the innocent adventurer, about to begin an important journey. With a head full of hope, he is idealistic rather than practical; he is certainly not dressed for travel. The little dog at his heels tries to warn him of impending peril, but the Fool is blissfully ignorant of the risk he takes in stepping off a cliff. He is about to encounter danger, but how else can he make his way in the world?

We all begin life as a zero, a tiny egg of potential. The Fool is the cosmic egg, symbolized by the shape of his number, 0. As he journeys through the major arcana sequence, he is a part of every card, but he also stands outside the sequence, without a formal value. An absolute beginner, he is about to explore the world, gain experience, and leave behind his status as a zero, a no-being. He will travel lightly, without the baggage of commitment. The Fool is the dreamer, lead only by his needs and desires.

The Ultimate Guide to Tarot by Liz Dean

Today, the Day of Fools, be kind to everyone, the foolish and the wise.

© 2025 by Bob Schwartz

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September 6, 2024

Some of my tools

Above is a photo of some of my tools, representations of some of my tools. Tools for living.

Why tools?

Tools of all kinds are how we live. If you think of tools as enablers, everything can be thought of as a tool. (Thinking of things as tools rather than just themselves is a matter for much deeper exploration not here.)

Why just some?

Over time, I’ve discovered and used a number of tools for living, of which these represent only a few. Some are too big to include in a simple small photo. Some are not easy to picture.

Why not stick to a limited number of tools, maybe just one?

One genius item from Buddha is the idea of upaya, skillful and expedient means. Things that move us along, sideways, or up are appropriate to the moment, what things are like in the moment, who we are in the moment, all of which is changing, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not. The tool for now is the tool for now. When we have a nail we need a hammer, when we have a screw we need a screwdriver.

What are these particular tools?

Hebrew letter cards: Hebrew letters make up not only the words of the Torah but, according to one view, all of creation. In the system of gematria, each letter is assigned a numeric and religious interpretive value.

Tarot cards: Contrary to a view that Tarot is the frivolous pastime of amateur soothsayers, it is a well-developed tool of inspection and introspection.

I Ching cards: In terms of historic and cultural influence, the I Ching (pronounced yijing) rivals the Bible. It has been my constant wisdom companion for decades.

Dice: Gregory Bateson said that inside his holy of holies he would have a random number table. We get attached—over attached—to beliefs, especially belief in our own power. One way out of this trap is to adhere to a belief in chance. Chance may be uplifting, humbling or devastating. Besides generating random numbers for use in other divinations, a dish of dice is a reminder of how things really work.

© 2024 by Bob Schwartz

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