The Fool in the Forest: What Fairy Tales Can Teach Us About Tarot

Once upon a time, a young fool set out on a journey. They had no map, no plan, only a bag slung over one shoulder and a heart full of questions. Sound familiar? It should. The first card in the tarot’s Major Arcana—the Fool—isn’t just a symbol of beginnings. They’re the wandering spirit at the heart of every fairy tale, the one who walks into the forest not knowing what they'll find. And like every tale worth telling, the Fool’s journey is less about reaching a destination and more about who they become along the way.

Fairy tales and tarot speak the same strange language: archetypes, thresholds, danger disguised as gifts. Think of Red Riding Hood’s path, or the boy who trades a cow for beans—foolish moves, perhaps, but ones that crack the world open. In tarot, the forest is the unknown future, the dark night of the soul, the invitation to stray from the well-lit road. The Fool doesn’t carry certainty. They carry trust. In fairy tales, trust is dangerous—but necessary. Without it, you never get past the gate.

So the next time you pull the Fool, don’t just think of naïveté. Think of every brave character who walked into the woods with only a story to guide them. Think of Baba Yaga’s spinning hut, waiting to test you. The Fool isn’t aimless—they’re led by something older than logic. Curiosity. Wonder. Maybe even fate. And if you’re reading this? You’re probably already on the path.