The Chinese tarot deck, like the tradition of Chinese landscape painting has a vague aesthetic, is very tasteful and subtle, containing many formulations and standards. Chinese landscape painting is about outer and inner harmony and the ideal human qualities as expressed in nature. The old Chinese Masters talk about "heavens mood" or the "chi "in a painting and the great landscape traditions excelled at details and anthropomorphizing their forms without being realistic...yet were able to articulate the mood of nature and its oneness with great clarity. In general, it is very graceful, deeply essential, and poetic. There is always the idea of balancing forces of the Tao, yin and yang, heaven and earth.

The Fool of the Chinese deck is at first simple and deceptive, is in full color superimposed upon a sparse landscape in light shades of gray that has three tiers of value. Trees in Chinese thought symbolize "the cultivation of greatness" and they're are a major part of Chinese thought and Natural Philosophy; which has many cannons, endlessly written about; like manuals, on the landscapes themselves in calligraphy. This deck contains calligraphy though nothing to decipher it. There are two somewhat hollow trees on the left, which signify spirit and in Chinese painting there are several ways of painting two trees together. A small tree and a large one standing separately yet entwined is called fu lao -- carrying the old on the back.

The older tree shows a grave dignity, symbolizes compassion and the young tree appears sinuous, and modest...They cross yet are separate and have scattered blooms signifying approaching death. Down the path, which also has three layers, is a porch in front, (always places under bamboo for the traveler to linger & contemplate) of what looks like a forest in a gray mist, which is considered yin.

This fool is in patched cloths of blue and orange, fire and water, as well as earth colors, which are the patches. The fool has a canteen for water hanging from his right hand, which also signifies the cultivation of yin, the searching soul, the mystical, inspirational, that hang two ribbons (triumph, danger, knots, the circle) of orange and green, fire and wood. Hanging from his right hand means the reconciliation of yin and yang.

In addition, the Chinese idea of drinking water means to reflect on source. His right hand is also grasping a broom on a bamboo pole; bamboo, a good omen which drive off evil, symbolize enlightenment because it can change into a serpent and contains knots with much symbology, and the broom hanging from it and echoing the shape of his hair, symbolize insight and wisdom, sweeping away every day cares and anxieties.

In his left hand is a giant leaf symbolizing good fortune, though it is broken up into five segments (wu) or directions which is torn and tattered and might hold it as a symbol of his unbroken faith, a sign, almost a fan which is the power of the Emperor. He also has a black hole in the inner aspect of his lower left leg with a white circle around it, which could be some sort of sore...that looks like a black hole which in Chinese symbolism means to externalize the internal or external world to other world. This fool is in state of ecstatic wonder. His gaze is fixed to the right of him, has his mouth open as if he is about to speak. One thinks of Aleph, the Hebrew letter of no sound, the territory of the Tarot which is the Fool's terrain.

(The LWB is a flimsy standardized thing from US games not explaining the deck.

If I could read the Chinese calligraphy on these cards, it would probably say something like this: "Bamboo without mind, yet sends thoughts soaring among the clouds. Standing on the lone mountain, quiet, dignified, typifying the will of a gentleman"
-- Mei Tao-jen

RKO