In her introduction to the Haindl Tarot book, Rachel Pollack states: "Hermann Haindl created these pictures, following his instructions, I interpreted them. We both hope and expect, that everybody entering their space will discover a new meaning."

Haindl's fool isn't a happy young man jumping with joy over a meadow... He is old, or elderly, or without age. He is quiet, serious, not even a man, only an ageless, timeless, genderless figure observing the game of life. He didn't enter the game of life... not yet... or not any more... or is taking a break. That's why he isn't in the center of the card, but to the right and in the front. I don't think the fool is "learning" in the sense that he is "changing" and growing out of being a fool. The fool will stay the fool, but like in a spiral movement the fools being a fool will become conscious. He will recognize his function of being a fool for the world , he will be able to do his "job" in the game. To me Haindl's fool seems to be the conscious fool and that's why he isn't a young guy , but an ageless, genderless monk mirroring to us our conventions, rules, laws, images, our societies, belief systems, our games and toys. This is his duty and his service.

The fool, standing in the foreground is pointing to the open wound of a swan directly behind him. The swan is representing nature and the wound is that which has been caused by mankind. The swan's wing unfurls to embrace the universe which is represented by six planets in the background. This constellation suggests that through the healing of nature ,- nature seen as something surrounding us, but also our own inner wounded nature, - we are able to find cosmic consciousness. The neck of the swan is a vertical moment in the form of the spiral and can be interpreted as spiritual development, and it can also be seen as the spine ( kundalini) of human beings.

In the middle ages the fool had an important function in society: he lived with the king and mirrored societal life to the ones who were too close to have a true look on it. He was free in the way, that he was not within society and he was able to break the rules. However he wasn't free enough to leave, in fact his role was as narrow as the roles of the others He wasn't able to enter and they weren't able to leave. Where's the difference? Uranus the astrological analogy of the fool is breaking the rules, but is still part of the game.

The king was paying the fool for doing his job and only by this connection to the king and his society ( Saturn) the function of the fool ( Uranus) makes sense. Somewhere in the wilderness the fool would be senseless and he wouldn't be able to survive. That's why his traditional clothes are made of squares, the symbol of the material plane. His bells are waking him up... and us too...

Mia

Miradji@aol.com