Description: This card shows a young
man (identified by Kay Steventon as the young Percivale) kneeling
at the edge of an abyss. He is staring in awe, transfixed by the
sight of the Grail. An angel stands behind him showing that he is
protected and guided by a divine spirit.
A cat is poised at the edge of the cliff.
Eagles fly over the abyss. The card also has the following symbols
printed on it.
Planet: Uranus. Hebrew Letter: Aleph.
Symbol: Air Number: 0
Kabbalistic Tree of Life: "The Fool
walks the eleventh path…here total inexperience moves with the
wisdom of the Divine informing it."
The story of Percivale-most of which I cut
from an earlier (and excellent) posting by Janet:
As a young man Parsifal was sheltered by
his mother from the outside world (according to one story he
doesn't even know his name). One day Parsifal meets a group of
knights and is so enchanted by them that he decides to become a
knight also. "At a later point in his adventures, after he has
indeed been knighted, Parsifal comes across the wounded Fisher
King, who invites him to stay in his nearby castle -- a
puzzlement, since Parsifal doesn't know of any castles in the
near vicinity. But he accepts the invitation, and while there he
witnesses the procession of the Grail. He's enchanted and
mystified, but out of excessive politeness (or foolishness), he
doesn't voice the questions he wants to ask about the Grail; and
later he realizes that if he had only asked, he'd have healed
the Fisher King and restored the health of his lands. The
realization sets him on his quest for the Grail, which finally
he wins."
Meaning from book: Trust. Faith. Follow your
instincts. New beginnings. Be true to yourself. Step into life
fearlessly.
My Take on the Card:
This rendition of the Fool denotes a vision
or desire so compelling that it will not be denied. This is a
journey that must be undertaken without regard to (or maybe in
spite of) the possible pitfalls or possibility of failure. While
Percivale kneels at the edge of the abyss, the cat which
represents his instincts seems about to leap over the edge. Unlike
many animals which accompany the Fool, this cat is leading the way
over the edge. The cat instinctively knows that the only way his
spirit can soar with the eagles is to plunge into life and take a
chance.
The story of Percivale was used in a modern
setting in the film The Fisher King (1990). I'm rather fond
of the fable of the Fisher King as told in this movie. It
illustrates the cycle of knowledge and rebirth that the Fool must
go through. It also further supports Janet's analysis of the Fool
(Parsifal) and the King of Cups (Fisher King).
THE ACCOUNT OF THE FISHER KING
(as told in Terry Gilliam's film "The Fisher King")
The story of the Fisher King begins when the
king is a boy, having to spend the night alone in the forest to
prove his courage so he can become king. And while he's spending
the night alone he is visited by a sacred vision.
Out of the fire appears the Holy Grail, the
symbol of God's divine grace. And a voice said to the boy, "You
shall be keeper of the grail so that it may heal the hearts of
men." But the boy was blinded by greater visions of a life of
power, glory, and beauty. And in this state of radical amazement
he felt for a brief moment, not like a boy, but invincible, like
God.
So he reached in the fire to take the grail
and the grail vanished, leaving him with his hand in the fire to
be terribly wounded. Now as this boy grew older his wound grew
deeper, until one day life for him lost its reason. He had no
faith in any man, not even himself. He couldn't love, or feel
love. He was sick with experience; he began to die.
One day a fool wandered into the castle and
found the king alone. Now being a fool he was simple-minded; he
didn't see a king, he only saw a man alone and in pain. And he
asked the king, "What ails you, friend?"
The king replied, "I'm thirsty. I need some
water to cool my throat."
So the fool took a cup from beside his bed,
filled it with water, and handed it to the king. As the king began
to drink, he realized his wound was healed. He looked in his hands
and there was the Holy Grail, that which he had sought all of his
life.
He turned to the fool and said with
amazement, "How could you find that which my brightest and bravest
could not?"
The fool replied, "I don't know. I only knew
that you were thirsty."
