Spiritual Significance of The Fool's Journey

In the Tarot's Major Arcana, The Fool is the only unnumbered card. This character is the archetype of innocence, and the journey taken by the Fool is the Soul's journey through the experiences of life.

The 21 archetypes that make up the path of the Fool's Journey symbolize experiential lessons for the Soul, and they twist and turn through 3 gateways of Consciousness.

1. The Gateway of Childhood and Adolescence. The Fool is born; the Soul has incarnated into physical existence. Successful completion of the lessons in this Gateway leads to entry into the second.

2. The Gateway of Adulthood. This is where lessons and experiences are meant to develop the maturity of the Soul. Initiated into being an adult and with successful acceptance of adult responsibilities, the Soul can now enter the third Gateway.

3. The Gateway of Self-Actualization. Only those souls with the highest spiritual aspirations and diligence are willing to enter the Final Gateway. It is here the Soul will face and integrate the last lessons of experience on the path of truth which result in what C.G. Jung named Individuation (when one becomes a separate and mature personality) combined with Self-Realization (realizing one's purpose in life).

This is The Great Work. The alchemy of creating the Philosophers Stone described in Hermetic Tradition by combining knowledge and understanding with emotional mastery and the moral will to put objective truth into practice. That is wisdom. That is Cosmic Consciousness and Eternal Life. It is the path of truth and love and submission to obeying the moral laws of the Universe that were put into existence by the Divine Creator.