When most people open a tarot deck for the first time, their eyes go straight to the Fool. Carefree, colourful, and standing right on the edge of a cliff — it’s such a striking image. The Fool feels full of possibility, and of course it’s usually the first card you see in the deck, which makes the question even bigger: why is it numbered zero instead of one?

The Symbolism of Zero

Zero is a circle — no beginning, no end. In numerology it’s about infinite potential, the space where anything could happen but nothing is fixed yet. One is a clear starting point. Zero is open, limitless.

That’s exactly why the Fool carries zero. They don’t carry baggage — no heavy past, no expectations weighing them down. Just a small satchel with the bare essentials. It’s innocence, trust, and that sense of freedom we often lose as adults. Numbered zero, the Fool belongs everywhere and nowhere all at once.

The Fool’s Place in the Journey

Some decks place the Fool right at the beginning of the Major Arcana. In that position, they’re the leap of faith — the step into the unknown that starts the whole adventure. Others put the Fool at the very end, showing wisdom gained and readiness to begin a new cycle.

And for me — and for many modern readers — the Fool isn’t fixed in one place at all. I see them as the traveller who wanders through the cards, experiencing every lesson along the way. That’s where the idea of The Fool’s Journey comes from: a story of growth told through all 22 Major Arcana. Once you look at it this way, the Fool starts to feel less like a single card and more like a companion that walks beside you as you learn.

The Wild Card

Because zero doesn’t sit in the sequence, the Fool is sometimes called the tarot’s wild card. It can pop up anywhere in a spread, and it always brings fresh, surprising energy.

• In a love reading, it might suggest a new relationship — or simply a playful, light-hearted approach to romance.

• In a career spread, it could point to taking a risk, stepping into a new role, or daring to try something you’ve never done before.

• In a personal reading, it can be that gentle nudge to lighten up, laugh more, and rediscover joy.

The Fool reminds us that life isn’t always about control. And honestly, haven’t we all had those times where planning every detail just doesn’t work? Sometimes the most important step is the one you take without knowing exactly where it leads.

A Prompt for Reflection

If the Fool turns up for you this week, try sitting with these questions:

• Where in my life am I being asked to take a leap of faith?

• Am I holding back because I’m afraid of looking foolish?

• What might open up for me if I simply trusted myself to begin?

You can write your answers in a journal, or just hold the card while you think. Sometimes the insight lands in a sentence, sometimes it bubbles up quietly later on. Either way, the Fool gets you moving.

Finally, the Fool as zero shows us that every journey begins with possibility. You don’t need every answer lined up neatly before you start. What you need is the courage to take that very first step.

So next time the Fool appears in your reading, welcome it with open arms. Zero is wide open. Anything is possible.