The Fool + Mystic Adornment

Notice the imagery of the Fool from the Paulina Cassidy Tarot pictured above. The Fool character here is poised at a precipice. There is a stark difference between the colors and images used in this cliff and the rest of the card. The ledge is comprised of bones, fossils, layers of composing matter-entirely depicted in ghostly white and blue. This signifies what is ready to be let go of and transformed. In the case of personal style, this would be old beliefs, shopping habits, and styles of clothing that aren't serving you any longer. The rest of the card is full of life and color, vibrant and humming with potential. This is what the Fool is physically looking at and metaphorically heading towards. The trees in the background have white trunks, that bloom into colorful, whimsical leaves. A sign that what is dying away is feeding the new life ready to grow.

When the Fool card appears in a Mystic Adornment reading, it is an invitation to begin, to experiment. The Fool doesn't come to us when refinement, precision, or finesse are needed. Instead, this card appears when we have hemmed and hawed enough and are ready to take a leap of faith. While preparation has its place, the Fool reminds us that thinking about things can only get you so far. Some things need to be felt in the body, experienced by the soul. You are ready to let go of what has grown stale and refocus on what naturally exhilarates you.

Is there a garment or outfit haunting you in your closet? One that hits the nerve where longing and fear intermingle? Perhaps a color you never wear. A bold coat. Or even a delightfully soft sweater that feels "too plain". The Fool encourages us to let go of the voices in our head that say things like "I could never be someone who wears that" or "People my age can't dress that way".

Let go of the myth that a leap of faith must be grandiose. The Fool is often quite subtle. They are the quiet but courageous actions we take that seem small to the outside but feel life-altering to our inner selves. There are many times where thinking we must go all in keeps us stuck. There are also times where personal safety or well-being require compromise on self-expression. In these cases, how can you find the in-between place, where you inch toward what you crave in the most gentle way possible?

You might be surprised how drastically things change when you allow the Fool to move you in miniscule ways.

The Fool might be calling you buy that item you've been dreaming about for months—the one that makes your heart race and your inner voice whisper, yes, this. Or maybe it's time to play dress-up in the quiet of your bedroom, experimenting with the pieces you already own. Try on that look that excites and scares you in equal measure. Wear it at home first. Let your body get used to the feeling of being seen-even if only by yourself.

Mystic Adornment Exercise for the Fool:

The archetype often associated with this card is the Child. Full of a sense of wonder and possibility, the Child archetype is not yet jaded by recurring mistakes, pain, or limited by "the way the world works".

Is there a time in your life where fashion felt this free? Do you remember what you loved to wear? Though age brings refinement and technique, there are likely through lines from what you love to wear now and what you used to love as a child.

If you haven't felt this free with personal style before, you're not alone. There are all sorts of reasons why we weren't able to express ourselves how we wanted to as children or teenagers. If this was the case for you, was there anything you remember dreaming about wearing when you were younger? It might feel very healing to your inner child or teenager to wear it now.

For this exercise you can physically wear the outfit, create an artistic rendering of yourself in the outfit, add a photo of yourself in a favorite outfit to an altar, or simply visualize yourself wearing your dream look. Notice what thoughts and feelings arise as you do this.