The major arcana is a road from zero to twenty-one, traditionally called the Fool's journey. The Fool is zero: the person who hasn't yet entered any of the cards. The number matters — zero isn't in the sequence, it's the state before the sequence starts. So the Fool isn't stupid; he's not yet shaped by experience. Small bundle on his back, a dog barking at his heel, a cliff ahead, and he's looking at the sky.
Where you'll recognise it: wanting to do something you've never done, not knowing how it'll go and wanting to go anyway, and the moment someone asks whether you've thought this through and you haven't. The card is about the kind of not-knowing that beginning requires — people who know too much often can't take the first step.
Running well, the Fool is the lightest state there is: no baggage, curious about everything, willing to jump. Stuck, his problem is staying at zero — every thing a beginning, none reaching one; or mistaking not looking for courage. The dog is barking for a reason. Jump by all means, but glance down first to see how deep the drop is.
