Day of the Fool

The Fool, by Beatriz Inglessis

Happy April Fool's Day!

How wonderful is it that our culture has a day to celebrate fools and jokes? Because aren't we all "fools" in some way or another? Isn't the joke always on us? We go through life, thinking we're somehow different from all the other crazy people out there, but we're not any different! 

In the tarot world, the major cards of the deck tell the story of the Fool's journey towards wisdom and understanding. Unlike some hero born for greatness, the Fool starts out with very little besides hope and a smile on his face.

Often there is a small dog following behind the Fool, nipping at his heels or pulling at his pants. I like to think of the dog as the trickster, or the un-integrated parts of ourselves that like to make jokes at our expense. 

Today, honor the Fool by noticing how many times the joke's on you, and then laugh and enjoy the journey. 

Fox Rain

I came across this beautiful illustration by Jeeyon Shim of Ink and Ginger/Jeeyon Makes.

Fox Apples, by Jeeyon Shim

The illustration was inspired traditional Korean stories, where foxes are often trickster figures. There is even an expression, "fox rain" (여우비), which is used to describe sun showers.

Fox Tale, by Rupal Pearl

One important fox in Korean mythology is the gumiho (many-tailed fox; 구미호), who often takes the form of a beautiful young woman and seduces men. Some of the stories are told to warn men of femme fetales, but I love that women could be seen as dangerous tricksters. Maybe this is because I'm always trying to be good . . . sometimes the good needs to be balanced with a little more wildness.

Birthday Present, by J. Shim

The Trickster Felix Bush

I just watched Get Low, and I know I'll be thinking about it for days to come. While it wasn't quite the comedy I wanted it to be, it was much more.

It's the story of the recluse Felix Bush (Robert Duvall), and the mystery of why he chose to live alone for forty years. He holds a "funeral party" (with Bill Murray as the funeral director), and this becomes the means whereby his past is slowly revealed. It was a lovely testament to human life: the stories we tell, the choices we make, and the humor and tragedy in it all.

The character of Felix (Robert Duvall) is a bit of a trickster: as a recluse he is able to do things ordinary people couldn't, like hold a funeral for himself, and he shows how categories of good and evil don't necessarily capture the messy events of human life.

"We like to think that good and bad, and right and wrong, are miles apart. But the truth is, very often, they are all tangled up with each other."