The journey always begins with the Fool, the zero card of the Tarot deck, which represents innocence, enthusiasm and inexperience. Like a fearless child filled with curiosity, the Fool is ready for most anything. The Fool is oblivious, naive, and clearly in dire need of Divine protection. Luckily, the Fool is blessed.
The Fool is the quality in each of us that stirs at the thought of adventure and responds eagerly to a new challenge. The Fool stumbles in where others fear to go! Yes, Mother/Father God has a special love for Fools.
So, in the midst of what can only be described as ordinary life, a call to adventure rings out to the Fool. And the Fool responds with reckless abandon! The Adventure itself may be any number of things. It can be about destiny, purpose, or one's life work. It may be a short term adventure or it can be THE adventure of a lifetime, The Hero's Journey, your essential reason for having incarnated in the first place.
The Hero's Journey is always a quest, never a conquest. The process and the dedication to principles, virtue and morals in the most threatening moments of the quest is far more important than actually reaching some preconceived goal. It's the Journey that counts. The initial goal is most often just a temporary motivator to initiate the process of finding one's way to the fork in the road. The fork that leads to the Hero's Journey away and eventually, home.
It can be very exciting! And very frustrating. The call to adventure always includes cultivating patience. Patience is waiting for the precise timing, and avoiding the urge to swim against the current. It's got to be the hardest part. This is the perfect opportunity for the Fool to do foolish things, the space in which reflection trumps reaction but often is squandered. It's the the opportunity for Divine Intervention, and the special love reserved for Fools. It is in this holding pattern where we learn to count our blessings and say thank you even when things are not moving along as planned. I call it the Waiting Time. It builds character like nothing else!
In the Waiting Time, there is always the option to refuse the Call. Refusing the Call is refusing to do the very thing you think you cannot do, but must do. It will seem like a very good idea. People will tell you to do something different. They will give you choices, and try to decide for you. And, you can let them if you like. They will offer you yet another fork in the road, the path of their own choosing. But it is still your choice. It's not like The Call is going to go away never to be heard from again. Trust me.
It is wise to spend the Waiting Time preparing for the next part of the quest and finding the like minds that can understand and support you. Keep in mind that some allies will probably end up including your apparent adversaries. Quests make strange bedfellows, believe me. Your enemies are your greatest teachers and can provide more genuine growth possibilities than all the friends in the world.
But obstacles are plentiful in every heroes journey. They are many and varied and they will most certainly include betrayal, deception and humiliation – all deemed as essential as patience and love for the Fool's development of character and, more importantly, wisdom.
Wisdom is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow It's the holy grail, the prize. It's the Hero's return home.
Wisdom is the Voice that calls the Fool to action, every time.
"Come to me. Find me."
May you be blessed!
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