Musings On The Fool’s Journey: The Fool Meets Temperance

When we last left our foolish Fool, he’d just met the very scary Death who told him to seek out “the one who balances.” Even though the Fool had more questions, Death had left him only telling him to stay on the path he was on.

So the Fool continued down the dusty road. He carried his little dog for a bit since he wasn’t sure that skeletal rider wouldn’t show back up. When the canine began to wiggle and whine, the Fool put him down on the ground. With a sigh, he adjusted his stick carrying his belongings wondering if he would ever find the Will the Magician had told him he needed.

A drop of rain splattered on his nose. He jumped then looked up to see clouds covering the sun. Shrugging, he trudged on throught the light rainfall.

“At least it keeps the dust down,” he mused. It was a brief rain but just enough to cool down the air. As he walked the damp earth, the Fool wondered about this Balancer. “Who or what on earth is a balancer? I wonder if they will have scales. Maybe they will weigh me?”

The sound of running water distracted his little dog. Even though the Fool whistled loudly, the pup did not listen. Fussing, the Fool followed the dog’s wagging white tail down a small path on the side of the road. He nearly fell over the dog who had stopped to bark at a figure floating at the water’s edge.

Peering again, the Fool realized that the figure was not floating but had one foot in the water and one foot on the earth. Around the head glowed a nimbus that seemed to come from the blonde curly hair. Two cups were in play with one pouring water into the other one seemingly endlessly. And the figure had WINGS!

“Are you an angel?” The Fool gasped out as he waved a hand to quiet his dog. “I mean you look like an angel…”

The figure spoke in a deep, sonorous voice which made the Fool think it was a male. “I am an angel in the traditional sense, Fool. I know that you are on a journey. What questions would you ask of me?”

The Fool paused. He’d learned that some of his quest only answered one or two questions. If this was the same, then he would have to be careful not to waste his.

“First, sir Angel, I would like to know why you are pouring water from the top cup to the bottom one. Why not just scoop water into both from the stream you are standing in?”

He stopped himself before he asked why the angel was standing at such a funny angle.

The angel smiled at him. “Why do you think the water is coming from the top cup to the bottom cup? Perhaps it is flowing from the bottom up. Sometimes it is one way and sometimes the other. The water is endless because it is energy, you see. So I can fill from the top or the bottom as I need. You see, the secret is that I can turn any situation into something different just by how I think and act. We all can.”

Well wasn’t that something. The little Fool took a step back, tripped and sat down hard on his rump. The angel chuckled. “Your reaction is not unusual. I’ve told many a fool wandering this same path this same thing. Most of them do not use this information wisely.”

He looked down at his feet. “Do you also want to know why I stand like this?”

Dumfounded, the Fool could only nod. Of course he did.

“Fool, in this world there is the supernatural world and the natural world. My right foot represents the natural world but dips in the supernatural, intuitive water. My left foot, representing the supernatural world rests on the natural, known earth. What do you think that means?”

This question caused the Fool to lift his hat to vigorously scratch his head in thought. After pondering for a few moments, he looked at the angel.

“Maybe it means that you can work in both worlds? That you have the ability to create energy from either?”

A soft breeze tickled the Fool as the angel beat his wings as if applauding. “That’s very good, Fool. You are wise indeed. Now do you see the path beside me? The one that leads to the mountains in the distance? You are to take this road next. I warn you that the next two you will meet are very scary to some but study them and learn from them. I hope you can pass their tests. Your journey is nearly done.”

The Fool splashed through the water to cross to the path the angel indicated. He paused to thank the angel before he struck out down the smaller, winding path towards the mountains. He wondered what could be so much worse than Death.

To be continued…

A look back at where the Fool’s been
• Fool Meets The Magician(1) And The High Priestess(2)
• The Fool Meets the Empress(3) and the Emperor(4)
• The Fool Meets the Hierophant(5)
• The Fool Meets the Lovers(6) & The Chariot(7)
• The Fool Meets Strength(8)
• The Fool Meets the Hermit(9)
• The Fool Meets The Wheel Of Fortune(10)
• The Fool Meets Justice(11)
• The Fool Meets The Hanged Man(12)
• The Fool Meets Death(13)