Fool's Day
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail
Today is the first full moon since the Spring Equinox. The sun is in Aries, and the moon sits directly opposite in Libra. Like all zodiac pairs, these signs carry the medicine the other needs. Aries speaks in “I,” while Libra speaks in “we.” Aries initiates; Libra balances. For the collective, this Libra full moon invites us to embrace our interconnection and interdependence.
April Fool’s Day has been recognized in some form across Europe and the English-speaking world for centuries. Its precise origins are debated – some trace it back to ancient Rome, while others point to the late-1500s shift from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, when New Year’s Day moved from April 1 to January 1. Although the Julian calendar officially began on January 1, many regions continued to observe spring-based dates for start of the new year. When the Gregorian reform standardized January 1, those who continued celebrating in spring were labeled “April Fools.”
In France and Italy, April 1 is celebrated as poisson d’avril or pesce d’aprile, meaning “April fish.” While any prank will do, the classic joke is to secretly attach a paper fish to someone’s back. Why a fish? It may be linked to the start of fishing season, or to the zodiac’s transition from Pisces (“fishes”) into Aries – the first sign – marking the Spring Equinox.
The tarot card, The Fool, embodies the clean-slate energy we long for – perhaps now more than ever. In the image, a figure strides toward a rocky precipice, face lifted upward, carrying a small sack on a stick and a white rose, with a small dog at their heels. Dogs have long symbolized faithfulness (think “Fido,” from the Latin for faith), a trusted companion as one steps into the unknown.
And the flower? White flowers symbolize purity – of hope, innocence, and new beginnings. Perhaps the figure of The Fool, arm swept back and sleeve billowing, is about to cast the rose into the sea as an offering to possibility.
The message: focus on what you love, what you value, and never, ever give up hope. We are just getting started.
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