The Fool watched the wind create waves through the tall wheat field. He was leaving a trail behind him as he ventured further into the golden grains. He kept repeating the Sun’s message so that he wouldn’t forget.
A long shadow was cast across the Fool. A Black woman was floating in the air above him, surrounded by a large laurel wreath, With the Sun directly behind her so that the Fool stood in her shadow. Floating around her were a large bird of prey, an ox, a lion, and a human head that looked similar to Temperance. The four figures all had halos floating atop their heads, and doubled angel’s wings.
I am the World! the woman exclaimed. This is where your journey ends, Fool.
He immediately recognized this woman as the woman that kept giving him the bell, the woman he kept trying to give the bell back to. She was the sovereign of this world, this place between the material world and the celestial plane.
The bell is my gift to you, the World continued, to remind you that no matter what is happening, it is the plan. The bell will ring in storms, when you are a king, or if you have made a terrible mistake; the bell will always ring. Listen to that ring until you can’t hear it anymore, and you will know what to do next.
I’m so sorry, the Fool said, dropping to his knees. I never knew what I was. I kept selfishly taking from this world without knowing that I’m supposed to be guiding.
You have made no mistake, the World replied. You have unknowingly guided people through this world and you will guide many more. Sometimes you don’t know you are a leader, but you have followers. They watched you walk this journey and paid your story their mind. You have given them many lessons.
I represent your sovereignty, the Angel said. I symbolize your ability to be the king of your own domain, your thoughts, and that you have a choice to rule your destiny. You will have to make tough choices, but being a leader is paramount in your journeys.
I will lead you to service, the Lion said, in order for you to understand that your purpose is to be of service to others. Altruism is the key to the kingdom. To lead, you must serve.
You will make mistakes, the Ox said, but always remember you are just a man, and not a god. Perfection is only something to strive for. It is perfect that you keep doing this journey. If you thought you didn’t need to do this, you would stop growing.
I am the idea of God, the Eagle said next. I am the courage you need, the support you reach for, the quiet inspiration that guides you. I am with you when you need strength to get through the burdens of life. I am the light when you are alone and scared. I am the unexplained. I am miracles.
You are equal parts king, servant, man, and God, the World said.
The Fool felt overwhelmed. He knew he had been here many times before. The World had been there when he was made. The World provided the space the Fool needed to exist and do his work. The World had watched the Fool cycle through the journey over and over again.
The World just smiled. It was a maternal smile, like the Empress had. The World was strong and magical like the Priestess. She was warm like the human Lover, balanced and fair like Justice, she was confident like Strength, she was ethereal and non-binary like Temperance, and passionate like the Star. She wasn’t at all annoyed that the Fool was standing before her again.
The wind gently blew waves over the field of wheat. The sky was perfectly blue. The Fool recognized all of it. He started remembering all his journeys. Some of the journeys didn’t end here. Some were still going, and others never began. No two journeys were the same. Every time he has walked through this world, he has learned something. Those things were all slowly seeping into his mind.
You are ready to return to your own world, the World said. You have journeyed through this world and you have learned what you needed to learn. Now go be the king, the servant, the man, and the God you are.
A mist rolled through the field of wheat, obscuring the World and the four-winged beasts. The sky was blotted out by the thick fog. The air was cold and damp.
When the mist thinned the Fool was standing in a forest. The wind was rustling through the oak trees that surrounded him. He could see tall mountains in the distance. He was facing down a hill.
In his hand was a bell. He rang it and listened to it until the ring was taken away with the wind. He thought he could hear it echo across the mountains and through the trees. As the ring dissipated, the Fool tried to remember what it was that he had wanted to do.
He started walking down the hill with the wind at his back. He closed his eyes and whistled a tune. He was just going to let the wind take him wherever it wanted. He was ready to see whatever the universe showed him. He was ready to see the world.
As he walked down the forest hill, a fox ran out from under the brush, and jumped at the Fool’s legs.