We are always being called to new revelation and to see the world from another perspective. The inner Fool is the one who helps us to see things anew and to dismantle the accepted wisdom of our times.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions says that "holy fools subvert prevailing orthodoxy and orthopraxis in order to point to the truth which lies beyond immediate conformity."
Productivity, striving, consumption, and speed are some of the false gods...
A life committed to following the divine path is one that makes the world's wisdom seem foolish, but conversely, the world often looks upon those with spiritual commitment as the ones who are "fools."
This can be a challenging archetype for some of us as we often try to do everything possible not to look foolish. However, this archetype is the one that helps to subvert the dominant paradigm of acceptable ways of thinking and living. The author G. K. Chesterton, in his book about Francis of Assisi, explores the idea of Francis seeing the world upside down, which is really seeing it right side up, because we get a totally new perspective. There is a subversive act of truth-telling through the Fool's humor and playfulness.
The Fool risks mockery by stepping out of socially acceptable roles and asks, where are we willing to look foolish? Through the Fool we find vicarious release for much we have repressed within ourselves. The Fool encourages us to laugh at ourselves, reminding us that humor and humility have the same root, the Latin word humus, which means earth or ground.
As with all the archetypes, when the Fool's energy is not allowed, it is suppressed in the unconscious and comes out in other, often destructive ways. We find the shadow Fool when we use humor to tear people down or when we find ourselves moving toward cynicism rather than a constructive criticism of world problems.
The shadow Fool delights in breaking the rules, regardless of the consequences, just for the sake of it, rather than to reveal a truth. The Fool in shadow form can also reject all the conventional norms of society without finding balance of challenge and what needs to be done for self-preservation.
The sacred function of the Fool is to tear down the illusions we hold so dear and illuminate what is new through playfulness and humor, using shocking or unconventional behavior to challenge the status quo or social norms. The Fool helps us see beyond the dualities we live by.
Ultimately God's ways are not our own. Our expectations will be disappointed again and again if we go by conventional terms. The Fool invites us to embrace the One whose logic goes against our preconceived ideas, inviting us into an upside-down world governed by love.
—Christine Valters Paintner
excerpts from "Illuminating the Way"
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—Artist: Andrew Ferez
