“If the Fool would continue his folly, he would become wise.” Proverbs of Hell, William Blake
I’ve always found inspiration in the Tarot from sources not directly connected to the 78 Tarot cards. In many ways, this is due, in part, to one of the theoretical functions of Tarot; the ability to represent all phenomena. One of those sources of inspiration comes from the John Carpenter’s comedy/action movie, Big Trouble In Little China
Jack Burton is a truck driver with absolutely none of the traditional heroic skills commonly seen portrayed in similar circumstances; the only thing that sets him apart from other people, is his confidence, self-belief, foolishness and amazing reflexes. In the words of Jack Burton, “Like I told my last wife, I says, “Honey, I never drive faster than I can see. Besides that, it’s all in the reflexes.”
I remember reading something by John Carpenter, which I think is very appropriate to the tone of the movie. Jack Burton is portrayed as the ‘hero’, when in fact he is the sidekick. In a wonderful switch of roles, the real sidekick (Jack Burton) is filmed as the ‘hero’ whereas the real hero (Wang Chi) is filmed as the sidekick. Jack actually does very little in the way of heroic acts, until right at the end of the film when his ‘reflexes’ come into their own. His friend Wang Chi is responsible for the majority of Heroics and daring-do throughout.
This movie inspires in me a feeling of wonder. Do we really need to strive to be better than who we are, to be more than who we are; or do we just need to accept who we are? There is a distinct lack of self reflection when it comes to Jack Burton, a type of innocence and foolishness.
The Great Fool
Aleister Crowley once wrote,
“The connection between foolishness and holiness is traditional. It is no sneer that the family nitwit had better go into the church. In the East the madman is believed to be ‘possessed’, a holy man or prophet. So deep is this identity that it is actually embedded in the language. ‘Silly’ means empty- the Vacuum of Air- Zero-…And the word is from German selig, holy, blessed. It is the innocence of the Fool which most strongly characterizes him. …The Great Fool is definite doctrine. The world is always looking for a savior, and the doctrine in question is philosophically more than a doctrine; it is a plain fact.”
There are many different and seemingly contradictory ideas that go into an appreciation of the Fool, but none of these ideas need to form a comprehensive whole.
…no attempt has been made, or should be made, to prevent the legends overlapping and coalescing. The variations of expression, even when contradictory in appearance, should lead to an intuitive apprehension of the symbol by a sublimation and transcendance of the intellectual. All these symbols of the Trumps ultimately exist in a region beyond reason and above it.
Aleister Crowley, Book of Thoth
By understanding some of the different ideas that make up the Fool we come to an intuitive understanding of this Tarot card. Jack Burton is one idea that I use when my attention is turned towards the Fool. Jack Burton is a Fool, and perhaps also a savior. He drives into town a pure Fool and leaves with the reputation of the savior; a man who removed a 2000 year old curse and saved China Town from the evil sorcerer Lo Pan. There is a foolish innocence to Jack Burton, a native confidence; something which I find inspiring and something that I use to help me understand Tarot.
Below is a video trailer of Big Trouble in Little China, which, for those of you who haven’t seen the film, will give you a sense of how I see an aspect of the Fool card; but before I go, I wanted to end this post from one of the best lines in the movie:
Just remember what ol’ Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol’ storm right square in the eye and he says, “Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it!”
Jack Burton
What sources of inspiration do you use to help you connect to the Tarot? Do you only use Tarot related sources, or are there other sources from which you derive inspiration? Let me know how life helps you connect to the Tarot 
Image used from Wickipedia
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7 comments… Let's discuss
You always have an interesting way to explore the tarot.
This movie made me think of Escape from New York; which in turn made me think of Ernest Borgnine’s cabbie character, and I wondered how I might fit him into the tarot? Yeah, strange train of thought, but it’s what you triggered.
Thank you for your compliment
Escape from New York is another one of those films I really like. The main character, Snake Plissken, makes an interesting Chariot card perhaps? An anti-hero who, despite being captured in the first place, succeeds in the mission to rescue the president. There is a certain die-hard ruthlessness to the Chariot card; an unstoppable force. The only reason I’m not fully comfortable with assigning him to the Chariot is because of Snake’s moral stance on life. The Chariot card has a certain traditional outlook, a type of traditional morality; however, if we reversed the Chariot (the way Snake is an anti-hero) then it could fit. The inmates of the prison all know who Snake is, and there are points in the film when they chant his name. This is very reminiscent of the Emperors returning to Rome in Triumph – only, in this case, it would be in an anti-society sense.
Cabbie is a very interesting character. I’m unsure who to assign him to. Without the influence of Cabbie, Snake amongst other characters would have met a grisly end. He strikes me as being a helpful influence, yet slightly mischievous – almost a prankster and a coward (he ran away from danger yet seems to enjoy the circumstances). Perhaps the Magician or the Eight of Wands would be appropriate? His role is essentially communication and transport. He tells Snake where to find the president, knows what’s happening within the prison (he has an ear to the ground for information) and introduces Snake to Brain. In this sense he delivers important news, turns up unexpectedly just as Snake and the others are in danger, and provides safe passage – Mercurial influences as well as offering safe passage to travellers.
Interesting idea Jason
. It’s always good fun to check out people you know, or characters you like in movies to see what Tarot card they might be.
For a relatively minor character, I am certainly having a hard time pinning down the cabbie msyelf. Out of the majors, he could certainly be the Chariot (despite your assignment to Snake) because he represents transportation, and his appearance means a temporary victory in escaping a bad situation. He could be the Hanged Man because of his sacrifice. For minors, I see the 6 of Swords when it depicts a journey; and I like your 8 of Wands. Or how about cabbie as the companion dog of the Fool?
One idea I’ve had for some time but never pursued is to relate the tarot to videogame characters. I’ve played videogames for many years now, so I have a lot of material in my head. My favorites tend to be Japanese role-playing games, which are story-driven and therefore have characters who can be archetypal themselves. I’ll have to ponder this more seriously, and perhaps it will generate a future post.
Oh Mr. Taroteon, you speak my language
I’m going to have to see that movie now.
In a former life, as a backpacker in Germany, I’d spent all my cash and couldn’t get a cheap flight home on the day I wanted it. I ended up waiting a week in Munich until the flight I could afford decided it would take off. The problem was, all my friends had left and it was snowing buckets. I had my cards of course, and so I passed the time by drawing cards and going out searching for their real-life match. Weird thing was, I’d set the intent, forget about it, and then it’d show up anyway! I’d realise it later that night and feel a bit spooked, actually, til I realised, ‘Duh, that’s actually what Tarot does sometimes… talk to you about what’s coming up’.
That little treasure hunt led me to the following:
1) making friends with a Zookeeper (the Empress)
2) getting to know a scientist and his wife who paid for drink after drink after drink, while we empathised with one another’s stories. They were the first friendly people I’d spoken to in a long time. (The Ace of Cups)
3) Going to nearby Salzburg and visiting the room where Mozart was born, right on his actual birthday… but not realising it until I was standing there and someone told me. (Justice)
That freezing Munich week was really what got me being a bit more lateral with the cards… and made me a more intuitive reader for sure.
Hi Liani Tarot thanks for sharing
Sounds like quite the adventure
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I really like the way you’ve connected these cards. I always find it really interesting how people can connect with others and have that feeling of connection reciprocated. When I read your example of the Ace of Cups, it reminded me of similar experiences I had; and how those ‘connections’ can happen at just the right time. A zookeeper being represented by the Empress is inspired; as is the connection you made to the Justice card.
Reading the Tarot laterally is something that I personally try and do every time I read but on reflection, I think it only began to happen when I started to see the Tarot as representing more than abstract ideas or psychological states; rather, the Tarot, as does any divination device, represents all phenomena. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t make a very good device for divination. I really enjoyed your comment, and the way you’ve shown how everyday events can connect to the 78 Tarot cards.
I LOVED the zookeeper as Empress! I see the empress with a peacock — which doesn’t look as odd as it may sound.
Totally. The zookeeper as Empress is an awesome interpretation.
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