0 - The Fool (Inspurrations)

The first card in Major Arcana is The Fool, a card that signifies new beginnings, innocence, idealism, and -naturally- foolishness. In many decks, this card is shown with a man, with questionable fashion sense, about to step over a cliff while looking in another direction altogether. Is this a slightly ominous start to the deck? Purrhaps. But it also shows the danger of being young and having no experience. Newness and new beginnings sound very positive, like a kitten that is fluffy and adorable, but there is also some hazard if you don't look where you're going.

For the most part, I drew the deck card by card, in order. But I started with four designs (Death, The Devil, The Magician, and The High Priestess) that I did as a group for Halloween. It wasn't until the following year, just after moving across the country, that I decided to carry on the project and make a full deck. This time, I started with The Fool. It's apropos, since I had no idea how much work I was setting myself up for. Yes, 78 cards are obviously a huge undertaking, but, as with many projects, I set myself a goal and jump in without thinking too much about the time commitment. Very fool-like of me.

For my fool, I drew a vaudeville actor, stepping out onto the stage. The first four designs I had drawn had been Victorian, so my theme was already set. Vaudeville, with its garishness and plebeian humor, seemed like a good fit to me. I picked a Scottish fold for the cat. No slander intended to the Scottish folds, but they do have a kind of wide-eyed, empty-brain look to them. Scottish folds are not a bobtail breed, but this cat has no tail. Did I forget to draw one? Errr, let's say this cat lost it in a freak accident because they weren't paying attention...