Fool's Journey
Interpretive MethodThe concept of the Major Arcana as a narrative arc of spiritual development from The Fool (0) to The World (XXI).
Popularized by Eden Gray in 'A Complete Guide to the Tarot' (1970). The Fool travels through the 21 Major Arcana cards as stations on a soul's journey through life: from innocence (The Fool) through worldly experience (cards I-X), descent into darkness (cards XI-XV), destruction and rebirth (cards XVI-XX), and final integration (The World). The concept has Jungian resonances (individuation) but was not part of original tarot tradition.
Significance
The Fool's Journey is the dominant modern framework for understanding the Major Arcana as a coherent narrative rather than 22 independent symbols. It shapes how most readers teach and learn the trumps.