04/01/2026
Do you know the story of April Fools? It's from the Canterbury Tales — The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, which happened “Syn March bigan, thritty days and two” — March 32nd — April 1st. It’s one of cleverness and “fool-ish” behavior.
It starts with a proud rooster named Chauntecleer, who dreams of doom in the form of a fox. Afraid, he wakes & is comforted by 1 of his 7 hen-wives. Unfortunately his dream was a premonition.
A “col-fox, ful of sly iniquitee” who'd eaten Chauntecleer’s mom & dad waits for him. He knows the rooster was proud & tricks him into crowing just like his father — neck out & on tip-toes. When the rooster does it, the fox grabs him by the neck and the whole farm gives chase.
But Chauntecleer suggests the fox taunt the pursuers to give up. When the fox opens his mouth, Chauntecleer escapes & fly to safety in a nearby tree. The fox tries to sway the rooster with an apology, but he doesn't fall for it.
What a story full of ingenuity, cunning, and trickery — all Uranian themes! Uranus (pronounced “ūr-ah-nĹs”) is the adaptable part of us, our ingenuity, and how we rebel. His shadow shows us where we rebel without cause, are erratic, and where we’re ungrounded.
Interestingly, Uranus (& Aquarius) rules today’s mascot — The Fool. Uranus moves into Gemini for the first time in 84 years this month. Uranus has been in Gemini during the American Revolution, the Civil War, WWII, and most recently, the Vietnam war. Those are also time of ingenuity and invention.
In tarot, the Fool represents naivety & foolishness. With child-like wonder, an excited boy who hasn't yet experienced failure, sets off into the unknown. He represents our alchemical journey, oblivious to failure.
In older illustrations of the card, he was known as “Matto”, meaning madman & was depicted pantsless — with a civet/dog chasing his low-hanging “fruit”. This is an allegory for the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge — to eat brings suffering, & even certain death — but with that, the potential to evolve to an intellectual higher state of being.
The dog is next to the Fool, reared on his hind legs — in either excitement or warning. Is he aware of the dangers or just enjoying the view?
