Why is 'The Fool' card number 0 in Tarot?

Ah, that's a great question! Many people new to Tarot have this exact same query: "Why doesn't it start from '1'?"

You can think of it this way: the Major Arcana (the 22 named cards) actually tell a complete story, a journey of personal growth, and "The Fool" is the protagonist of this story.

1. 0 Represents "Infinite Possibility," Not "Nothingness"

In the world of numbers, 1 is the beginning, the first action. But what about 0? 0 is that "chaotic" yet potential-filled state before any action begins. It's like a circle, with no beginning and no end.

Imagine a scenario: You're about to embark on a long journey. Before you step out the door (taking the first step, which is "1"), you're standing at the threshold, backpack on, facing an unknown world. At this moment, you're filled with anticipation, a touch of nervousness, and infinite possibilities await you. This moment is the state of "The Fool," card number "0."
Or like playing a game: You create a new character, level 0, who hasn't started any quests yet. They can be any profession, take any path; their future is a blank slate, full of infinite potential.

So, The Fool is card number 0, representing that they haven't been defined by any experience, rules, or identity yet. They are the origin point of everything, pure potential.

2. The Storyline of "The Fool's Journey"

As mentioned, the Major Arcana is a story. This story is "The Fool's Journey."

The Fool (0), this innocent and carefree traveler, takes the first step off the cliff.
Then they will encounter The Magician (1), learning how to use their will and tools;
Meet The High Priestess (2), learning to listen to their inner intuition;
Encounter The Empress (3) and The Emperor (4), understanding creation, nurturing, and order, authority...

They will continue their journey, experiencing love, chariots, strength, the solitude of the hermit, the wheel of fortune... until the very last card, The World (21). In The World card, they complete the entire journey, gaining wisdom and fulfillment, becoming one with the entire world.

So you see, placing The Fool at 0, as the beginning of the entire story, makes perfect sense, doesn't it? They are the protagonist of the story, about to embark on all the lessons from 1 to 21.

3. The Fool's Special Position

Precisely because it is 0, it is somewhat "transcendent." In some ancient Tarot systems, The Fool card even has no number and can be placed anywhere in the deck. You can put it at the very beginning, representing the start of a journey; or you can put it at the very end (after The World, 21), representing the end of one journey and the beginning of a new one, symbolizing the endless cycle of life.

To summarize:

The Fool is card number 0 because it represents the infinite potential before a journey begins, and it is the protagonist and starting point of the grand story of "The Fool's Journey." It is not counted in the sequence from 1 to 21 because it is the "soul" that is about to experience it all.

So, the next time you draw The Fool card, don't just see its "foolishness" as if it's about to fall off a cliff; instead, see its unconstrained nature, the freedom and infinite possibilities of bravely stepping into the unknown. That is the true charm of card number 0.