“The clown figure has had so many meanings in different times and cultures. The jolly, well-loved joker familiar to most people is actually but one aspect of this protean creature. Madmen, hunchbacks, amputees, and other abnormals were once considered natural clowns; they were elected to fulfil a comic role that could allow others to see them as ludicrous rather than as terrible reminders of the forces of disorder in the world. But sometimes, a cheerless jester was required to draw attention to this same disorder, as in the case of King Lear’s morbid and honest fool, who of course was eventually hanged, and so much for his clownish wisdom. Clowns have often had ambiguous and sometimes contradictory roles to play.”
Thomas Ligotti, The Last Feast Of The Harlequin.
My next book is about the Tarot, focusing on the Fool and it will be a unique initiatory manual, journal and workbook. Stay tuned!
