Tarot: 0. Little Red Cap

Little Red Cap, better known as Little Red Riding Hood, is the Fool of the Inner Child Cards by Isha Lerner.  She represents taking a journey.  Red is the child-like innocence and naivete we have at the beginning of any venture.  Her story is one of growth and challenges.  Like any good story, Little Red has many different versions.  In some the wolf tricks her and gobbles up both Granny and Red until the Huntsman comes by the cabin to saves them both.  In other versions Little Red outsmarts or ignores the wolf and both Red and Granny defeat him.  While yet another version has Red seducing and mating with the Wolf to save herself.  Of course, anyone who has seen Once Upon a Time, knows Red is a werewolf.

No matter the version of the story there are common elements, and each one has its own significance.  Some are obvious in their meaning, while some are more obscured.  The first and most important element is the journey taken.  Regardless of how it begins, unfolds, or ends, the journey will take place.  Journeys signify a coming of age, a time of work and challenge, a time of growth.  A journey can be external or internal; it can be a literal journey or a figurative one.

In every story, Little Red comes across a Wolf on the path, upon entering the woods, he challenges her in some way.  Sometimes the Wolf tricks Red, sometimes she tricks the Wolf and defeats him.  The Wolf represents the challenges we face, be them self-made or brought on by others.  The journey and the wolf show how we handle obstacles in our life.

Yet another element that is the same across all the stories is Little Red, Red’s mom, and Red’s granny.  This is a triple goddess aspect; Maiden, Mother, and Crone.  Mother imparts her knowledge on the Maiden and the Maiden chooses what to do with it.  At the end of the journey, after defeating the Wolf, Red and Granny have cakes and wine.  Granny represents the Crone and wisdom gained.  The cakes and wine, another common element, represents an offering of thanks. The Maiden thanks the Crone for the wisdom gained on her journey.

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The most obvious element shared across all versions of this story is the name of the little girl.  Whether she is of the hooded or capped persuasion, Granny loves her so much she makes her a red silk cap.  The grand-daughter loved the gift so much she wears it all the time and thus becomes known as Little Red Cap.  The red color of the cap and the fact that it covers her head (the crown chakra) is significant.  It shows passion and fire, a will to start something new, and the drive to overcome obstacles along the way.  This is the energy behind Red setting out on her journey and the energy she draws upon when she needs it.

Last, but not least, we have the woods.  Woods represent the unknown, the wild, the magical, and the mysterious.  They represent danger and safety, a place to lose yourself and find what is hidden.  Red must enter the woods to get to Granny’s house.  The path Mother tells her to stay on, represents the small part of the woods society has explored and tamed.  Red enters the woods with the naivete of a child.  She does not fear them and when the wolf tells her to leave the path to pick flowers, she does so, again, without fear.  Little Red is not hindered by the fears of society. Yet, she lacks the Huntsman’s understanding of the inherent dangers of the woods.

As you can see with this brief discussion of Little Red Cap, she has a lot to say and many ways to say it.  When reading this card I take the question being asked into consideration as I listen to Red’s story.  Sometimes she tells me the traditional story while emphasizing certain elements.  She may embellish an aspect of the story in a different way, such as a rocky and broken path or a smooth and winding one.  She might tell me a whole new story I’ve never heard before.  Once she has relayed her story I then interpret the meaning and find the answers for the question asked.  The answers don’t always make sense, and some cards aren’t as chatty as Red, but in the end I always learn something new.

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