After the “Death” card which ends the second level, The Fool proceeds only on the third level and is able to reach “The Sun” card. It can be said that all the processes that The Fool went through, all the self-work that The Fool did, all of it was done to reach “The Sun” card. The Fool’s goal was to create the “real self,” or to give birth to the “inner child”! The child, who has already appeared in the “Death” card, is now revealed in “The Sun” card and symbolizes the birth of the “inner child” and the “true self.”
While progress on the three levels, The Fool woke up, dead and now he is reborn. Of course, this is not the end of the development process, this is just another stage. This “inner child” is also referred to in various sources as the “Astral body,” and “The Sun” card indicates the birth and the attainment of the full functionality of the “Astral body.” I noted that this is another stage in development because the “Astral body” also has various laws and restrictions. The great Sun, located in the card above the child, along with all the optimism, warmth and joy, also points to the same rules and restrictions: The realm of existence of the “Astral body” is limited to the realm of the Sun. Namely, it is limited to the Solar system. This restriction exists while the physical body is alive and functioning, and also after the death of the physical body. That is, even when the physical body dies, the “Astral body” continues to exist within the solar system. The existence of the “Astral body” is limited, and in the end, it also erodes, dies and disappears. We accept here a hint that it is necessary to have more than one inner child, to free ourselves from the laws that apply to the astral body. A “Mental body” is an example of another inner child, which is not limited to the kingdom of the Sun, and its existence continues even after the death of the “Astral body”.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh (The Mesopotamian epic), we are told the story of Gilgamesh who successfully obtains permission from the gods and brings his friend Enkidu back to life for a very brief time. Enkidu who came back from the dead told Gilgamesh what he had to do so that the next life (death) would be better. Some of his words relate directly to the number of his offspring; the more children you have, the better you will be in life after death. What does this have to do with our life-after-death and the number of our children? One interpretation of the word “child” is well known to us - a descendant, but has the epic tried to increase procreation and nothing more? The less familiar interpretation is the “inner child” - an “Astral body.” The creation of external life - offspring, and the creation of inner life - an “Astral body” are related to the same energy (sexual energy), with which man can have children or create an Astral body. Life after death is possible if one succeeds in creating inner children, that is, higher bodies: an astral body, a mental body, and so on.
“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.”
Isaiah 11:6
Here the animals represent the functions. More precisely the harmony between functions; No function devours the energy of another so they can work harmoniously and efficiently. And the boy is the same figure that appears on “The Sun” card, that inner child, who now controls the functions.
As I already mentioned, the four functions operate in an unbalanced way. The Fool at the beginning of his journey carries them in his bag and knows nothing about them. The Magician is the one who presents The Fool with the knowledge related to the functions. He demonstrates and explains every function to him. The Fool must begin balancing the functions, preventing them from stealing energy from each other, and the most important thing is to stop the theft of sexual energy: this energy can be identified by a unique wave, a fervor that does not fit the situation.
The intellectual function, by using sexual energy is not satisfied with only the areas that interest it. It also creates innovative and subjective theories, writes entire encyclopedias, criticizes, fights and argues.
The emotional function preaches blind faith, warns against sin, engenders revolutions, wages holy wars, kills, destroys, and more.
The moving function strives to achieve movement-related peaks. It tries to break records and engage in extreme sports.
The instinctive function is strongly associated with anything related to health and disease, or finances and physical comfort. Sometimes it is compulsive for food and sex.
Namely, that delicate energy designed to create life; External life-children, internal life - an Astral body, is being robbed and wasted by other functions on worthless tasks.
If The Fool successfully balances his functions and prevents the misuse of sexual energy, only then he can be reborn, or give birth to the “inner child.”