What were they thinking? Tarot of White Cats & Mogen David

Oh, what a cute deck, I thought, and bought it.

eeeeeerp when I got to the Devil. A scary cat-devil has two other cats chained, just like the Smith designs...but over the Devil's head glows a *Star of David.*

What the hoohah? Is this deck saying Judaism is Satanic?

Oh, I figure, probably not, some occultist thing about balancing opposites, maybe it's a Mogen David upside-down (who can tell?), and after all Satan is in God's employ in the Old Testament, but still...what were they thinking? How can anybody do readings for the public with this cute cuddly deck and have that crop up?

Keep in mind also that the other "scary" cards, such as Death and the Ten of Swords, have been toned down in their scariness.

It may be worth keeping in mind that the six pointed star of two interlaced triangles is not only used to indicate Judaism, and unless of that peculiar blue used on the flag of Israel, or in other ways combined to indicate a Jewish aspect, may not even be the Magen David.

As six pointed star, it has perhaps more a meaning of 'as above, so below'.

In any case, I doubt the intent is in any manner intended as anti-semite.

BTW the six pointed star can also mean the feminine and masculine aspect combined.

The six-pointed star is also used in some forms of magic, for invoking demons. So maybe it's saying that the Devil is something that was invoked by the querent's actions, not something they're a random victim of.

Each Tarot card & particularly of the Major Arcana alludes to balance. Some may be more illustrative of the concept.

The six-pointed star symbolic of both a concept & a process. Of an esoteric significance pertaining to levels of consciousness; knowledge & understanding or the application of knowledge. Duality & the union of duality: yang & yin; the active/male & passive/female principles (not of gender per se but of energetic patterns).

It refers to the number of '6' (the flip-side of 15).

6 is composed of a vertical line (man; the ego; the conscious mind) & a circle (the superconscious mind; Divine manifestation; eternity). Thus representative of man, upright & supported by his soul. At 6, man has moved from the conflicted to achievement. 6 has learned to access the wisdom of the inner self; evolved from passionate love to compassionate love. Signifies communication between that 'above' & that below'. Symbolic of beauty/balance, harmony, intuition, love.

The six-pointed star is associated with the heart chakra, the midpoint of the 7 chakras & where the two triangles intersect. Representative of 'as above, so below'; the perfect alignment & balance between spirit & body.

In The Devil (the flip-side of 6), man is (again) conflicted. Struggles between spirit & body. Continues to learn from the earthly or life experiences related to cause & effect; discipline; & self-responsibility. Teaches overcoming self towards achieving freedom & Self.

Pagan X said:

Oh, what a cute deck, I thought, and bought it.

eeeeeerp when I got to the Devil. A scary cat-devil has two other cats chained, just like the Smith designs...but over the Devil's head glows a *Star of David.*

What the hoohah? Is this deck saying Judaism is Satanic?

Click to expand...

Probably not, in this case. However, the medieval development of satanic imagery is closely connected with anti-semitic imagery and concepts. The goat was a symbol of judaism, Saturn [and imagery of saturn eating children] was a symbol of Judaism. There is a modern pagan myth that images of Satan are derived from pagan imagery such as Pan; in fact it can largely be shown to be rooted in medieval and renaissance anti-semiticism.

Kwaw