The Devil is hunting...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 13 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Okay not really. I've kind of gotten used to the devil card being in my spreads. But when I first started I was scared to the point that I'd leave the cards untouched for days. But after a while I have accepted it and actually expect the devil's card to appear in my spreads. It seems to be reoccuring card. No matter if i lay out the spread for myself or someone else lays a spread out for me. The first time I've seen it was on my first spread, which was a mirror spread. Y'know where the first card is what you know and everyone else doesn't know about yourself. Then what everyone knows and you dont know and then what you and everyone knows and the fourth and last what everyone and you dont know. Well the devil's card came as the fourth card. And around 8 out of 10 times the card will appear in any spread i make for myself, about my situation or my being.When i started i felt like it was hunting me, or nagging at me. What could it be telling me? I'm not sure exactly what it symbolizes to me. Maybe fear, bondage or obsession... but the meanings of my personality have a hard time fitting in. Someone said it doesn't mean black magic, but when i think about it, that just might be it. But so far everyone i've talked to, they are adamant it has nothing to do with magic. Strangely it would fit in if it did mean black magic. I am a descendant of an asian occultist (or sometimes called witch) who practiced black magic in the provinces of the Philippines. Of course we dont practice it now, and it's not my beliefs. Though there are lingering aftermaths, like a few curses. Could this be what the card is telling me? That it's still there?

jema	13 Oct 2002
hi sintra and welcome to the forums. I think the spread you are talking about is called "the blind spot" i found it on this site a few years back: http://www.corax.com/tarot/spreads/index.html and it is a nice little spread. as for the devil as black magic - well magic has no colour. it is too often the christian church that is colouring the magic of all others black. but if you feel that is what is meant so be it. it is your reading and your cards. for me the devil speaks about addictions. what am i addicted to? it can be food, drugs, sex, attention etc... the devil is about being prisoner of the senses and the ego. and it is oh so very human of us to be that at times. as for the position in the blind spot - perhaps you need to figure out just what pulls you down, what kind of trappings are holding you in one place? we all have them, nothing to feel ashamed about. my personal "devil" is the fear of change and my over-eating as a result of it.

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Does it reoccur in your spreads? It seems like a card in my deck which utterly demands attention and wants to be seen. Yet I cannot see at this point, what it means in my life. I have it in spreads about myself and perhaps even indicating my source for energy. Addiction.. at this point I have none really.. Maybe just a curiousity to Tarot. Ego? .. hrm.. i'm not an arrogant person, though many people find me unapproachable at first glance... *sighs* I'll try and add a post in the Readings Forum when I suddenly get the reading with the devil. It's getting my curiouser and curiouser :) Thanks though for the explanation. I'm still clueless what it might be.

RedWood	13 Oct 2002
Sinta, Have you considered making a list? of everything that you think the devil stands for at the time in the spread...everything in your life that it may refer too...You may be surprised at how much can pop up...Just a thought!

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Hrm that's an idea... I think I will try that. Though the card seems to pop up almost all the time in spreads about myself, it seems to be there right now, 6 months before and no doubt for a while... straaaaaaaaaange. But thanks for the advice :) I'll try that. Thank you!

Keslynn	13 Oct 2002
I have a friend who had the Devil pop up in a recent reading in the future position. A little later he hurt his shoulder very badly which stops him from doing a lot of the things he likes to do. So he is sort of trapped. Have you had any physical injuries that hold you back? Another thing you might consider is doing a spread asking why the Devil keeps popping up and what you should do about it. :) Kes

jema	13 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Sinta Addiction.. at this point I have none really.. Maybe just a curiousity to Tarot. Ego? .. hrm.. i'm not an arrogant person, though many people find me unapproachable at first glance... oh i am sorry, i am not very clear here. pardon me. Ego has nothing to do with being arrogant - quite the opposit really. it is often born out of a feeling of not being good enough and therefore seeking others approval and attention. (i am not saying here that you are of course, it is just one possible meaning of the card) perhaps reading a bit from Bunnings course can give some ideas on just what shades of the devil fits you. http://www.learntarot.com/maj15.htm also since it is in the "blind spot" it is obviously hard to see ;) perhaps it will reveal itself to you in due time. oh and as a source of energy - well, the devil is a card of Passion!

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Kes: Physical injuries? At the moment no. Another thing, this card hasn't just been popping up recently.. ever since my bf gave me my first tarot reading which was around a year ago, i was getting the card and i still am getting it. -_- makes everything complicated. Quote: Originally posted by Keslynn Another thing you might consider is doing a spread asking why the Devil keeps popping up and what you should do about it. Why oh why didn't I think about that?! *slaps forehead* Thank you ever so much! LOL. I think I might just do one. :) Sometimes I could just hit myself ^_^

RedWood	13 Oct 2002
ok..if you do a spread about the devil popping up...what if the devil pops up in that spread? would it bring more clairity because of the question asked and the position? or would it be more confusing? could you use the devil card as a significator to completely pull it out of the deck?

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by jema it is often born out of a feeling of not being good enough and therefore seeking others approval and attention. oh and as a source of energy - well, the devil is a card of Passion! OH! LOL i misunderstood then. I apologize. I see what you mean. Hrm, that might be an idea... .... you just might've hit something. I strive hard to gain others approval.. I'm a perfectionist you see. Even when I create programs, or paint.. whatever I do, I try and make it my best. If I dont like a painting, i'd burn it. If i dont like a program i made, i'd delete it. Passion? Really? .... doesn't really look like a card of passion to me, but of course to each their own :) Why would you believe that the devil card is a card of passion?

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by RedWood could you use the devil card as a significator to completely pull it out of the deck? Perhaps there are spreads that asks such a question? Does anyone perhaps know? A spread that might ask why a card keeps popping up in readings of a certain person? Or do i have to make my own :) All i want is a bit of clarity really... This reoccuring card pops up too many times to be coeincidence.

faunabay	13 Oct 2002
sinta, you could just make up your own spread using the devil as the signficator. Just an example - completely off the top of my head: a 4 card spread, pulling the devil card out and laying it at the top as the significator. card one: what in my past has caused the devil to show up card two: what in my present causes the devil to show up continuously card three: advice, thing I might do to correct the hold over me by the devil card four: outcome And I very much agree with jema that the devil card can talk about passion. I look at it as passion to the extreme. The devil, to me, sometimes says that you're so passionate about something (money, love, power, etc.) that you lose your sense of proportion. You lose yourself in your hunt for MORE (of anything)! IMO it's a VERY passionate card.

jema	13 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Sinta Passion? Really? .... doesn't really look like a card of passion to me, but of course to each their own :) Why would you believe that the devil card is a card of passion? well, they say that the old religions gods are the new religions devils. and for the devil that is fitting. he is modeled on Pan and Pan was a fertility god. you can read a bit more about Pan here: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/pan.html also if you look closely on many of the Devil cards you see some hints of sexuality, they are like a mock-up of the lovers only chained by lust. often when i get the devil i see it as a card for daring more, to live out ones desires but not becoming a slave under them.

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by jema also if you look closely on many of the Devil cards you see some hints of sexuality, they are like a mock-up of the lovers only chained by lust. often when i get the devil i see it as a card for daring more, to live out ones desires but not becoming a slave under them. LOL!!!!!!! I'm terribly pleased by that meaning :) indeed... when i look at it now, and i compare the devil card and the lovers card, they dont seem at all different. Instead of the angel there is the devil in the background... instead of looking innocent the card looks guilty... and the two beings are at the front. I never saw that card in that way before.... wow! I guess it's just because i was always scared to actually study it and compair it to my primary archetype (Lovers card). That card just might mean it. It strikes a cord in me indeed.... I have a very deep relationship with my lover and it hasn't lessened at all. He's practically everything to me.... ;) I can't really say yet if this card might mean that, but it's a very strong possibility it might be for lust. Quote: Originally posted by faunabay And I very much agree with jema that the devil card can talk about passion. I look at it as passion to the extreme.. What wonderful feedback! Instead of fearing the card now, i welcome it. I'm a very passionate person. Especially about my relationship. It's a distance relationship but it's held for two years and it keeps growing stronger. I will still try that spread you mentioned :) Thank you. I just want to see if it is really passion. Now that I compared the Lover's card and devil's card, passion is the strongest reason why it might be in my spreads. But I still want to check on it. THANK YOU for all the feedback! it has meant a lot for me. When i had my first experiences in tarot I was practically terrified of the card. :) Thank you thank you thank you! I'm so glad I found people who would take time and are willing to help this newbie ^_^~~ it means so much.

faunabay	13 Oct 2002
LOL You're sooo welcome sinta!! :D A word of caution though.....yes, it is a passion card, but like I said before "passion to the extreme". Don't allow yourself to get lost in that passion and lose sight of other things in your life!!! :* If or when you do the spread, let us know what you come up with, would you? If it's not too personal. I'm curious now! LOL

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Not at all ;) and yeah, now that you say it when i look about my passion ("lust, relationship, etc.") it does seem to be in the extreme.. i'm obsessed about my lover at times. He completes me. His presence is almost in all of my spreads, as a supporter, guider, lover and my readings have described him as a person who completes me to the fullest. Bad aspect of this. I'm a terribly jealous person and am quick to anger...sometimes it hurts him as well. -_- hrmm... eitherways i'm going to do that spread ;) Don't worry, i'll reveal it you all ^_^ Thank you soooo much. I feel a lot better now. At first I thought that the actions of an ancestor might be still haunting me.. *phew* glad it's most likely not that.

jema	13 Oct 2002
i am glad we managed to help you some:) and every time we talk about a card like these all of us are learning new things.

New River	13 Oct 2002
Hi Sinta, i just wanted to add that for me the Devil card can signify temptation too. it can pop up as a warning sometimes when one of those situations is likely to turn up. also, depending on it's position, for me it can denote a person who is not being completely honest or might be trying to deceive me in some way. or may be telling me i am deceiving myself. i would find it fascinating if i had a card turning up so often no matter what it was. glad you shared this! can't wait to see how often it keeps turning up for you. love and blessings, New River :*

zorya	13 Oct 2002
one more correlation between the devil and the lovers, is that the lovers are card 6. the devil is 15. 5+1=6.

MeeWah	13 Oct 2002
Sinta: Along the lines of what Zorya mentioned--The Devil can be seen as the antithesis of The Lovers. The latter pertains more to choices & responsibility than romantic love though it can refer to same. Perhaps consider determining if the card could represent an aspect of self as in the Personality & Soul Cards; also the Shadow. These are based on the numbers of the full birth date which are added. There are threads on the subject in the archives. Offhand, I recall a couple under titles such as "Personal card"; "The Shadow Card".

Sinta	14 Oct 2002
Well I did calculate what my personal card was and it's the lovers card. 1 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 4 = 24 2 + 4 = 6 But i dont know how to calculate my Shadow card from this, seeing that 6 is only one digit. But perhaps it does have a connection somehow? I'm still trying to find time to create that card questioning spread.. i want to be relaxed when I do it and able to concentrate.. right now life is pulling me everywhere *mutters and stares back at her databank design* .... ... ick.

zorya	14 Oct 2002
well sinta, i don't know how to break this to you, ;) lol. but since your personality and soul cards are both number 6 the lovers, your shadow or teacher card would be number 15, the devil.

Sinta	14 Oct 2002
Really? It does seem logical... Wow... another revelation... it then fits very well with my mirror/blind spot spread where the Devil card turned up as my shadow/unknown card. Gee...thanks a lot for the info. I feel very comfortable with the card now. :) I have finally come to terms with it. I'll put up the spread to check this out when i can ^_^

Sinta	14 Oct 2002
I created the spread that asked about this card and am I ever so pleased with the results!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you all who helped me out. Below you can find the link to the thread where I shared the spread :) You'll find things to be possibly quite surprising in the results ^_^ http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8250

Demonesse	17 Oct 2002
I think the Devil card bears special scrutiny - I don't think one should be afraid of it, but rather face up to possibly hidden and unpleasant truths that surface in a reading. I think the Devil card could also be used to signify the presence of negativity within oneself - an overwhelming force/desire which controls one's words, thoughts and deeds because it inhibits, represses the true individual self. Even too much of a good thing can be bad. I don't particularly like the Robin Wood but I think its Devil card is a rather good portrayal of the meaning of the card, even if it's not all that Devil-ish. })

The The Devil is hunting... thread was originally posted on 13 Oct 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.