The Devil Card - A New Approach

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divinerguy	13 Jul 2002
I've always interpreted the Devil card as the antithesis of love. Not hate, but an absence of love. I know most people read the Devil card as enslavement, but I don't. The devil is essentially a judaeo-christian creation, and remember that A. E. Waite, much of the Golden Dawn and renaissance Italy were all christian. If the nature of God is unconditional love of humanity, then shouldn't his opposition, the Devil, be interpreted as an absence of love? Divinerguy

Kyrielle	14 Jul 2002
Interesting viewpoint. Is there a card that represents the God-force of love to you? The opposite card to the Devil's force of non-love? -- Kyrielle

WolfSpirit	14 Jul 2002
Some people look at the devil card as living for the moment and enjoy with your senses without thinking of the consequences. So it's an absence of morals rather than absence of love. The meaning of enslavement could come from this (slave to drink, smoke or whatever...) I don't have many devils in my spreads, but next time I will check if the cards maybe tell me to just enjoy myself passionately })

Starfish	14 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by WolfSpirit Some people look at the devil card as living for the moment and enjoy with your senses without thinking of the consequences. So it's an absence of morals rather than absence of love. The meaning of enslavement could come from this (slave to drink, smoke or whatever...) I don't have many devils in my spreads, but next time I will check if the cards maybe tell me to just enjoy myself passionately }) I'm one of those people, WolfSpirit. (You described the interpretation so well too) I hardly ever see the Devil card in any spreads I do, especially for myself. I will be on the lookout for it too. (thinking that I need to let down my hair a bit....;)) :T7W Starfish

divinerguy	14 Jul 2002
I've always seen the Lovers as the opposing force to the Devil card. I suppose it could also be the Star, or less likely, the World. Divinerguy

Liliana	14 Jul 2002
I always considered the Lovers as a pair to the Devil as well, so the Lovers would be Gods unconditional Love and the Devil the absence of it. Makes some sense to me. :THP

Pollux	14 Jul 2002
I think of the Devil as what draws me back to my "animal" part, thhe beast... Addictions, Lust, Cupidity... It can be the lack of Love as well as the lack of Ethics. I don't see a contradiction nor an "inflation" of the meaning of the Arcana. In my veiw, DEVIL has always been the opposite to LOVERS. And it was brought home to me when I got my Gill: try to place them side by side. The Cards mirror each other perfectly. Devil opposites Lovers in every field, if one bothers to think of it. The ifea of love, for example. If The Lovers indicates communion, sentiments, emotional involvement, The Devil talks of sex4sex. (I am trying to be as simplistic as I can - it's late and I don't have many neurons working right now...). Lovers is the courage and strength to follow our own path, to listen to o ur very inner voice and awareness, to go with our flow and therefore experience freedom, seek freedom. Devil is affection, conditioning, the opposite of freedom not as slavery only but more like the lack of strength, the "lazyness" of our consicences, when you do things that you mnow you should not, you know you don't want to, but you can't hlep it, you feel compelled...

Pollux	14 Jul 2002
I bothered to place the cards side by side

niah	14 Jul 2002
I've seen the Devil as changes or lustfulness. Ooh la la! I always get a kick out of my friends' reaction when I draw it out. *-*BUM BUM BUM!!!*-* The Devil! Them: I'm going to hell?! Me: You're already there. LOL. Another "bad card" according to them is the Hanged Man. They literally think they're going to be hung. It makes me sad to think that they're the product of millions of years of evolution. :TCHAR

tigerlily	14 Jul 2002
I'm influences by Campbell's "Hero's Journey" stuff (and my Latin classes in school), so I see the Devil as Lord of the Underworld, judging the souls and deciding which ones go to Tartarus (Tower) and which ones go to Elysium (Star)... eventually both get reborn (Moon-Sun-Judgment), but the ones in Tartarus have to be cleansed first... In readings I interpret the Devil as depression when you realize how you enslaved yourself - so to me the Devil is the confrontation with the truth, and the feelings of guilt and self-hate that come with it. Also, in the Devil stage, you can't see the way out - yet. You know that you screwed up mightily, but you have no idea how to free yourself and repair the damage. That is the trap that's usually associated with this Trump.

cherrywind	14 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by WolfSpirit Some people look at the devil card as living for the moment and enjoy with your senses without thinking of the consequences. So it's an absence of morals rather than absence of love. The meaning of enslavement could come from this (slave to drink, smoke or whatever...) This is exactly how I see the Devil card too, Wolfspirit.

meatbox666	14 Jul 2002
I see the Devil when someone is having sex with another and there is not any love. I see a rape when the Devil is found in the same spread as the Tower. I see an evil spirit surrounding a person when thedevil is accompanied by many swords.

Dark Inquisitor	14 Jul 2002
The Devil is just a whole cornucopia of mostly bad stuff- Adultery, addiction, murder, violence, enslavement, cruelty, deception. Anger & rage, revenge. It can also stand for the dark side of the supernatural. Lust, which can be good or bad depending on the circumstance. It can also stand for the confrontation with the shadow side of the person's nature - the hidden stuff that we all have to work out. Sometimes it just means being mischievous, as in "devilment". Occasionally, depending on the circumstance, I see the upraised hand as a big stop sign. Possibly warning of danger ahead, or a signal not to take a certain path. And if you're doing a reading about a book or movie, it could mean the Exorcist! Tarotphelia

meatbox666	15 Jul 2002
I like that interpretation.

Pollux	15 Jul 2002
:*:*:*:* A special one to Tarotphelia (;)) :* But one also to Tigerlily (;)) :* I enjoyed your posts thoroughly. I LOVED THEM!!!! (The Harem expands... I should ask Kayne Kiama and Liliana how they feel about it, and soon I want to add Rhiannon too... MHhh, the right place to talk of my Harem :TDEV)

Umbrae	15 Jul 2002
Ya know, when ever I see The Devil, I have to remember Tyler Durden said, “You are not your khaki’s.” That statement is the Devil (for me), not love, hate or indifference, but blind obedience to a concept without questioning it.

lupo138	30 Jul 2002
you all seem to relate the "pictures" of the devil and the leverS (not love!) to rw/crowley based decks. if you think of older decks, the images do not mirror each other at all. i thought this was worth to be mentioned.

Laurel	31 Jul 2002
Speaking of Crowley decks, I personally equate the Devil as the antithesis of Adjustment and Art as well as the The Lovers. To me, the Devil represents the end results of excessive behavior. I am not a believer in "Do What Thou Wilt Shalt Be The Whole of The Law" guiding my life instead by "Know Thyself" and "Nothing To Excess" of Delphian fame. Excess energy at creation shattered the vessels; excessive anything is harmful. I use the Devil as a guidepost and warning that something is very out of wack and needs to be gently but firmly brought into balance. Laurel

catlin	01 Aug 2002
To me the Devil just means the "Shadow side" of human beings. It is the part of your personallity most ppl neglect or try to ignore because they are afraid of it or because "society" made them to neglect it. It is the part inside you which whispers in your ear "Just DO it, no matter at what cost."

divinerguy	02 Aug 2002
Looking at my Cloisters deck. In both cards, the supernatural figure is poised between a male and female. In the lovers, they hold hold hands, and appear content. In the devil, they are separate, are in obvious pain, and look away from one another. In contrast to many decks, there are no chains of enslavement, dut there does appear to be a shackle on their ankles. There is no chain on either shackle.

catboxer	02 Aug 2002
Thank you, Catlin (applause). The inimitable Dr. Jung (whom you appear to have read) was of the opinion that "The evil which comes to light in man and that undoubtedly dwells within him" is something we'd all like to forget about. Therefore, Jung continues, "Only the fool (interesting choice of words) can permanently disregard the conditions of his own nature." The inclusion of this card in the deck shows that there was no aspect of human existence the authors of tarot were squeamish about portraying, and they left no stone unturned. My only quarrel with the traditional portrayal of the trump, as an inhuman and scaly monster, is that it seems to be an attempt to thrust evil away from ourselves, and portray it as something alien to human beings. Personally, I believe humans are the only animal capable of evil, therefore I prefer Devil cards that emphasize his human qualities. That's why my own Devil card image is almost entirely human. Except for the barely visible horns on his forehead, he could be from your hometown. CB

Mlle Lenormand	03 Aug 2002
I see the Devil as a card showing the negative side of human nature that we think we are shackled to. It is a wake up call that we all have choice, and that we don't have to live in that side of our nature.

Moongold	04 Aug 2002
I am really new, but for what it is worth I see the Devil card as representing fear and anxiety. It has come up for me a couple of times and others have interpreted it in that light, which I found most helpful. Seeing it that way can help confront the fear. Once, at a difficult time, I used the Devil Card as a significator (really confronting the fear) and had a beautiful reading. I note the earlier comment from some one that the Devil could represent the absence of love. That is an interesting interpretation. It could, by default, also represent the absence of faith and hope. Seen in this way, the Devil card, like the Tower can be experienced as positive, something that merely notes a state of being that can be changed. Moongold

LeoLady	04 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by tigerlily I'm influences by Campbell's "Hero's Journey" stuff (and my Latin classes in school), so I see the Devil as Lord of the Underworld, judging the souls and deciding which ones go to Tartarus (Tower) and which ones go to Elysium (Star)... eventually both get reborn (Moon-Sun-Judgment), but the ones in Tartarus have to be cleansed first... In readings I interpret the Devil as depression when you realize how you enslaved yourself - so to me the Devil is the confrontation with the truth, and the feelings of guilt and self-hate that come with it. Also, in the Devil stage, you can't see the way out - yet. You know that you screwed up mightily, but you have no idea how to free yourself and repair the damage. That is the trap that's usually associated with this Trump. I really like this description of the Devil..not having had it in any of my spreads I don't really know much about it yet, but this idea appeals to me immensly x

LeoLady	04 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by catboxer That's why my own Devil card image is almost entirely human. Except for the barely visible horns on his forehead, he could be from your hometown. CB That is one weird looking Devil card!!! Think I prefer the R/W and H/R artwork :0)

amyel	04 Aug 2002
Wow. I've just started to read through this thread, and I am interested in all your insites. the Devil card used to come in in almost every reading I used to do for myself. It was obviosuly trying to tell me something, but I feared the card and didn't understand it's lesson. To this day, it makes my uncomfortable. So I am not going to say much more here (after three pages of responses, I doubt I have anything to add), but I am looking forward to approaching this card in a more positive - or at least, enlightened, manner.

divinerguy	05 Aug 2002
The devil upsets a lot of people because of its its common association with evil, and its antithetical Christian role. To some, he's just a scary looking character.

Shandie	05 Aug 2002
I'm new here and far from an experienced reader - but I'm going to have my say, anyway. I see the Devil as the millstone around your neck, something that is holding you back from getting on with your life in a happy, productive way. It can take the form of an obsession with a person who is never going to make you happy, an addiction to drugs, alcohol or tobacco, or even a job which makes you miserable. I think it produces feelings of helplessness and depression because you know deep in your heart that you should (and COULD, if you really put your mind to it) get this "devil" off your back but you are too scared to try because you are afraid of failure. So, you do nothing. When I see the Devil, the words "the chains that bind me" immediately jump into my mind. ~Shandie~

BluSeraphim	14 Aug 2002
I am very surprised that only a couple of us have the devil in our readings. He has been chasing me for the last 3 months in every one. Just when I think I've shaken him, there he is, popping out of shuffles, or smack dab in the middle of my spread. To me he represents illusion. The devil is after all, nothing more than the summation of all human fears. And what is the opposite of love, if not fear? I am burdened of late by material concerns, and the material world, again, is nothing but an illusion. I had just gone chasing after a pipe dream of a job, when the devil first appeared in my spread as the outcome. Turned out it was my new boss. Then he returned again when I let the material concerns chase me down a path completely alien to my nature, and spurred on by my fear and anxiety over material worries. God will provide, all we need do is ask. When we forget that, and lose our faith in a higher power, we dance with the devil. And now, I think I will deal myself a little comfort, and see if that monkey is finally off my back. And I guess the opposite of fear would be the Star of Hope, you know, that little light called faith. Godspeed, Blu:)

lupo138	15 Aug 2002
hi BluSeraphim ! Concerning your interpretation of the davil as an illusion there is something that might be of interest for you, if you do not know it anyway: The two humans on the cards are chained to the davil around the neck. If you look closer, xou will see, that these chains are wide enough to be easily removed, only the man and the womean do not try or maybe are afraid of their freedom that would follow ;) Good luck for your future in business !

HOLMES	15 Aug 2002
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4124&perpage=10&pagenumber=3 at the bottom of the story is my devil story, if you cre to take look :O)

Hummingbird	15 Aug 2002
Absence of live, maybe unrequited love. Also, think about the enslavement. This can be to a person, a drug, etc. But also consider the possibility of an S/M aspect associated with the enslavement. Alternatively, an unhealthy relationship built upon...nothing good!

BluSeraphim	18 Aug 2002
Hey again, just wanted to let you know that the devil is gone for now. My faith restored, and hmnn, was that hummingbird who mentioned a relationship based on nothing good? Perhaps I am a little bit afraid of my own freedom from it. Definitely something to think about. I think another reading is in order. Until we meet again... wishing you all Godspeed. Blu:)

Daisymoon3	19 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by divinerguy If the nature of God is unconditional love of humanity, then shouldn't his opposition, the Devil, be interpreted as an absence of love? Divinerguy [/b] Yikes. I hope not. I have been pulling him up for myself too much lately.

DesertHowler	25 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by lupo138 hi BluSeraphim ! Concerning your interpretation of the davil as an illusion there is something that might be of interest for you, if you do not know it anyway: The two humans on the cards are chained to the davil around the neck. If you look closer, xou will see, that these chains are wide enough to be easily removed, only the man and the womean do not try or maybe are afraid of their freedom that would follow ;) I'm new to the forum and reading tarot but I do see the Devil as responsibility for choices. With the loose chains they can leave any time. Not good or evil but constructive or destructive choices. DH

catti	26 Sep 2003
using ancient italian: the devil is a grotesque beat-man, his feat are clawed , his genitals and thighs hairy , his face contorted with anger, crazy horn-ears pop out of his head and he wears a crown of snakes. He is trampling upon a fire out of which monstrous forms grab at him and he looks at them his fist clenched in anger his other hand grasping a three pronged spear whose shaft has thorns. The monsters remind me of the plagues let loose by Pandora. The Devil in this card was once a man, but is lost his humantiy. I would guess the why and the how of this depends on the other cards in the reading. Alone the card is lustful, is violent, is without thought brute force trying to fight brute force. I do think the card mirrors the lovers, even in these earler version . In card #6 , a more wholesome scene representing choices made from the heart, but with a moral background, the angel ( a blind folded cupid)shoots an arrow from above. the fire comes from above. In the devil ( who is a fallen angel in christian myth) the fires come from below. the 3 figures have become monsters in the fire. im still trying to figure out what it all means ;)

Dexter	26 Sep 2003
When I see this card there is a real feeling of obsession and opression. It is a feeling of being held in one place by a force that at most is illusional. I know that I must make an attempt to move on and break free but there is such a feeling of lethargy that it is almost to much trouble to be bothered. There is the feeling that I've tried before and what is the sense it isn't going to happen. I always read this card as a warning to keep trying nothing holds you but yourself, your feelings of self doubt and failure. Look this fear in the face and laugh at it and shake of the chains as they are not as binding as your think. You just have to make the attempt and keep trying.

nexyjo	27 Sep 2003
i'd imagine that ones view of the devil can be grounded in the particular deck with which one is most familiar. i suppose my own perceptions of the devil are coloured by my virtual exclusive use of the robin wood. though, her key word for the devil is greed, and she positions the devil as opposite to temperance - moderation. when the devil appears for me, i often see temptation, giving in to my own impulses without a thought to the consequences. having been raised in a jewish home, i grew up outside the context of the traditional christain influence, and in the particular tradition that shaped my early spiritual perspectives, there was little reference to the devil - a non-focus really. so i had no strong preconceived notions about who or what the devil is. i hesitate to place the devil, and all he is seen to represent, in the "shadow" of humanity - the very term refers to that area which is without light, or knowledge. yet from my own experience, that area is very real, and an area with which i hold an intimate relationship. for me, my "dark" side is not necessarily "bad" or "hidden". even seen as enslavement, obssesion, oppression, the absense of love, or addiction, these are all facets of who i am, and what i've faced (or face) in my journey. they are as much a part of humanity - or perhaps more specifically - my humanity, as all the traditionally "positive" aspects. i'm not sure that i embrace the devil within, but i'd hope that i recognise him (notice i refer to the devil as "him" and not "her" - gender bias rears its ugly head) as a very real part of myself. and i'm not convinced that the devil is such a bad thing, at least in the context of how i see him. i also position selfishness as within the realm of the devil. selfishness, imho, has received a bad rap in our society. we are taught that a focus on our own desires, to the exclusion of those around us, is a negative. certainly, when taken to the point of harm to those around us, it is. but when "tempered" with our other facets, selfishness is a necessary component of survival. not only necessary, but in some (or even many) cases, desirable.

Diana	27 Sep 2003
The Devil knows what he wants.... and he will never give up till he gets it. He's cool.....

Voodoo_Shaman	27 Sep 2003
I respect every ones point of view of the Devil card, but I do not try to candy coat the Devil card, to me the Devil is the essence that egests, in every man and culture since the beginning of time. It can be greed, lust, desire, or even hate. It can represent our own inner-demons that as humans we have to face and over come. I interpret that Devil as is, weather it be the essence behind Satan in the Christian viewpoint or Mara the tempter spirit of the Buddhist path, or Olosi the Spirit of Temptation, in Afro-Caribbean Religion. He can also represent Pan the Greek God of Pleasure, and Desire. Similar are the Orixas in the Brazilian Religions Exu, and of course Pomba Gira, the female Lilith Spirit or Brazilian Umbanda. She represents, lust, desire, and all those things that would make Contemporary Christians shutter, and of course they would not understand them, and give them the title of Devils. Every culture has their own interpretation of the Spirit of the Devil or the essence of the Devil in their own way. War, strife, greed for Power, and so forth. Weather the Devil is the Spirit of ultimate evil, I can not say, but he/she is the Spirit that represents these things. I believe that without properly understanding evil and all its manifestations, humans can not comprehend Good. Without understanding the Darkness, one can not comprehend the Light. Also I believe that everything has a spirit behind it, every feeling, emotion, and things of nature. Lust, desire, even hate are normal emotions that are meant to teach. And as anything, too much of anything is never a good thing. I interpret the Devil card according to the cards around it, and I never candy coat it, because I must understand that this world is not a perfect place, and we do not always live in a fairy tale, where good always overcomes evil. If the Devil falls with the 10 or 89 of swords, and lets say the five of coins, to me this describes great financial loss, or trouble with money, that will bring on great depression to the individual. The person is advised to be careful 8in Money matters, or maybe even addictions. If the Star or the high Priest comes through there is hope for the individual. If the Devil comes out with the King of Swords, and with Death. I would interpret it according to the quitrent question. The person is advised to watch their actions, as they can offend a person of great authority, this is an individual that will not except an offense lightly, and can cause great harm. Death in this case would represent loss. In the case of a woman I once read for, these three cards came out. As it came out, the woman was in a violent relationship with a man who was a drug addict, and alcoholic. She was advised to leave the relationship, as it was only to get more violent and abusive. The death card in that moment really did represent great loss, and even change for the worse in her part. As it turned out she did leave the man, and five years later he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend. She came back, with tears to me, and told me it could have been her. The Devil once came out for a woman, and it came out with the Tower, and with the Page of Coins. I asked her three question, did she have a son in College, “Yes”, and was he living away from home, in a dormitory. “Yes” I told her. As it turned out, her once studious son was in college but experimenting too much with drugs and alcohol. The Devil card in this case meant temptation, in that he was being tempted to do things such as party drink, and gamble that where keeping him away from his goals of studying and so forth. To her surprise her son had failed a few courses, and it was found out that he was beginning to have problems with alcohol and drugs because of the pressures of College. Thankfully, the problem was caught early, and he did finally graduate from College and has a Career. I believe that as everything has a spirit, and if this is so, then pure evil has a Spirit, and we have given it many names. Lucifer, Satan, and so forth. I believe that the Creator, the one that created the universe created this Spirit for a reason, and its’ mysteries can not be comprehended by humans. So anything we can not comprehend or is to alien for us, is not good. The Devil although he/she might be the ultimate trickster, the Spirit of Evil, or Spirit of Destruction he/she is their to teach, and for us to grow. To learn from, and to reach. He is the Ying in the Yang. Dark, destructive, cold. An element that is really important to fully grasp and interpret the Tarot in its entirety. I think every ones point of view is valid, but the Devil, as every single card in the deck can be viewed differently buy almost everyone. Usually some one has a viewpoint or an opinion, that makes another say. “Wow I never saw it that way before.” This is the way to truly learn to interpert the tarot. Not buy words in a book, but buy personal experiences. The Devil card would be interpreted differently buy someone who has been possessed and exercised from the Devil, than someone who is a Satanist, or someone who does not believe in the concept of the devil at all. Sorry for taking so much of your time Voodoo Shaman

matfav	27 Sep 2003
Apart from the word devil (lived) backwards, anti life. It used to be called the "dark magician" Our shadow side, our ability to to commit and do dark things, I like "dark magician" far better as a title for this card, I read once that depression is anger without enthusiasm The term devil is way too restrictive for this card It also rules primal fear and our survival instincts. On a plus side it rules structure and self limitation The dark side of Saturn in Astrology

Diana	28 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by matfav I like "dark magician" far better as a title for this card, Nice title. I think Lucifer would suit this guy too. Lucifer is a light-bringer. No Tarot card should be seen as more negative than positive, or vice-versa. All the cards are equally balanced.... and in our Protestant/Catholic culture that many of us live in, the term Devil is WAY too overloaded with ridiculous images of Hell and Brimfire, more suitable for Walt Disney fans (may the gods help them out of their ignorance) than for people seeking enlightenment through Tarot. Far too simplistic. So many Tarot designers see the word "Devil" and all the fears that the Preacher Man battered into their poor helpless brains come back. And what do we get? A Devil to be scared of.... I could also mention the Tower in the same light. Some of those Towers make me shake my head in dismay.... and frustration..... because they show only destruction.... and no ENLIGHTENMENT which is one of the most important components of this card. And now with the Twin Towers business, it's got even worse..... (but now I'm getting off-topic... sorry!!) What a terrible shame.... for Tarot.

Inana	28 Sep 2003
Im learning lots by reading this thread. But for me the devil is mainly one thing: FEAR. This card shows the fear that lies within ourselves, the fear to change, the fear to take the control in our lives to fight what is damaging us. Those are the real chains. Anyway, when the devil shows up in my readings its pointing to: anger, obsesion or adicctions mainly. Wathever it is, its hard and strong feelings. If you put together these cards on the RW you will see they all have a very similar pattern: The Lovers, The Hierophant, The Chariot, The Devil, Judgement. All of them have a big character and to or three little ones. Look at the position of the hands in the bigger ones and what is crowning their heads. Any of those cards can be the opposite depending on whats telling the devil: Hate or anger: The Lovers. Use your heart. Fears and lack of control: The Chariot. Fight for yourself. Obsessions, excess of insctinctual behaviour: The Hierophant. Put order in your life. Any of the above: Judgement. Leave it behind. Forgive, start again. Six of coins is a bit similar in the structure too. There you need help. In Marseilles. The more similar are the Hierophant, The Sun and Judgment. For the Sun: Happines and light vs darkness and fears. I find the Moon to have a certain connection with the devil too.

full deck	28 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Inana Im learning lots by reading this thread. But for me the devil is mainly one thing: FEAR. This card shows the fear that lies within ourselves,. . . I was showing a little girl a picture representation of Bernoulli's lemniscate generated by software and the result is graphically mind-boggling. She looked at the picture and said it was a monster, thus she made me realize that often we describe the incomprehensible and its creatures that haunt us as monsters or devils. It seems that only understanding brings the strength to banish the fear that such monsters and devils represent. What is really frightening is when a person is convinced that they really do understand a thing and they base their understanding upon a fallacy, a fallacy that they are willing to die or kill for. I consider fundamentalists of any religion to fit that description closely and often think that a little doubt in one's beliefs is a good thing, even in a saint.

Inana	28 Sep 2003
Full Deck, I agree with you. The devil is not outside but inside of us. Its ourselves who create the monsters.

full deck	29 Sep 2003
I had remembered a kind of midrash where a member of a congregation stole money from another member. During a service, the rabbi came foward to discuss the theft, saying that the man who had lost the money was in great need because of the loss and the congregation needed to come together to help this man. Upon hearing this, the thief, came forward and confessed his sin and pledged the return of the money. The thief explained that he was afraid that he might lose his business if he did not take the money, thus out of fear, he took the money, thinking that the other had enough. Upon hearing the man's tale, the rabbi said, "It is not that you lacked money but that you lacked faith" whereupon the congregation pledged to help the man if he needed money to keep his business. It's like people seeing a glass half empty instead of half full, one's interpretation of life can be negative or positive. The thief saw only the threat of loss and not the goodwill of the congregation. By assuming this viewpoint, the man was bound to the more negative aspect of the situation. Likewise, the Devil is a reminder of this sort of short-sightedness and how it can bind us to the more negative aspect of a condition or situation. In such a way does one become bound to suffering ultimately, chained to such by their fears and lack of understanding. -- to whom or what does one listen to when they have a problem? (Even I have to worry about this from time to time.) Thanks to all who posted to this thread too; it has been very helpful to me too.

Dark_angel	29 Sep 2003
What a fascinating thread; I'm learning a lot. Voodoo Shaman, I'm definitely going to have to do some more research into the Devil in other cultures now that you've piqued my interest! I see the Devil card as the opposite of Temperance; he indulges himself completely rather than striving for balance and harmony. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. If he comes up in a reading I'm doing when I'm stressed or working too hard, he's telling me to kick the work shoes off and do something for me for a change. The negative side of this is that if you follow his advice too closely you end up being selfish, but a bit of pleasure for its own sake is fine! He reminds me of materialism - he's like the gorgeous toxic guy at the party, with the flash car, expensive suit and the pick of the girls. Everyone is attracted to him and repelled by him at the same time, no one knows whether to welcome him into their circle or run away. But if we just got to know him, we could see that he's not all bad... or would we? There's always that fear of the unknown, and that's part of the bad guy's charm. xxx

Bosorka	30 Sep 2003
Well, I use to say about Devil that it´s a great card for summer love, but miserable for mariage. I quite agree with Dark Angel, as I see the Devil as too much of something and then hurting yourself. I don´t use to pull Devil too much, but when reading about carrier of one my friend, I see him there always (and always with page or knight of wands). What I wanted to tell - my friend´s just working, having no time for his family, having no girlfriend (luck of time for that), having no time even for himself. He use to say that his work is his life and his hobby. And of course, he´s making giants steps in his carrier. For me this is pretty characteristic of the Devil. Nor good nor bad. Helping yourself as well as hurting yourself. No strength to balance. No will to change. No tought of possible bad consequences. Or believing that the good ones will balance the bad. Oh, one more silly observation - did you notice that devil on Rider-Waite deck have gesture like on Star Treck ment by Spock "live long and prosper" (or something like that)? Well, I do believe that Waite had no idea about Star Treck, but also I believe that it´s not just by chance...

Forum Library > Using Tarot Cards Threads By Month > The Devil Card - A New Approach

Originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 13 Jul 2002, and now part of the Forum Library. Take part in active threads about Using Tarot Cards.