The Devil card

rupadupa

What does a devil card indicate ina relationship reading? I was doina reading for my friend and for myself, the Devil card kept coming in the card 7 position.. I was doin a celtic cross spread on both occasions..Also both the readings were on relationships in the initial stages..Pls can someone hlp me out..
 

Aoife

Hi rupadupa, tell us what your thoughts are about the Devil card, and what position 7 in the spread is - then we can see how they might fit together.
 

Sophie

by "position 7" you mean the "self" position, right?

I would say - since it's the beginning of the relationship, that you & your firend have the hots for each other!! There appears to be strong physcial attraction. There might be taboos, too - and the Devil is an invitation to overcome them.
 

Thirteen

rupadupa said:
What does a devil card indicate ina relationship reading? I was doina reading for my friend and for myself, the Devil card kept coming in the card 7 position.

There are different types of Celtic Crosses--and that means different meanings to position #7. Always try to tell us what that position is, not it's number. Like "Hopes and fears" or "This is Behind You," then we can really help with the interpetation.

The Devil card, generally speaking, isn't the best card for a relationship reading. It can, as Helvetica says, imply a very intense sexual relationship with a lot of experimentation. HOWEVER, this card is also a big, flashing warning sign that there isn't much love or tenderness or true committment. This is a relationship of control (whoever is the "Devil") and addiction. It's probably not heathy or balanced and it could get out of hand physically and emotionally.
 

MercyMe

Yeah, they often go hand in hand -- intense sexual feelings and obsession. Not that they have to, but they can. When you feel that really raw, instinctual connection with someone it's like your mind goes on holiday. It's all urge. Which can lead to obsessive thoughts and sometimes obsessive actions. The Devil, being Major Arcana, is a strong energy card and represents a strong temptation towards this other person that is based in the material, sensual realm. In relationship readings I don't automatically assume it's a bad sign, but it is a warning. The strength of that desire can be overwhelming and while the Devil's urges aren't all bad and really shouldn't be suppressed, but they need to be acknowledged and channelled towards healthy outlets.

If you also got a lot of wands in this reading, oh yeah, watch out.

~Mercy
 

rupadupa

hi all,
Thanks for the insight..Ok the position is that of near future.
I felt the devil card meant a sort of commitment phobia..that is unable to open oneself to new experiences...Moreover my friend had the tower card in the position of what she thinks of the relatonship..is that a bad sign?..Actually she is commitment phobic..A lot of Major Arcana cards came up in the reading..Judgement card came up in the hopes and fears position.. A reversed chariot card came up in what others think of the relationship position..
What I could deduce from the reading was that being commitment phobic, she is not being open about the relationship(The Devil) as she is unable to come to terms with her past(The Tower)..so the Judgment card is a sign to move on..deal with the past..dont let indecisiveness(The chariot(reversed)) stop you from making the right decisions or probably she doesnt want to get too emotionally involved iwth this person as she fears it will lead to another emotional disaster(The Tower).
However, the final outcome card was the eight of cups..Does that mean that they will outgrow each other? I didnt think it was a positive card in the outcome position..Please help me..
Does it make sense?
 

Sophie

The Tower shakes your foundations & brings down the prison - this can be a helpful thing or difficult thing depending on the character of the person. It can precipitate a weak person into depression & abuse for a long time; in a strong person, it breaks the ego & the constructed self & is actually a very positive thing, though not necessarily comfortable. The Tower, in a love spread, can mean the person had a "coup de foudre" - that is, love at first sight - which certainly shakes the foundations! Or it can mean a sudden break-up - but you mentioned this a new relationship?

From the cards you posted I would say your friend feels very shaken, powerfully attracted, but fearful as well. Her foundations have been shaken & she is aware that the attraction could be either liberating or become another prison. Judgement in the Hopes and Fears looks like a good sign: she both hopes & fears a rebirth, a new departure in love. She knows this a big deal, not just a casual affair.

The Devil, in all this, suggests the strong sexual attraction, the fear it might become an obsession (hence - a fear of opening up), but also, the suggestion this strong attraction could actually melt her self-imposed defences & break down her taboos. I tend to see the Devil, in a love relationship, as the one who laughs at our silly moralistic barriers, our fears of the other. He is dangerous, because he can lure you into thinking that there is nothing else to love than sex - as Thirteen & MercyMe mentioned - but he is also Prince of Light, and when we take him on with courage, when we let him teach us his lesson without succumbing to obsession, we can be helped by his strong sensual energy. Sex & deep sexual attraction can be a great cure to hang-ups (as you probably know, Tantric practises having originated in India).
 

rupadupa

Thanks..that was a great insight into the spread...
 

Thirteen

Near future with the Devil can also imply, as I mentioned before, "control" or loss of control. I suspect the Devil here is her own Committment phobia. Committment-phobic folk like to be in control, I mean really in control. Either your friend will find herself playing the Devil, micro-managing the relationship to the point where the other person feels like they're enslaved, having to obey her whims of lose her....Or, as Helvetica suggests, the Devil will take control right out of her hands and she's going to find that she has to surrender all control. Which will be pretty scary in its own way.

The second option, where control is taken away from her, is far better; surrendering control is the first step to becoming part of a real relationship. She has to learn from that Tower that things topple, go wrong, you can't predict and you can't control. You just have to learn from them and try again. You have to say, "All right. I surrender. I'll committ and take the consequences." Rather than, "I call all the shots and the rules are that I never committ--and the other person does."

If she doesn't learn this, if she become the controlling Devil, making the person committ to her while she never has to committ to them, then she will lose this person. They will eventually realized how unequal things are, lift off their chains and walk away. She has to realize that her phobia is her worst enemy; her devil--she will make her worst fears come true if she gives into it and lets it control the relationship.
 

wandking

as thirteen says, it can show control issues rearing their ugly head or like others suggest, the Devil implies adiction. With all the pitfalls of the Devil, an inability or lack of desire to take responsibility sits chained at the core. Ask any junkie, it's never their fault. With controlling types, a reluctance to take responsibility is also at the heart of the problem.