Hi all Llewellyn lovers out there
tough card to start with, but since I own this lovely deck, too, I will tell you about how I see the Horned One.
Every time I see the devil card it reminds me of that old story about Luzifel, God´s most loved angel who fell from favour and became Luzifer or the Christian Satan. And this is closely related to the fact that most (not all!) Wiccans see the Goddess as the One and her companion as a minor fact. It makes me sad ... often I watch myself misunderstanding him, too. I see the Horned One as playing several roles (like the Goddesss): he's son, father and wise man, he's warrior and caretaker, he's a lover and the Lady's companion, he watches over nature and all animals, he's our father (like the Lady is our mother), he rules manhood and he rules the sun and its daylight kingdom. He means different things to me, although I often forget him.
I must admit I haven't read the Welsh story behind the Horned One, since he hasn't shown up in my studies yet ... but I will ... there's time enough till December 1 when my 78 days end.
What I find most amazing about that kind of Tarot's 15 is that he isn't portrayed as doing anything evil to mankind. He doens't tie up women and men, he doesn't live in a hot and red hell ... he just sits quietly in the woods, a small camp fire beneath him and a wolf accompanying him. Yes, he can be dangerous towards other creatures, but only to defend himself I guess. He's the ruler of the woods and all creatures living in there and he has the right to be wild.
To relate him to the devil's traditional meanings of seduction and deception is hard for me, very hard. This card doesn't appear like that.
Blessings, Astraea Aurora