The Devil

Cosmos

Hey guys..

I'm thinking.. that's always been a tricky card to me.. because it means so much and it got all of these hiden symbols and I find it somewhat shaddy, but for some reason I have been trying to figure it out lately.. maybe because that came up on my last reading and since then I've been trying to make some sense out of it..

To me its pretty obvious that the couple in the card are chained to each other meaning something is keeping them together.. but in a unhealthy way. Although it could also represent passion mostly because of the fire element.. but overall is just a confusing card to me. I never know what to expect from it..

I layed out the card on my bed (something I don't like to do and for some reason I did - go figure) and I tell you this much I wasnt feeling good at all, I was anxious and just BLAH you know needing to recharge my batteries but I kept picking the card and TADA ..there it is! It was actually about how this guy (ex) feels about me at the moment.. and so the devil came up along with seven of pentacles.

I'm not entirely sure but this is what I think.. well he is very attracted to me and maybe the devil could be indicating that but somehow he isn't allowing himself to experience love, he feels trapped and maybe attached to me and from the minor I think that it will come to a point where he'll have to decide whether or not let me in completely and just continue letting things happen slowly or walk away again.

I get that from the little fellow staring at 7 pentacles and wondering what to do next..

I would love to hear some thoughts on it :eek:)

Xoxo
 

Lilija

If the Devil keeps coming up for you, and you feel affected by it, maybe it's trying to tell YOU something.

The RWS devil makes me think of an unhealthy obsession, something locked in one's mind, preventing one from making proper choices (The Lovers, and their choices), while the Devil himself smiles on. I think "devil ridden".

Maybe the Devil is trying to tell you something about your own feelings, especially since you feel physically blah. Something is holding back your own natural energy...
 

Jyscal

Just another thought is that, the cards may be trying to warn you that this might not be the ideal situation to get involved in at this time. As said before, what the Devil can represent is entrapment and delusions. As with the seven of pentacles, mabye you should reflect on the situation first before jumping into something, which you may not be able to easily free yourself from later.
 

Parzival

What you most passionately love and must possess, what you most passionately hate and must destroy, what binds you to that which burns you into ashes or freezes you into ice, that is the Devil, that is what you must face and recognize and bring to moderation. (And all this applies to all of us.) The face of this devil is like the mask of attachment.
 

Cosmos

I think it has more to do with my state of mind and spirit at the moment that card came up.. you know what? Not just that card but the whole reading itself.. I kept getting really "dark" cards mostly because I was anxious..

The Devil could be representing my owns fears, my deepest fears..

Thanks you guys, I really appreciate the help!
Xoxo
 

PAMUYA

The Devil:

I have been working my through the Major Arcana and what they mean to me. Still working on the Devil, this is what I have thought about this card thus far.

This card is about temptation, obsession, and addictions, whether to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, manipulation of others, painful relationship, perfection, smoking…the list is endless. We experience these “bad” habits followed by feelings of guilt, an endless cycle. This is not a force that attacks from the outside, but one that devours us from within. This is the Devil.

This card warns us that we are not in control, sometimes as a result of our own actions, but mainly as a result of inaction on our part. If you allow someone to exploit you, they probably will…but no one has power over you unless you give them that power. (the loose chains on the male and female)

Ignorance, greed and materialism are tools of the Devil. You become a slave to your desires. Focus too much on possessions and you lose your spiritual side, losing energy and creativity. Temptation is powerful, we must learn and accept that it is a part of life; we must face it head on, never giving in. That is how you break free from your Devil.

Your Devil limits you from seeing possibilities, making you feel helpless and unworthy. Your Devils power rests in the illusion that nothing else exists. Your Devil cannot exist without you…there is no Devil except for the one that you create. It’s your Choice.

Direct. Addition, obsessions, not enough time/money, tied down, lack of change, destructive influences, unsatisfactory relationship, lust, ignorance, violence, perversion, Karmic bond.

Reversed: Breaking away, making changes, gaining freedom, enlightenment, divorce, handicaps overcome.
 

BodhiSeed

The following is my opinion only:
For me, the Devil is all about fear, and the things we do to run from it (whether it is addictions, compulsions, a string of relationships, unchecked shopping, etc.). The "beast" on the card is what we create through our fears. The loose chains on the people represent a self-imposed bondage. The half cube the beast sits on symbolizes that this is not base in reality (but feels real because of our fears). The challenge of this card is whether to face the fear or stay emotionally enslaved. The gift of this card is a reminder that there is a spiritual solution to the fear. The "Vulcan" hand sign is a hint of this, and one used during a benediction by Hebrew priests: "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord shine his face upon you. May the Lord lift his countenance upon you and grant you peace. (Numbers 6:24)"
 

northsea

As the Lovers may indicate attraction, the Devil may sometimes indicate simply repulsion.
 

Abrac

To me this card represents "the lie" because the Devil is the father of lies. His right hand is raised in blessing, but it's insincere. He's not all bad though; the lie serves a useful purpose for those who, as Jack Nicholson would say "can't handle the truth," which in reality is almost everyone.

The couple have chains around their necks but it's a self-imposed prison; they could easily remove them but their affiliation with the Devil apparently has some beneficial value.

The couple on The Lovers card have a relationship that's based on intimacy whereas this couple's relationship is based on formality.
 

Rosanne

Both the 7 Pentacles and the Devil have a sense of vision about them.
The Devil seems to mean lack of Vision, and the 7 vision as in focused vision.

It seems to me that he really does not know what to do- he is stuck.
I think he wants to move and is wondering if he has energy to remove his own blockages. I do not think you are the problem- I think he is a problem to himself.
He is procrastinating. There is this lack of movement or stuck in one position look about the cards when seeing them together.

I do not think you can motivate him- he needs some time. He will change his view- but whether toward you or away from you I can not tell.

~Rosanne