The Devil

[Rosanne]

I was thinking about this overnight...why did you put this in this forum rather than readings forum?

Was it more about learning about the Devil, than querying the reading meaning?

If so.....
The Devil to me represents all that is negative and holds me back. The Devil is a convenient symbol to blame sort of like a 'sin pot'. The Devil made me do it!
I have been tempted by the Devil! That is why I see a lack of Vision , when contemplating the Devil. In this also is the need to confront negativity and find the positivity in ourselves and others. So it also means free yourself- be passionate with your own passion- not borrowed passion. Be responsible- not blaming others (like the Devil tempting you)Be tolerant because we are not faultless ourselves. Be disciplined, not because of addiction (like exercise addiction) because addiction is a chain not a choice. I think the card shows that an ethical life might seem like bondage, but an unethical life is bondage.
I see in this card what happens when you dominate others. They may be close by you- but they internally do not look at you- there is no regard for you. If I draw the Devil for someone else's motivation I often find it is about their lack of self Esteem and becuase of that their narrow vision. I rearely see in this particular RWS card fun and excitement and devilment that I see in other deck Devils.

~Rosanne

 

[Parzival]

It may be interesting to think a little about how the devil in Goethe's Faust is Mephistopheles, an unusual name with two Medieval meanings : "Hater of the Light" and "Spirit of Mercury," the latter in the sense of mind as the dissector and fragmenter. So the devil identifies with dark as against light and as the intellect that splits to pieces. In Faust, the devil brings two lovers together, Margarete and Faust, only to separate them and destroy them. Divide and conquer. The two captives in the Waite-Smith image are separated by the devil's talon-feet, atop the black block. Her grape tail (water and earth) is far opposite to his flame tail (fire and air). They are separated while together, just as the devil/Mephistopheles wants.

 

[psychicpsycho(:]

It may be interesting to think a little about how the devil in Goethe's Faust is Mephistopheles, an unusual name with two Medieval meanings : "Hater of the Light" and "Spirit of Mercury," the latter in the sense of mind as the dissector and fragmenter. So the devil identifies with dark as against light and as the intellect that splits to pieces. In Faust, the devil brings two lovers together, Margarete and Faust, only to separate them and destroy them. Divide and conquer. The two captives in the Waite-Smith image are separated by the devil's talon-feet, atop the black block. Her grape tail (water and earth) is far opposite to his flame tail (fire and air). They are separated while together, just as the devil/Mephistopheles wants.

you took the words from my mouth Dr Faustus is one of my favourite books...