The Devil

[Curtis Penfold]

A card that's considered misunderstood. Something about being chained down by our desires. Aries is his sign, fire his elemeny. Sometimes he/she is a hermaphrodite. Possibly a symbol that we're all, male and female, subject to controlling our desires. Can be looked at as either Satan, our shadow, or Pan, a god of pleasure.

Any other thoughts/interpretations?

 

[Curtis Penfold]

I just think we should talk about this card because I don't see a lot of discussions of it here

 

[rabid]

I pulled the devil card from each of my four decks: thoth, RWS, TdM and Tarot of the Dead. What interested me greatly is how similar the cards were, despite that hthe decks are very different. I wonder why, no matter the deck, the devil card seems to have a set image, whereas with other cards, there seems to be no limit on the images people come up with?

There are a lot of things the devil can represent, for me. People's vices, people's fears, people's pleasures, obsession and the thing that is holding somebody back being the main few things i think of. I also see the devil as masculine power - the Thoth devil goat seems to be standing on a penis, even, and in all the cards the figure seems to be male.

By no means do I see the devil as a bad card though, despite its negative connotations. It simply represnts the darker side of a person, the one they may not readily present to the world.

 

[Curtis Penfold]

I don't think a person can reach their full potential without first acknowledging their not so good impulses. You can't control your desires without knowing what your desires are.

(Here's one with him/her as a hermaphrodite. I think it's more common in the older decks).

The part animal aspect is a very cool symbol, one not worth changing. Because really, we all have those animal desires.

 

[rabid]

(Here's one with him/her as a hermaphrodite. I think it's more common in the older decks).

the TdM devil looks like a hermaphrodite to me, so I think that is to what you are refering.

We all have those animal instincts, but we learn from teh devil card that those animal instincts must be moderated and controlled, or we end up in the bondage of our vices.

 

[Curtis Penfold]

Here's a website where, in the first part, Carl Jung talks about how the Devil is a hermaphrodite because to Christianity, combining 2 forces is considered something evil:

http://marygreer.wordpress.com/2008/03/

They give an example of a card: http://marygreer.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/15-xv-diable.jpg
Which deck is that? (I'm a little new to Tarot).

I do want it to be recognized that Baphomet, sometimes representing the devil, is a hermaphrodite. It's not a popular symbol anymore, though.

 

[Fostha]

The thing is,even the most devout christians have bad in them,everyone does,its just annoying when they insist they dont,and use their religion to hide behind.IMHO. For me,the devil is a card that i always welcome in a reading,as its usually referring to my bad/weak points that will end up getting the better of me if i dont sit up and acknowledge them soon.However,once i acknowledge this weakness in me,whatever it may be at the time of reading,rather than run from the devil,i simply accept it wholeheartedly,even knowing it may only end up doing me more harm than good,it's when you wont accept it that you get real problems.Weve all got our "devil" to contend with,everyone has,regardless of beliefs/religion,i know exactly what mine is,and i fully accept that,lovingly and wholeheartedly,as destructive as it can be at times,it also has the power to fire me up when needed as well,i know i can slip the chains that bind at anytime,and thats the most important part for me here,so this card really isn't as bad as it looks (for me anyway),as its just what i need to see sometimes.A little bit of bad can do you so much good.

 

[pasara]

another way to think about the devil, instead of as bad or our dark side, is that it represents materialism, sensuality, and attachment, even obsession or addiction. the most interesting aspect to me as far as imagery is that our bondage to the devil is of our own making, it is a mindset, the chains are loose and can be taken off any time if we choose to.

i believe the devil card is usually associated with the sign of capricorn, the emperor is aries. in that light it is earthly to the max.

 

[Fostha]

another way to think about the devil, instead of as bad or our dark side, is that it represents materialism, sensuality, and attachment, even obsession or addiction. the most interesting aspect to me as far as imagery is that our bondage to the devil is of our own making, it is a mindset, the chains are loose and can be taken off any time if we choose to.

i believe the devil card is usually associated with the sign of capricorn, the emperor is aries. in that light it is earthly to the max.

I totally agree here pasara,its like a person who'll spend every day down the pub,drink after drink,and not see the potential dangers,or an addict who after each shot says no more,(until the next time),and its only when they see and acknowledge that without caution,before long,if they're not careful,the drink/drugs will be the one controlling them,not the other way round,and this i believe is where the devil always shows up(for me anyway),when you've got a weakness/obsession/addiction,call it what you will,it's important that you recognize this,and take control of it,before it controls you.Thats the beauty of the devil for me,acknowledge whatever you're weakness/obsession/addiction is,accept it yourself,and then you can slip them chains right off.

 

[Thirteen]

A card that's considered misunderstood. Something about being chained down by our desires. Aries is his sign, fire his elemeny.

Um, not if you're going by the Golden Dawn (including Rider-Waite deck). As Pasara said, he's Capricorn and his element is the Earth. All about the material, the sensual, the physical.

Which works if you think of him as less about passion and energy (Aries) or even dominance and more about ambition, greed and physical needs. It connects him up to Pan, god of wild sex and the forest (half-goat), Dionysus, god of wine and wild sex, and Hades, god of the underworld and riches. All very earthy. And, indeed, also with the Christian Devil which is about being tied to the material world rather than thinking of the spiritual. He controls and rules because he is covetous.