Ahh, the most misunderstood and possibly most feared card in Tarot besides Death. It used to freak me out. I remember going through my father's Rider-Waite deck (which is the "classic" Tarot deck) and having an eerie mix of dread and fascination at The Devil. Of course, being raised Christian, the Devil was personified literally. As I shed those teachings, including the literal concept of heaven and hell, I realized how much these things exist within us. And also that the Devil, or shadow, has a positive function as well and need not be feared but understood.
Why am I talking Tarot? Why am I starting off with The Devil? The first question is somewhat loaded so I'll give a logical answer: it is based on the same science astrology is, I love the fusion of intuition and art, and recognize it as an additional tool to deepen my understanding of what is taking place. The Devil just happens to be the (growth) card representing 2015. I have talked numerology before as well, this year is also a 6 year. All the same science. The Devil is the 15th card (which contains 6)...these principles are multidimensional emanations of (human) experience.
Tarot symbolizes the dynamic (endless) journey of light/spirit (Kether) becoming darkness/flesh (Malkuth). The Tree of Life shows the necessary pathways by which we must travel the Ten Sephirot (numbers 1-10). This is a VERY simple/crude explanation but the point I am trying to get across is that it is about our growth cycles. The Devil is the pathway between Tipharet/harmony/6 and Hod/structure/8. I'm not going to get into that element as much, mainly because I am still learning and there is a lot of richness in the symbolism of this card to explore.
I want to talk about this personally and practically, not so much theoretically and impersonally. On a very surface level, we can say The Devil embodies our 'darkness' or what we feel is our darkness. I've talked about my struggles in reconciling what I can simply frame as the 'God' and 'Devil' within myself. I described my Devil side, focusing a lot on sexuality, and how I felt like my religious involvements always seemed to oppose my sexual expression. If you haven't noticed, this card's imagery, from Crowley's Thoth deck, is loaded with sexual imagery. The Devil represents the shadow cast by ignoring our 'dark drives', which haunt or harm us (or others!). Sex is one of them for sure.
In Buddhism, we say fundamental darkness loves living in darkness, because as long as we don't address it, it will continue wreaking havoc in our lives. Often we are our own worst enemy. My recent determination was that I would no longer be my own worst enemy. Primarily, this takes place at the decision making process...the angel on one shoulder, devil on the other. To consciously have a goal and make decisions contrary to that goal out of habit...what embodies The Devil more? Bondage is certainly a theme with this card, and addiction/habit/karma is implied.
This year, I have already come to grapple with recurring destructive impulses (negative karma). I have also understood that without my practice, I cannot transform this karma and free myself from it. I was told by another member that fundamental darkness never truly goes away, which had so much truth for me at the time, I dismissed it as pessimism. Now I realize that it is an active, ongoing process...freedom isn't the absence of it but the transformation of the relationship with it. It is no longer being at the mercy of it or afraid of it. Fear and ignorance are what give The Devil its destructive power.
The Devil is always personal, that is the smirk on his face. He knows we will create a 'scapegoat' instead of recognizing our reflection and taking responsibility. He is the great excuse. The dangerous ones, the ones we believe to be truth. In fact, he is usually wedged between truths, so that it is difficult to tell which is which. To return to the sexual imagery, The Devil also represents seduction/persuasion (I would venture to link him to the deity Peitho), a subject I have been studying intensely this year.
The Devil can also represent black magic, which although I wouldn't consider Tarot to be, certainly makes sense that I am getting back into it now. I saw astrology and palmistry as having 'good' or 'divine' qualities, and Tarot as having more 'dark' qualities. As I said, The Devil is personal. I get all this from my father, which if we examine the card, it clearly represents. The Tree of Life (phallus/lingam) is extending into the yoni of Nut, the Egyptian night goddess. There is a creative process taking place in which the people in the testicles are 'bound' to their DNA.
I believe this year will be one in which I really discover (or solidify) who I am, in a very tactile/tangible/real sense. There is strong Capricorn/Saturn energy in this card, and I am experiencing my Saturn returns. I'm no longer even surprised by the 'coincidence'. A lot will likely 'come up' that has been suppressed instead of processed over the years. There could be a lot of sex this year...definitely not a complaint...I've already been rather active and we're only a quarter through the year. I'll revisit this card around the next season, perhaps.
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