Profile of a Card: the Devil
by Astarte
The Devil and Death cards have always been the most maligned cards of the Tarot. When appearing in a spread, the querent often gasps and asks, "Does this mean that something evil is going to happen to me?" Or, even worse, "Does this mean I'm going to die?!" Because these cards often cause the inexperienced querent fear, it is important that they be interpreted properly. This month, I'd like to discuss one of these controversial cards, The Devil.
The Devil is the fifteenth card in the Major Arcana and is represented differently in almost every deck. The many variations on the design of the card suggest that designers have different interpretations of its meaning. In the Rider-Waite deck, the most popular image of the Devil is seated upon a throne with a man and a woman in chains before him. the Devil is a fiendish looking creature, which may conjure up evil in the querent's mind. In my opinion, this image makes it hard to convey the full meaning of the card.
One of the best images I have seen for this card comes from the Robin Wood Tarot. While most of the images from the Robin Wood are variations on the Rider-Waite deck, this card stands out as being very different. Instead of a classical image of a Devil, two people are shown chained naked to a heavy, treasure-laden chest; they are in a tunnel, and the looks on their faces suggest that they are trying very hard to escape from something behind them. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and they are trying desperately to drag the chest with them, even though they know that it is too heavy and they will surely be captured by whatever is trying to get them. This, I believe, conveys the true meaning of the card. These people are more concerned with material things than what is more important -- survival. When this card turns up in a reading, you can bet that it represents someone who is trying to hold on to something that they think is important while the world falls apart around them. Their only concern is to save this one important item.
Another unique interpretation of this card comes from the Norse Tarot, where the Devil is represented by Loki. When Loki caused the death of the beloved god Balder, the gods of Valhalla had him chained to a rock where a serpent would drip burning poison on him for all eternity, drip by drip. His dedicated wife, Sigyn, held a bowl over his head to catch the poison, but eventually it would fill and she would empty it, leaving the poison to momentarily drip on Loki, causing him great pain. It is said that earthquakes are the cause of Loki's writhing. This interpretion of the card makes one think about actions and their consequences.
The Devil card is full of meaning and lessons to be learned, and is a wonderful card for meditative purposes. It teaches that material objects are not important and will distract us from the things that matter in life. We must be aware that there is more to life than what we own or want to own.
April's Card: the Devil
Review of the Salem Tarot Page
Profile of a Deck: The Tarot of the Cat People
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created by Astarte