The Devil, major arcana card 15, is probably one of the main
reasons people sometimes refer to the Tarot as ‘the devil’s tool’. Take one
look and you can see why people might be fearful. Most decks depict the Devil card
with a horned, cloven- footed half-man, half-beast creature as the main image.
He is often shown with two naked individuals who appeared tethered to him by
chains.
It is not a pretty picture, and when this card appears, it is
not uncommon to believe the individual coming for a reading is suffering terribly
as the result of some uncontrolled act of fate. Actually, nothing could be
further from the truth.
When the Devil comes up in a reading it suggests the person
who pulled the card has issues associated with the ego that are controlling
him. When I say ego, I mean the rational mind – the one that limits vision to
only what can be seen in the physical world.
And this skewed vision is the root of the issue to which the Devil card is
referring. When the Devil card shows up, there is a message that tells us the problems
this person is experiencing are occurring through no one’s fault but their own.
That’s right! The Devil of Tarot represents the inner
mental, physical and emotional addictions by which a person is being controlled.
This card also serves as a reminder that tells us when a person chooses to no
longer be controlled by these vices, that individual will be free.
Don’t believe me? Take another look at the card. The two
enslaved individuals are not living in an existence of want. Rather, they are
surrounded by a bounty they have hand-selected. However, in order to enjoy
these ‘treasures’ our ‘victims’ must stay tethered to the Devil.
In real life, this could refer to a person who has
gluttonous addiction issues because there is frustration with the plight of one’s
career or disappointments in one’s love life. Perhaps this person is frustrated
with opportunities others have, and he wants, but can’t seem to get. Maybe a
decision is made to give up and become slothful because there is the belief of,
“What’s the use. I never get any breaks!” There is a certain pay-out that comes
from the martyr-mentality which absolves a person from the responsibility of
truly owning the outcome of their life.
Maybe it is just the opposite. A person may have a booming career and make
lots of money, but has now become a slave to an image that must be maintained
in order to continue a greedy or prideful existence. In essence, this person
has sold their soul to the devil in trade for an earthly reward.
Regardless of which of these vices a person is experiencing,
the Devil represents an inability to stand up to any or all of the Seven Deadly
Sins as they unfold in our lives.
The beauty of this card is that despite the menacing image
that appears to be in control of the situation, those who are under the influence
of the Devil are not victims in the traditional sense of the word. Honestly, they
are actually the ones in control. The only reason the Devil has become as
powerful as he appears on the card is because the individual gave into
ego-based fears and became separated from their true Authentic Selves.
When these people finally decide to take the reins of their
lives and move in a direction that is aligned with their higher selves, they
will embrace their true power and realize there is no earthly bond that will ever
be able to hold them back.
