World Spirit study group The Devil (15)

Seed Crystal

A black/purple winged old fashioned "gentleman" devil stands atop a pedestal, leaning on his cane. A fire colored reversed pentacle and an incomplete circle are behind him. To the left is a huge billy goat, to the right a footed serpent. Below him are bound a naked man and woman, and tokens of every lust and vice (riches, weapons, drugs, symbols of bondage and gluttonry).

A card of desception, including self desception; of addiction, obcession, fear and delusion, repression, dishonesty, twisted inhibitions and inadequacy, shame, cowardice, slavery accepted.

Most of the World Spirit cards impress me with their dynamics, the energy and activity of the main figures. In this card is passivity; these people aren't going anywhere, by choice (or by choosing to refuse choice).
 

flowergrrl

I don't like this card. I guess it's because it looks like the artist fell back on the 15-year-old high school boy's image of the devil. I feel ike I'm looking at an album cover, not that there's anything wrong with that per se, it's just not my cup of tea.

I do like the figures at the bottom though. I just wish the authors were more creative with the devil figure.
 

Sulis

I like this Devil card - I think the depiction of the Devil gives him a more human slant than the more typical monstrous devil. He's swish and debonair, maybe even slightly sexy ;)

It's different - I like that.

Love

Sulis xx
 

flowergrrl

Maybe he reminds me a little too much of David Copperfield.:)
 

Sulis

*lol* he does look a bit like David Copperfield doesn't he - you'll put me off him now :)

Love

Sulis xx
 

RedMaple

flowergrrl said:
I guess it's because it looks like the artist fell back on the 15-year-old high school boy's image of the devil. I feel ike I'm looking at an album cover, not that there's anything wrong with that per se, it's just not my cup of tea.

That's part of what I like about it. I can't help but think of Mick Jagger's "Sympathy for the Devil" as well as the charisma of rock stars. The Devil is supposed to be charismatic, smart, hip -- otherwise how would he seduce us?

This card to me is always about addiction -- to power, sex, drugs, money, religion, whatever is done through an addictive relationship rather than one that is free. There is pleasure there often, but not happiness.
 

flowergrrl

RedMaple said:
The Devil is supposed to be charismatic, smart, hip -- otherwise how would he seduce us?

Yiikes! That sounds like an ex-boyfriend of mine. Yeah, that's what the Devil is supposed to be. But, how do I get around the issue that I don't really believe in the concept of the Devil. I don't believe that there is a guy out (uh...down?) there waiting to tempt us. I guess the Devil, the concept of the Devil, is in all of us. I guess the image just seemed so...comic bookish to me.
 

Sulis

flowergrrl said:
But, how do I get around the issue that I don't really believe in the concept of the Devil. I don't believe that there is a guy out (uh...down?) there waiting to tempt us. I guess the Devil, the concept of the Devil, is in all of us. I guess the image just seemed so...comic bookish to me.


Hi Flowergrrl,

I don't believe in The Devil either (to me he's a Christian, Jewish or Islamic figure and has nothing at all to do with me) but I do believe that we all have a shaddow or dark side. Working with and getting to know and love this dark side of our personalities can lead to great spiritual growth.

Have a look at these threads about the devil - they're very interesting


http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=22765

Love

Sulis xx
 

RedMaple

flowergrrl said:
Yiikes! But, how do I get around the issue that I don't really believe in the concept of the Devil. I don't believe that there is a guy out (uh...down?) there waiting to tempt us.

I don't believe in the Devil either. But I do believe that we get into unfortunate and unhealthy relationships with people and things, and the Devil is a good symbol for that.

I think there is also this other aspect of the Devil as light-bringer (so we can see our bondage and escape), as a Pan-figure (so we can connect to our erotic, physical bodies that have been so repressed), but I think that in order to really encompass the range of human experience, we need the cards that show the negative forces in our lives. For me, as I said, I think of addictions, enabling behaviors, relationships that bring out the worst in us. Though the Devil comes to us through a Christian tradition that I don't accept, I can read it metaphorically in the Tarot.

Judaism doesn't really believe in the Devil either -- he is a minor figure in the Old Testament, but not at all like the Christian Devil. There is no Hell in Judaism, no Fall of the Angels, so no Devil. At least, that's what my Rabbi says. (Of course, you know the old saying, get three Jews together in a room, and you have four opinions.)
 

Flavio

This Devil is a showman! he know every trick to seduce us keep us tied to him, is up to us to recognize what he is doing to us and break free.