BodhiSeed
What I notice in the Devil card:
Mirror (darkened with shadow inside)
Goat head on top of mirror
Candle sconces (empty)
Two statues (fleeing) attached to sconce
Empty fireplace
The mirror is darkened though there seems to be the shadow of a person's head in it. I am reminded of the biblical phrase, "For now we see through a glass darkly," as well as Plato's Allegory of the Cave. It implies a time when a person can see only shadows of reality. He doesn't have the ability to think clearly, even though he might think he can.
The goat head at the top of the mirror is a nod to the Greek god Pan, who is associated with the wildness of nature. He was often depicted with panpipes and another (ahem) instrument, indicating his association with fertility. It is easy to see how the Church would look down on such "natural expressions" as sinful and depraved and link this god to the devil. In this card, the pleasures of Pan/devil have been used to either fill the emptiness inside a person or cover over a person's fears. What normally would just be an occasional bit of fun has become an addiction; the pleasure is no longer a tool but has become the person's master.
The candle sconces are empty, signifying a loss of hope and clarity (no light).
Two figures on the mantel try to flee, but they are linked to the candle sconce. There's a saying that "everywhere you go, there you are," meaning you can't run from a problem that originates inside yourself. When the figures understand that wisdom and begin to work with it, the cords that bind them can be cut.
The cold, dark fireplace symbolizes an emptiness, that "hole in the soul" feeling that makes life seem without meaning. It will take digging into the spiritual depths of one's being to get the fire burning again.
malpertuis.co.uk/2013
Mirror (darkened with shadow inside)
Goat head on top of mirror
Candle sconces (empty)
Two statues (fleeing) attached to sconce
Empty fireplace
The mirror is darkened though there seems to be the shadow of a person's head in it. I am reminded of the biblical phrase, "For now we see through a glass darkly," as well as Plato's Allegory of the Cave. It implies a time when a person can see only shadows of reality. He doesn't have the ability to think clearly, even though he might think he can.
The goat head at the top of the mirror is a nod to the Greek god Pan, who is associated with the wildness of nature. He was often depicted with panpipes and another (ahem) instrument, indicating his association with fertility. It is easy to see how the Church would look down on such "natural expressions" as sinful and depraved and link this god to the devil. In this card, the pleasures of Pan/devil have been used to either fill the emptiness inside a person or cover over a person's fears. What normally would just be an occasional bit of fun has become an addiction; the pleasure is no longer a tool but has become the person's master.
The candle sconces are empty, signifying a loss of hope and clarity (no light).
Two figures on the mantel try to flee, but they are linked to the candle sconce. There's a saying that "everywhere you go, there you are," meaning you can't run from a problem that originates inside yourself. When the figures understand that wisdom and begin to work with it, the cords that bind them can be cut.
The cold, dark fireplace symbolizes an emptiness, that "hole in the soul" feeling that makes life seem without meaning. It will take digging into the spiritual depths of one's being to get the fire burning again.
malpertuis.co.uk/2013