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| Star Tarot, Cathy McClelland |
In her guidebook to the Star Tarot, Cathy McClelland says that this card in particular was a difficult image for her to paint. 'The Devil wants us to come to terms with with our failings and drawbacks,' she writes. 'When we stop running from our demons, and decide to confront them, we will stop being controlled by denial and our dark side.'
This is a complicated card which depicts many aspects of the dark or shadow side. Working from the bottom of the card upward, we see individuals isolated and trapped. I think it is significant that they are curled in the fetal position, which seems more powerful than the standing figures in the traditional RWS. Also, the chains that bind them acutally create the outline of the Devil himself. The Devil is made up of the chains that bind us. We also see several creatures associated with the Devil--the demon figure itself, a serpent, a goat, a wolf, and corvids. The androgynous dancer in the middle of the card is a combination of the Fool and Pan, being coiled about by the red serpent, which might be the kundalini. Black and white, good and evil, innocence and appetite, all dancing in flame. Which will win, or is it more about finding a balance?
'One of the biggest lessons of the Devil is to love yourself,' Cathy continues in the Star Tarot companion book. But is it? I don't see any 'love yourself' messages here, or in any of the Devil cards I've ever seen. I think the message is 'Free yourself', which I suppose could be construed as 'love yourself,' but I'm not sure that phrase is the right one to use because it might lead to the wrong conclusion.
What is the meaning of this Key, as Cathy calls the Major Arcana? I have read everything in my house about the Devil card, and am still not satisfied. I can list common divinatory meanings and use them in readings, but going beyond that, what is the Wisdom of this card? It baffles me. It keeps coming back to prod me. What does the Universe want of me.
I think this is an important question, because my Life Card is The Lovers, which in the RWS is the sister card to the Devil.
I don't think you can work out one without the other. I read this at the Tarot School website: Devil/Lovers, but I don't feel much closer to enlightenment about it than before.
What does the Devil mean to you? And I don't just mean in a reading. I mean the 'Big Meaning'.
There was a thread on the forum recently about favorite Devil cards and I drew a blank. Thanks for reminding me about one of my favorites; this Devil, with the hulking bear-like figure cracked open to reveal the figures inside, is one of the few truly ominous ones I've ever encountered.
ReplyDeleteYou might be interested in what Robert Place says about the Devil in his book, The Tarot: History, Symbolism and Divination.
He writes:
"The fact that the Devil appears now [in the Fool's Journey] shows that we are approaching our goal. The Devil is the guardian of higher realm. In the hero’s quest, there is always a definitive final challenge before the goal can be reached. When Christ went into the desert to find his calling, the Devil came to tempt him. In the stories of saints, there are similar scenes with the Devil acting as the final challenge. Buddha, as well, had to confront Mara, the Buddhist Devil, before he could reach enlightenment. It is easy to lose hope at this impasse on the mystic journey. It is often called the dark night of the soul."
Place, Robert (2005-03-17). The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination (p. 153). Penguin Group.
Perhaps if you thought of The Devil's place within the Fool's Journey, it might trigger some additional thoughts for you.
The Devil alwasys makes me think of addiction, in all its myriad forms. Combining it with the Lovers remind me of something I read once. It suggested that, to break a bad habit, we should not only avoid the negative thing, but put something positive in its place. The writer likened this to a scales, with the bad habit on one side. We could just try to take bits of the "bad" plate, but the scales will balance and tip to the good far faster if we add something to the "good" plate at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSo, it's not just about choosing what to avoid (the Devil), but choosing what to move towards (the Lovers).
For me, this afternoon, I will try to choose a nap rather than biscuits...
Chiriku, I have that book and have gone to re-read that section. Thanks for your thoughts! Very helpful.
ReplyDeleteChloe, I like the ideas of the Lovers and the Devil being like a set of scales. I want to put more things on the Lovers side, too. :)