THE DEVIL (XV) REDUX

The Devil (XV) in The Ohtori Tarot (used by permission)
design(s) by Bara no hitomi
image(s) provided by Arkady

I think this is a fabulous interpretation of The Devil card, even without being familiar with it's setting in the anime/manga story of the Revolutionary Girl Utena (see Resource link below for more information on this story). Do visit The Ohtori Tarot page (link above) to see some intriguing and unusual designs for other Majors, and her conceptions of the suits.

I also really resonate with what Bara no hitomi says about her interpretation of The Devil:

"....One traditional meaning is greed, lust for power, temptation, and folly; another is the figure which guards the way to the underworld. In The Elevator, we see these meanings fused, for it is this elevator which allows people to access their inner feelings of selfishness, jealousy, and despair.... The Elevator thus symbolizes both temptation and despair, and access to the underworld of these emotions...."

And this puts me in mind of a recent dream haiku of mine:

the sudden free fall
of the elevator
surviving bottom

LOL! Especially given The Devil is one of my family of cards in The Tarot. XV usually has Capricorn assigned to it, and that's my astrology sun sign.

I have addressed The Devil in a previous post and will only add this meaning:

As the "Guardian of the Underworld" or "Guardian at the Gate," The Devil can keep us from dealing with what it guards until we are ready and able to. I.e., our fears are sometimes self-protective in a positive way.

* * * *

Resource: Wikipedia: Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep respecting that Guardian at the Gate and enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****

THE DEVIL (XV)

TODAY’S POST IS The Devil (XV). This version is © Stephanie Pui-Min Law (visit her wonderful galleries at Shadowscapes):



For comparison, here's The Devil in the Rider/ Waite/ Smith deck:



THE DEVIL (XV)

OK, it’s time to give The Devil its due and talk about this card. Even though I myself have told many a Tarot newbie that there are no bad Tarot cards, some societal conditioning runs rather deep. I.e., I still find myself a bit, oh, shall we say apologetic that this is one of my family of Tarot cards. (You can determine several cards in the deck that have personal meaning for you by various means, such as birth date. The Devil is Sun sign Capricorn, and so am I.) I also suspect my hesitation to address this card has deeper significance for me and, therefore, it might be helpful if I post it sooner rather than later to see what gets shaken out of the tree. LOL! That expression puts me in mind of The Devil, renamed The Thinker, in The New Tarot for the Aquarian Age (by John Cooke and Rosalind Sharpe)*, who sits in a tree surrounded by flames. Hm....

DIFFERENT TAKES ON THE DEVIL:

I'm making an exception here and quoting first from the book accompanying The Reverse Tarot on The Thinker (the "progressed" Devil): "If he didn't sit and think about them, the chains might drop and leave him free to descend from the tree." "Don't take your time. Respond at once to the action of your heart." "In the Aquarian Age, there is no outer Devil to tempt you. It is only your own inner THINKER which enslaves you." [end quotes]

Self-imposed limitations.

Learning from life’s hard lessons.

Not yet time to lead or teach others, you are too bound up in personal issues.

Bound up too much in someone else’s issues.

A teacher/teaching that challenges what you have previously believed. Remember that doubt is an important spiritual tool.

Temptation, rather than being seen as a failing, can be seen as an opportunity to recognize your choices. I.e., an opportunity to stay conscious and act responsibly.

You may be intensely influenced/bound by issues of nature and/or nurture. Therefore, childhood is a good place to look for information relating to the issue of inquiry.

Lighten up; don’t take yourself quite so seriously. (There’s that old expression that “Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.”)

By the light of recent grace or insights, you can lift the chains of some negative habit.

* * * *

* This link is to a review of a later triple deck that Cooke produced, which includes the entire Reverse Tarot. The Thinker is in the bottom row, far left.

Resource: Photographic, Computer Manipulated and Collage Tarots, view several samples from some unusual decks, including The Devil card.

Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep lightening up and enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****