XV. THE DEVIL

 

Primary principle-Order vs. Chaos

Sign correspondence-Capricorn

Description--The figure is-that of a creature in the shape of a horned goat. This is a very ancient representation of the Devil, an incarnation of the desire nature at its most in- tensely physical and emotional. The Devil has the wings of a vampire bat, an animal that sucks the life-blood out of its victims. The meaning is clear: when we give full reign to the realm of our lower desires, we lose our vitality and life energy. The creature has an inverted pentagram between his horns. This is the symbol for Man (two legs, two arms, and a head). The inversion of this five-pointed star reveals that mind is at the mercy of the senses. Two horns are coming out of the head of the Devil, whose mind has merged with the mind of Man.

 

Separation from the Divine results. It is this separation from the Higher Self that is the key to Man's "Fall from Grace”-the descent into the Hell of a life without the consciousness of Spirit. It is the lower mind of the personality, reason disconnected from intuition, that insists upon its own self-righteousness. It gives rise to life's basic evils: prejudice, exclusivity, egocentricity, and possessiveness.

 

The goat is the symbol for Capricorn. When Capricorn's actions are conditioned by the Soul, it is the astrological sign of greatest union with the Higher Self It speaks to us of the Path of Initiation (Jesus the Christ is traditionally considered to have been born under this sign, as were Joan of Are and Martin Luther King, Jr.). But when the energies of Capricorn the Goat are inverted, it gives rise to the powers of the Antichrist, or those urges within humanity that use and abuse matter for the sake of personal power and selfish desire.

 

The man and the woman in the card are chained to a pillar of stone. It is their desire nature which binds them to the throne of the Devil, The horned one keeps them separate, so that the desire they have for one another can never be fulfilled. The creativity of the man and the fertility of the woman are used for selfish aims. This is indicated by the fire and fruit constituting the shape of their tails. The tails are symbols of the unredeemed lower nature.

 

In the reading-The Devil card represents the querent's bondage to forms: physical (in terms of objects and possessions), emotional (unfulfilled desires), or mental (separate thoughts and egocentric ideas). In essence, the person is trapped in a reality that inhibits the ability to grow, create, and develop. The Divine Energy is dormant and the cur- rent situation will bring harm and destruction. The querent may find herself in a position in which she has given up her will-to-good and is obsessed by desire. She is desperate and may try to use her personal energy in ways that can only end in failure. Another interpretation for this card is that the querent has given up his or her will power and is being controlled by someone of a very selfish nature.

 

Reversal--The Devil card in the reversed position indicates wrong choices that can bring harm to oneself and others. Life situations and the people involved are being manipulated and abused.

 

Exoteric meaning-The struggle between limitation and freedom, between what is "good" and what is "evil," is the clear and powerful message of this card.

 

Esoteric meaning-Bondage to any form of reality occurs when we don't refine the use of our personality so that it serves our higher nature. Energy follows thought; it expands its power through love. The right use of will gives focus to the creative process. All of the above must be' connected to the Soul for right action to follow. "Good" in the context of this card means "alignment to the will of the Higher Self" "Evil' is "live" spelled backwards!

 

 From the Pocket Guide to Tarot by Alan Oken