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
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