The Devil

Major Arcana
Written By Quinn

Traditional Meaning

Materialism. Conforming for a quiet life. Status. The structure of business.

Going Deeper

Another ‘oh’ card in the deck that is frequently misunderstood. The worst message here is that we are bound to a sense of duty and conditioned responsibility. The Devil can show we're not following our hearts or that we are afraid to be an individual. The old saying of ‘selling one's soul to the devil’ can easily be used as a reference to losing your ability to be free from societal expectations. If we work for a big firm, we have little chance to be ourselves unless we naturally agree with every aspect of it. When we compromise our integrity, we get to deal with the Devil. When we say yes and mean no because we don't want to upset Dad, we have sold out to the Devil again. Many people will have a problem with this because we are brought up to believe that we should accommodate the family and state first and put our needs second. The problem is this frequently contradicts the needs of our own soul. Both men and women are affected by this card. The Devil is to be feared because if it comes up often, it tells you that you are compromising too much of yourself. At the other end of the scale, it could be telling you to take more responsibility and that you are too reckless or avoiding commitments you have previously made. If we make a commitment, we have to honour it or unmake it, but we can't just pretend it's not there. The Devil is the archetypal father/boss/government and can indicate contact with officials and a need to attend to tax matters and other government-structured things. It's a card of toeing the line and of having to suppress the soul, but only you can know if it's avoidable or not. The card itself is a reminder that whatever you are doing, it's a man-made condition and has nothing to do with the inner you or your spiritual side. We can't go through life not having these man-made conditions, but we can learn not to sacrifice so much of the self in the process. If it's a family problem, the chances are things need to be looked at more closely as it's possible we can make adjustments.

Astro Insight

The sign of Capricorn.

Examples With Other Cards

With The Hierophant, a serious amount of potential for a long-term relationship. With the Death card, it can imply the structures in your life have to be redone. With The World, promotion or increase in social status is on its way. Wands: With the Prince of Wands, you are evading responsibility, or there is a conflict between freedom and commitment. With the nine, you could be sacrificing too much of yourself. Cups: With the two, a romance needs more stability. Pentacles: it's all happening on the work front. Still, with the five, it carries a warning to stick to conventional methods. The ten says you will achieve everything you need in this lifetime and have plenty to leave your offspring, and it also indicates family money from the past and the established family business.

To Help Yourself or Give Advice To Clients

I was never fond of this card, but then I always failed so miserably when it came to materialism. Always preferred being a mystic to worrying about things like status...or financial security. It's a choice. You don't have to be like everyone else, but please, stop saying you're different if you are just like everyone else. And if you're so sure that you are, how do you express that difference?

Onyx

Common Associations

The earth element. The colour maroon. The psychic ability of clairaudience. The stones diamonds, and onyx.

 

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