Through Different Lenses: The Devil

One of my first experiences with a tarot deck was when I was in sixth grade. My dad had given me his along with a thick, hardcover book, and suggested that I learn to read tarot so I could tell all my classmates their fortunes.  didn’t get into tarot at that time. And a big part of the reason why was the card we’re talking about today: the Devil.

 

Over the years I’ve had all sorts of reactions to the Devil, from fear, dread, and uncomfortable laughter, to emphatic nodding and that look where things start to click.

 

Let’s take a look at the Devil through different lenses. What can this card mean in different circumstances, and how can he help us become less scared and more powerful?

 

Through Different Lenses is a series on how to look at the cards of the tarot in various ways and situations. This is not a be all and end all guide to what the cards must mean. It is a sharing of ideas, thoughts, stories, and experiences.

XVI - THE DEVIL

Keywords: powerlessness, addiction, obsession, self-limiting beliefs, shadow, bondage, excess, materialism, dependency, lack of control, distraction, oppression, lust, temptation

 

The Devil sits perched with his claws curling around the edges of a black, stone cube. Half-man, and half goat, ram-like horns protrude from his head, and leathery wings extend from his shoulder blades. His forehead bares a reversed pentagram, symbolizing that the spiritual world has succumbed to the material. He raises his hand in a mock blessing, and hides the torch of light.

 

Before the Devil stand the Lovers, chained to his dominion. Horns grow from their heads, a sign of their inner demons taking control, and they’ve sprouted a tail each; the choices they’ve made have lead them to entrapment. 

 

But are they really stuck? Are their chains so tight that they cannot escape? Does the Devil look like he’ll jump into action if they try? Or are they choosing to remain blind to their power and freedom?

“On a wider sense [the Devil] symbolizes the life energy locked up in the dark hidden areas of the self, which cannot be entered by ordinary means. It is called the Devil because for those who are more prepared to receive this energy it can manifest itself as monsters, a sense of the universe as filled with evil, or the temptation to indulge in violence.” 

– Rachel Pollack, 78 Degrees of Wisdom

General: You’re feeling stuck in life. Perhaps it feels like no matter what you do, you can’t make changes happen. Like you have no power or control in your every day. You may have a hard time finding healthy coping mechanisms, and tend to fall back easily into bad habits, even though you hate yourself for doing so. You feel that material stuff will fix things, like you always need more.

 

There are self-limiting beliefs that hold you back, and you’re scared to really break free of them, because as much as they suck, they’re comfortable and known. It feels like you can’t see your way out of the darkness anyways, so why not succumb. You give into distractions so that you don’t have to face discomfort, fear, or shadows.  Perhaps, ignorance is bliss. 

Questions to Reflect:

  • What belief you are holding onto simply because it is familiar and comfortable? What would you have to face to let it go?

  • Think about the last time you felt overwhelmed, stuck, or anxious. What did you use to distract yourself (scrolling, shopping, overworking, eating, etc.)? What was the actual emotion you were trying to avoid facing?

  • Look at an area of your life where you feel completely powerless. If you look more closely, are the chains actually loose? What is one small choice you do have the power to make today to shift that dynamic?

Love/Relationships: Co-dependency comes up as a big one when the Devil makes an appearance. You lose who you are in your relationship, and thus are lacking true independence in life. You may feel  you need to be in a relationship to be whole.

 

There are power dynamics that aren’t balanced in the relationship, and it may even go as far as abuse. While he can indicate obsession with an actual person, it could also show an obsession with the idea of love and thinking that you need a partner and can’t have a fulfilling life without. 

 

You may find yourself lustful, the desire for pleasure and for getting physical needs met (likely at the cost of true connection and intimacy). This isn’t always a bad thing, the Devil can be a good time (and also can represent BDSM or kinks in general). However, as good of a time as he can be, the question is are you giving into physical pleasures to cope or avoid? Is addiction to sex a possibility? If all is safe and healthy, carry on and enjoy.

 

We don’t have to be talking about romantic relationships always here, either. There could very well be friends or family members who are part of the issue. Look to other cards for a clearer idea.

Questions to Reflect:

  • Do you ever feel like you need a partner, a relationship, or external validation to be worthy or whole? How can you give that specific feeling of safety or worth to yourself this week?

  • Where in your relationships (romantic, platonic, or familial) have you lost a bit of your own independence or blurred your boundaries to keep the peace?

  • Lean into the fun side of the Devil. What brings you raw, unadulterated pleasure just for the sake of it? Are you allowing yourself to enjoy it without guilt?

Career: You may feel like you’re not moving anywhere in your career. If you have other career goals you wish to pursue, you’re being held back by a lack of self-belief or fear of taking a pay cut. 

 

There are choices being made at work that you have no say or control over, disempowering you at your job. Your ideas are not being heard, and it’s like you’re screaming into the void. You feel like you can’t leave where you are because it brings some semblance of material stability – no matter how soul sucking it might be. The Devil can also represent toxic power dynamics; perhaps a boss or manager who is domineering.

Finance: You’re making choices on material wealth and gain, which at this time, is holding you hostage. Instead of looking for emotional or mental fulfillment, you want the cold, hard, cash. This can represent being a slave to the dollar.

 

There are difficulties with excess. Overspending, buying things to fulfill emotional pain, trying to keep up with the Jonses. This can lead to impulsive spending habits or gambling addictions.

Questions to Reflect:

  • Are you staying in a situation (a job, a project, a routine) purely because of the financial or material comfort it provides, even though it drains you? What are you afraid of happening if you change the situation?

  • Separate your human value from your productivity for a moment. Who are you when you aren't working, producing, or achieving?

  • Where in your professional life or lifestyle are you chasing more (more status, more money, more validation) out of habit rather than genuine desire? What is actually enough?

Health/Well-being: Addiction is the first word that comes to mind when I think of the Devil and health. Addiction to substances like drugs or alcohol, or addiction to things like food, exercise, or dieting. Basically, there is an unhealthy habit that you’ve developed that needs to stop for you to feel better about your body, and not trapped inside it.

 

Whatever the vice is, it makes you happy – or it seems to at least give you that dopamine hit. But remember, it’s only in the short-term. All you’re doing is filling a void with something material, when there’s (at least partially) and underlying mental, emotional or spiritual cause.

Spirituality: You are (or should consider) diving into shadow work, which is essentially exploring the parts of our psyche that we’re hiding (learn more: What is shadow work? Benefits and exercises from Medical News Today). You may be scared of your spiritual abilities, and thus are trying (likely unsuccessfully) to ignore them.

 

There are fears and self-limiting beliefs that are preventing you from developing spiritually. You want freedom, but are unsure of how to find it. This can often be the case when someone has been influenced or feels trapped in religious beliefs and doctrines. 

 

You are trying to fulfill spiritual needs with material excess. No matter how many ‘healing’ items you buy or courses you take, you will not get your spiritual needs met unless you do the work yourself. 

Questions to Reflect:

  • What is a physical habit (poor sleep, skipping meals, substance use, or chronic scrolling) that you turn to when you want to numb out or escape? How can you replace that habit with genuine care?

  • Are there areas where your pursuit of health, diet, or fitness has turned rigid, stressful, or punishing? How can you shift from a place of controlling your body to listening to what it actually needs?

  • Think of a quality in others that highly irritates or triggers you. Is there a hidden piece of that quality that you’ve suppressed in yourself because you were taught it was bad?

  • In what ways do you suppress your raw energy, wildness, or true thoughts just to appear acceptable, polite, or safe to the outside world?

DECKS USED