ALTERNATE NAMES: Billzebub (joke on Bill Gates); Satan, Lucifer, Lord of this World, Adversary, Shadow, Prince of Darkness, etc. Devil means "slanderer" or "liar" According to some, this name originates from the Devil's conversation with Eve in Genesis 3 ("Ye shall not surely die." etc.) Well, where is she now? Dead. Would she have died anyway? Was it poisoned fruit? Was it's God's punishment/discipline?
BASIC DESCRIPTION: A half-goat,
half-man creature with bat wings perches on a black block with clawed
feet. He has a big frown on his ugly face, accentuated by a scraggly
beard. A reversed pentagram is poking him in the middle of his
creased brow. His right hand is upraised like the Magician, Empress,
Hierophant and Justice. He is giving the "Live long and prosper"
sign, and has a mark on his palm that looks like the symbol for
Saturn. His left hand is lowered like the Magician and Justice, and
holds a torch. Chained to a ring in the front of the black block are
two horned figures. It looks like the Devil is setting the man's tail
on fire with the torch. As the man's tail is fire, the woman's is
fruit. This also corresponds to the Lovers card. Red-heads:
passionate. They don't really look too oppressed. The man holds out
his right hand, and rests his left on his hip. It almost looks as if
he's asking her to dance.
FIRST THING THAT STRUCK ME: He doesn't
look too happy.
NUMBER: Fifteen . . .1 + 5 = 6 . . .
The Lovers
TIME: midnight to one a.m.--The Witching
Hour!; also winter solstice, i.e. December
TRADITIONAL MEANINGS OF CARD UPRIGHT:
Disorder, chaos, ruin, enslavement to a negative person, place
or thing, bondage, limitations, stuck in a rut. Violence, revolution,
black magic, regression, addictions, perversion, anger, lust,
dominance, disease, sorrow, depression, obsession, selfish,
materialistic tendencies.
ALSO: A lie (buying or selling);
self-delusion, justification, blame(ing), scapegoat; gossip; an
inferiority complex; teenage(-type) rebellion.
TRADITIONAL MEANINGS OF CARD REVERSED: Release from bondage, healing, freedom, triumph over obsession, addiction or fear. Release or escape from a horrible place or relationship.
BIBLICAL: When under trial, let no
one say: "I am being tried by God." For with evil things God cannot
be tried nor does he himself try anyone. But each one is tried by
being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when
it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has
been accomplished, brings forth death. -- James 1:13-15
MYTHOLOGICAL: Pan, Set, Big Bad Wolf
HISTORICAL:
Bob
would know more.
ASTROLOGICAL: (1) Uranus, the
"rebeller." (2) Neptune--glamor, illusions; (GD) Capricorn
HERBS/PLANTS: "Devil Weed" can be
marijuana or stinging nettle; tobacco, anything addictive
SCENT: musk, civet
INSECT: "Lord of the Flies," spider, flea
ANIMAL: goat, bat, snake, wolf. The ancient Israelites' use of
goats in sacrifice (scapegoat), combined with the earthy, sensual
natures of pagans figures such as Pan, make an interesting
combination of sources for our "modern" image of the Devil. Goats
have creepy eyes, too. A bat flies at twilight or at night. The ones
I've seen generally fly around in large circles, and flap their wings
rapidly. (Whereas angels like in the Lovers card would fly more like
pelicans: ) Although there are no snake images in this particular
card, it is an animal relevant to the Devil (just ask St. Patrick).
Ref. Genesis, Tiamat, Conqueror Worm, Rammstein's video
SCAPEGOAT: "And he [Aaron] shall take two goats, and present them before YHVH at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for YHVH and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which YHVH's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before YHVH, to make atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness." -- Leviticus 16:7-10
The scapegoat took on the sins of the people and carried them off into the wilderness. Current usage of the term "scapegoat" basically implies one who takes the blame. This applies to the Devil, in that he is often blamed for the sins of the world. Although this may have basis in fact, I feel it denies self-responsibility. We all have temptations/choices, and it's how we respond to our "bondage" condition, as pictured in Trump XV, that makes the difference.
Crowley said: "Enjoy all things of sense and rapture. There is no god who shall deny thee for this." (Or something to that effect.) The Horned One(s) also represented this idea, IMHO. But what it all comes down to, in my mind, is whether the physical distracts and "traps" you, or whether you can master it in order to progress.
An analogy: If you think of your home as representing the physical material world, than the bondage to the Devil would be like agoraphobia or something. Or being a real homebody, and living just to be at home. Sure, it's comfy, but personally I like to go out once in a while, and have a *life.*
MUSIC: Sympathy for the Devil,
Rolling Stones; Ich will kein Engel sein, Rammstein; Heavy Metal
FILM: Legend w/Tim Curry as the Devil
(and *what* a Devil!); Prince of Darkness
BOOK: Memnoch the Devil, Ann Rice.
PUBLIC PEOPLE: Marilyn Manson
OCCUPATIONS: debt collector, tax man;
greedy corporate meanie (i.e. Gates, Hurwitz); a 'bad' cop, tobacco
industry, alcohol industry, drug dealers, lottery officials
PEOPLE OR SITUATIONS IN MY LIFE: The
Devil's facial expression makes me think of the headaches I get from
looking at the monitor for too long.
PERSONAL THOUGHTS: Reminds me of when my
dad used to say that I was smart but had no sense. Making choices
based on desire/opinion rather than knowledge/wisdom. Also, the
physical as a trap or prison, rather than a vehicle, for spirit.
OTHER DECKS: I saw a deck once (Robin Wood) which had a picture of a long hallway. In the middle of it was a huge treasure chest. A man and a woman were chained to either end of it, and each was struggling to pull it to the opposite exit. Perfect.
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This page is excerpted from my original contributions to an online
Tarot course discussion of this card graciously sponsored by
Pandora's Bookstore.
http://www.moonchild.ch/Tarot/major/Devil/15IMHO.html
