XV - The Devil

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.

QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES: "The Devil made me do it!"
Many people are familiar with this phrase (from Laugh-In?), but few realize how far back the idea really goes. In Genesis, when God asked Adam if he ate the forbidden fruit, instead of simply answering yes, Adam says (paraphrased) "The woman gave me the fruit, so I ate it." And when God asked Eve about it, she also shifted blame and said "The serpent deceived me, so I ate it." This is why I include blame(ing) as a meaning for this card.

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.


Sumerian Devil

 

The Voice 

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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